Book Review MENGENALI BANGUNAN SERTA ORNAMEN RUMAH ADAT DAERAH MANDAILING DAN
HUBUNGANNYA DENGAN PERLAMBANGAN ADAT (IDENTIFYING AND ORNAMENTS HOUSE BUILDING COMMON AREAS
AND CONNECTION WITH SYMBOLISM CUSTOM MANDAILING) By Drs. Oloan Situmorang
Reviewers
Cut Nuraini Fadli
INTRODUCTION
Books written by Oloan Situmorang consists of five chapters, the first
introduction, includes four sub-chapters: introduction to the problem, the
importance of traditional buildings are maintained and preserved, the scope of
the problem as well as the purpose and benefits; both traditional building
heritage, includes three sub-sections: the meaning of traditional buildings,
building elements of the personality and customs as a symbol; The third area of
building custom Mandailing, includes three sub-chapters: the
deployment location, type of building and its function and structure of
the building; The fourth meaning and decorative elements in the custom home
building Mandailing, includes three sub-sections: Background to the decoration,
decorative type, aspect of behavior in the form of a symbol on decoration; The
fifth aspect of the behavior of the application.
BOOK SUMMARY
Indonesian archipelago has a wide variety of cultural background of the
local tribes. The cultural diversity characterized each region in accordance
with the conditions of the people who inhabit it, there is still characterized
by traditional and some are still primitive. The rich diversity of Indonesian
culture which is widespread in some areas have a high aesthetic value. Cultural
diversity is clearly depicted by each tribal areas of the archipelago which has
a strong cultural tradition and distinctively different regions according to
state and tribal communities that have been passed down through the generations
by their ancestors. One of the local culture that can be expressed through
writing is a form of traditional building custom building.
Building custom as a form of traditional building is a building that is
large accompanied by specific patterns and different from the local community
building. Likewise among regions, each showing its own identity. Custom building
as a national cultural heritage should receive special attention in order to
preserve the nation's cultural heritage as an asset. Therefore, it is necessary
internalized the meaning contained in the customs buildings, one of which is
building custom Mandailing area located in the Level II South Tapanuli, North
Sumatra. Preservation and maintenance of custom building is important that
local traditional order of life is not lost, so the inheritance chain of
indigenous noble values to the
younger generation is still running.
Writing this book aims to discuss and outline the structure of
traditional Indigenous mandailing, including the meanings associated with
elements of the building and decoration, and its relation to society
personalities. Hopefully, this discussion can contribute in the excavation area
Mandailing traditional cultural heritage.
The formation of traditional building area is due to the needs of the
tribe or clan groups who want to create a social bond in the form of a sense of
community, a place to consult for the good of the tribe through a container
that is custom building equipped with all means of customs and perlambangannya.
Traditional building is defined as a container that is still bound to the old
habits, which for generations has not changed.
For Mandailing local communities, the principle of order of life is
inseparable from the customary depiction. Mandailing community has a
personality that is high in relation to customary behavior, social relations
between the members of the clan and inter-community relations. Relationships
are depicted in multitudes of indigenous symbols of pictures patterned
decoration humans, animals, plants and objects are modified in such a way to
use up to form symbols.
Traditional indigenous building number 25 Mandailing existing buildings
and spread across three districts, namely Kotanopan, Penyabungan and Muara
Sipongi. Traditional building in the district of Muara Sipongi Kotanopan and
owned by the Lopez clan groups in the district Penyabungan while building owned
by Nasution clan groups, according to the regional spread of the clans in
Mandailing.
Mandailing custom home building structures have differences due to the
shape of different house sizes. There is a large custom home building, that Bagas Godang the possibility once the
first building built by the Raja Huta
after a village was built, and there is also much smaller: Sopo Godang as customs hall and arts ceremony. There is also
another building whose roof resembles Bagas Godan , which houses Kahanggi, Mora and Anak Boru and
its function as a place to live.
Roof forms Mandailing custom home is "curved roof" (silingkung Dolok parcucuran) and
"flat roof" (saro tole).
Not all homes may use these roof forms, except the buildings belonging to the “kerabat raja” ("kin king").
Custom home building structure not unlike the ordinary home, it's just building
larger custom sized and fitted with ornaments associated with certain symbols.
