The Batak People of Lake Toba

The Lake Toba region is home to the Batak people, one of the hundreds of ethnic groups in the Indonesian archipelago.  Traditionally the Batak people were farmers, hunters and fishers and known for their weaving and wood carving.  

Wood carving at Simanindo open air museum

Traditional loom

The Batak traditional house is one of the striking features around Lake Toba.  The houses are on stilts about two metres above the ground allowing a space for the chickens, pigs and buffalo.  The raised house also allows for good ventilation and flood protection.  The houses have sweeping boat-shaped upturned roofs.  The roofs of the houses are now generally rusty tin but when Bob was last here the roofs were made of thatch.  The entrance is up a ladder with a very small door that one has to stoop to enter as a sign of respect.  

Batak Houses at the Simanindo open air museum

Old Batak house

Cluster of Batak traditional houses and contemporary houses

The outer walls and gables are decorated with intricate carvings.  The main carvings we saw were 4 breasts and a gecko.  The breasts, of course, represent fertility and mothers and the geckos represent the ability to live anywhere.  The gecko faces the breast to remind Batak of their heritage but encourage them to be a curious gecko and explore the world.  I like that symbolism.

The gecko and breast symbols

Most of the people around Lake Toba now have modern houses and the traditional houses are preserved for open air museums (such as the Simanindo open air museum we visited) or found in the poorer villages.  However there seems to be a trend to build a modern house with the Batak frontage.  I hope it continues as the house design is very beautiful. 

A modern house with the Batak tradition frontage

In their past, Bataks were well known for being fierce warriors. They had strong kingship systems, patrilineal clans and ritual cannibalism.  From my cursory research there seems to be a bit of debate about the extent of cannibalism but most sources seem to agree that they would eat their enemies that were killed in wartime and the flesh of some executed criminals.  Some sources also state that they ate their old people once they could no longer work.  The blood, heart, palms and soles of the feet were especially favoured as it was seen to enrich ones tendi, or ‘life-soul’.

Stone chairs and