Mandailing custom home building structure consists of five parts,
namely the roof, body, poles, ladders and experience. Roof pattern consists of
two features, namely saratole (flat
roof) and silingkung Dolok parcucuran
(roof arch). Arrangement of space in the custom home building is made up of
several parts, namely (a) Pantar tonga
(living room) that serves as a living room, a gathering place for families,
special events such as custom hearing, the trial horja (attended by the
villagers) and is entitled to use by hatubangon ni Huta and Namora natoras; (b)
Master bedroom (specifically for Namora Natoras
and her children; (c) Parangin-angin (front
room) used by Namora Natoras and
family and the gatehouse guard (ulu
balang), (d) Hauan Halang
(forbidden room) king is offering space to the Mulajadi Nabolon and also as a storage heirlooms, as well as space
(e) Parsimonjapan (hiding space) as
protection from the pursuing enemy space. latter space is not available in all Bagas Godang. Sopo Godang only have two rooms , ie Pantar na alternating
(deliberation room) made an open, limited only high wall 0.5 s / d 1 meter and
storage cubicle space objects wear, custom art tools and equipment.
Pillar-shaped sculpture on building custom rectangular and octagonal.
The composition of the poles varies in accordance with the building area, but
always use odd numbers 3,5,7,9. The odd numbers are also used in building
custom staircases, although the number is still different in each place. Bagas Godang has 7 steps, while the
king's relatives homes have 5 steps. The houses are the usual number of the steps
2 and 4. Stairs in custom home Mandailing called sibingkang wooden staircase, which climbed the ladder if it will
cause a crackling sound. The creaking stairs signaled to the household, that
there are guests who come.
Pages on custom building has an area of diverse,
there are extensive and there are narrow. The function of the page is the place
to implement the various activities related to customs. At the present time,
increases function, namely as a Gordang Sambilan
arts, martial arts training, dance training as well as celebration of
Islamic holidays.
Each building has a Mandailing customary in the form of a decorative
ornament in certain parts. Creation motifs ornament as a sign of the existence
of a customary starting huta who have had custom completeness and legal
regulations that have been agreed upon fixed and hearings through customs.
Customs as a permanent source of law should be known by every citizen and
immigrant, which was made in the form of signs letter of images from each of
the diverse customs by panggorga (arts
expert). The custom symbols using motifs of plants, animals and objects as well
as shown by a combination of three colors, namely red, white and black.
Decorative types that include numbering 33, are (a) jagar-jagar, denoted by coconut pistil
is still small, which means huta bona feathers have strong traditional
institutions; (b) bindu, bamboo
shoots form a meaningful picture of people's lives is the basis dalian Natolu;
(C) timbangan, the symbol of justice
and truth; (e) gancip, a sort of
clamp that can be cut significantly and the king should hold customary law,
implementing the truth; (e) barapati,
dove after every meaningful for a living, had to return home; (f) takar, coconut shell means any distress
panga, can ask for help to the king and rural communities; as well as several
other symbols.
All the elements of decoration or part of the building is a symbol of
personality. The definition of personality is an aspect of behavior that is
always expressed in the attitudes and actions everyday. Some aspects of
behavior in the life bermasyarakatnya shown through symbols speak ornament is
customary greetings, airy and open heart, brave in truth, helpful, ungrateful,
honoring guests, are social and always consulted consensus. Based on the
behavioral aspects that reflect the personality, enough to prove that local
communities have the authority Mandailing high and honorable and generous
nature. The emergence of such a personality is not out of the teachings,
instructions and guidance of customary provisions that have been created by
older people and their ancestors, and for generations passed down to posterity
as the next generation.
DISCUSSION
Traditional building heritage, often interpreted as a building that has
special characteristics and different forms of other residential buildings. The
hallmark of this building is shown in the form and larger size and enriched by
decorations that have meaning as the customary order of implementation of the
social life of the community. Therefore, the privilege in this traditional
building is its ability to provide information about what things it contains by
symbol-indigenous symbolism. This phenomenon is actually a habit of any
building that serves as a traditional building. The ability of each building in
informing what they contain so-called linguistic analogy semiotic phenomenon,
which adheres to the view that something is a sign of a building consisting of
information delivery usur elements are laid out according to the rules, allowing
people to quickly understand and interpret what is conveyed by the building.
This book studies in early-onset literary emphasis on the importance of
protection and attention of all parties to the indigenous architecture
Mandailing. This is confirmed by the author through the three reasons the
importance of preserving architectural Mandailing, namely (a) the meaning; (b)
the element of personality and (c) symbol. Meaning I think includes some
things, namely that the first custom home is a process in which each stage
pengerjaannnya has its own meaning. Building a custom home is not just making
foundations, pillars, roofs, walls resulting in the need for shelter are met,
but rather the fulfillment of specific requirements at any stage before the
process. Although the house is habitable, but certain rituals still remains to
be done. Second, traditional buildings as heritage buildings or enlightening
that architecture is an element of culture that has grown and developed into a
container that doubles as a shelter in the true sense and as a form of
expression of the user's desire. Personality is an underlying attitude of a
person's behavior and attitude is the unity of a group of people or a group of
people, which was based on a public private manners and mores of everyday
social behavior, and developing mutually integrated. When the identity of the
attitude has been fused to each other within each individual, then formed a
joint agreement to abide by them. In the end, the meaning and the personality
will become a symbol in the society.
Studies on the Regional Indigenous Building Mandailing (p.24) in the
three chapters of this book, as they appear in the book Mandailing: History, Indigenous
and architecture, works of M. Dolok Lubis (p.50). However, the
book written by Oloan Situmorang
equipped with custom tabulation building deployment in Mandailing. What is
interesting in the discussion of the structure of the building by Oloan is a
description stating that "a large
custom home building which presumably is the first building built by the king
Huta after a village built" (p.27). Doubts have missed the fact that
studies have been done several times, that the king even when a village has
been built to survive as indigenous Huta. In Mandailing, huta yet 'mangadati'
not entitled to Bagas Godang establish.
To become a huta which has a complete custom, there are requirements that must
be owned by a huta.
Here is the inception of huta elements in the review of aspects of the
physical and non-physical, based on the research I did.
Therein lies the uniqueness Mandailing truth, that the customs building
and other elements in huta truly an important architectural process that is
implied in the process so much meaning. In fact, to open a new huta, also
requires a certain process with a sequence or a sequence that is highly
structured.
Topics on other structures in Oloan book is a page, which is not
appropriate if the structures are grouped in discussion. Pages may be
appropriate are discussed in the context of its own as one of the
micro-architectural elements. Pages in Mandailing known as Alternating Alaman
Selangseutang not just a vast expanse of land in front of Bagas Godang. This page is one of the important architectural
element for the formation of Huta in
Mandailing.
The process of forming a customs huta in Mandailing has two important
phases, ie Pagaran be huta and Huta became customary Huta.
Pagaran be huta, the stage marked the opening of a village with houses built
in and work together to put the residential buildings in the zone Banua Partonga. The development of
residential buildings in Pagaran into
banjar and subsequently formed a huta group stay abreast of existing
buildings in the zone. Huta become
customary Huta, the inauguration
stage huta who already has a full custom devices become customary through horja
Huta Huta further development begins with determining the location Alaman
Alternating and main buildings. Experience and Sopo Godang placed on Banua
Partonga of Bagas Godang while
stationed in Banua Partonga zone,
close to Banua Parginjang. Bagas Godang orientation sought not to
the sun, but to the sun position is better than having to be at Banua Partoru zone.
Determination of the location of a physical object or place any
building or non-building based on three important aspects of the well as a
hierarchy, namely (a) the concept Banua,
(b) the belief system associated with the river and the power of the sun and
(c) natural conditions. First, place a physical object is determined by the
appropriate zone, then the orientation is determined by the location of the
river and the position of the sun. If the natural conditions do not allow, the
orientation can be changed, but still not far from the river and not to the
sun. So in this case, the application of the concept Banua layout and orientation of the river is very consistent, while
the sun's belief in the power system is highly dependent on natural conditions.
Huta formation process in
Mandailing through two stages showed a trend toward the possibility that the
community has been estimated or predetermines the location and position of
Alternating Alaman in the newly
established Huta. In this case,
estimates or determination of the location of Alaman only for a while until in penuhinya be huta customary terms, so that in the subsequent development, the
location of the planned use within alternating Alaman is not disturbed or guarded so as not to set the building on
it. When formed huta customs and land needed to Alaman Alternating with customary buildings, the land has been
estimated and planned since the first was opened and built Bagas Godang and Sopo Godang
around.
This phenomenon may be related to Lobu.
Understanding Lobu has two different
meanings in the Mandailing community. The first sense, Lobu is a land that was first opened and was found by village
founder, when he discovered a new area near the river which will be developed
into Huta. Areas that can be used as settlement land is nowhere near a river
called buts so marlinta na, na so marongit jalangan which means buts or places
that are not inhabited by leeches, uninhabited prairie mosquitoes. Clearly, the
place is a comfortable, healthy and without disease.
Lobu the newly opened fields
are only used as a visit at any time and built some of Sopo field for shelter. After farming activities and bersawah
completed, then the population Lobu leave
and return to his native village. This continued until they have a solid home
village and the area needed for the new village. At this stage, Lobu began to be developed into a banjar and Pagaran. When it became huta,
then Lobu area that was originally
used as a temporary field being used as Alaman
alternating with the buildings.
Understanding Lobu second is
the origin of the settlement area has been turned into a burial ground. If seen
Lobu this second sense, it may not be
the opening of the Lobu alternating Alaman, because the land is not suitable
for placement funeral Alaman alternating
as custom activity center in Huta. Understanding the first Lobu more relevant for answering phenomenon Alaman locations in huta that seems to have been first planned.
Understanding the Lobu, in addition
to being at a location adjacent to the river is also used as a field which is
the place of human labor activity to continue his life. In this case, Lobu certainly be at Partonga Banua
zone, the central area of human
activity in everyday life.
It also raises new questions about the existence of abstract concepts
in thinking about huta Mandailing people who apply the concept of cosmology
three Banua and always carried by them when going to look for new land
settlement. Chances are Mandailing community has mapped out the concept in mind
and manifestation of the concept will gradually be seen clearly if a huta have
really stood out. However, it is of course still the allegations that require
confirmation and further research, because it has not found any data and facts
that can explain the phenomenon.
Last on this book I did directly on the last topic, the application of
behavioral aspects, because Oloan
Situmorang discussion about the structure and the exact same ornaments made
by M. Dolok Lubis. Studies on the
behavioral aspects of this application, as further confirms the issues that
always makes people's hearts Mandailing be sensitive, that is not Batak Mandailing. This issue until now
is no longer a secret, but it continues to be discussed by the Mandailing community,
which from the beginning do not want to be regarded as 'Batak'. According to the sacred stories of the people, especially
the Batak, all sub Batak tribes that have a common ancestor, ie Si Raja Batak. However, people
Mandailing stated that their communities instead of 'Batak' as it is known for
a lot of people. Since old people do not want to be called as Batak Mandailing people.
They gather a lot of evidence that suggests that people with different Batak Mandailing
people. Some evidence in the form of data and research on the origin of
Mandailing further strengthen the confidence and gave birth to a new statement
saying that in fact the Batak people who exist today actually comes from
Mandailing. The data used as evidence that the inaccuracy of information,
including the Batak Mandailing are (1) Tonggo-tonggo
Siboru Deak Parujar of the Toba; (2) CANTO 13th Negarakertagama poem by Mpu Prapanca;
(3) Dalian Natolu Indigenous; (4)
Language and Literacy Mandailing; (5) Gordang
Sambilan. Despite the fact regarding
whether or not a difference of opinion about Mandailing people who do not want
to be called as the Batak, Mandailing interesting to study because there are
many very condition of cultural significance has not been revealed, one of
which is on the river as one of the elements huta allegedly had a big hand in structuring patterns huta space
overall.
In the end, a strong personality in the society has made their
Mandailing have forward-looking view of life. Implementation can be seen in
Mandailing progress achieved in all areas, namely regional development,
spiritual development, education and teaching as well as tourism. Similarly,
the field of art and culture. The mission is one of the cultural progress of
society demands Mandailing, so the area Mandailing culture alive throughout the
ages.
Posted by Cut
Nuraini Fadli.
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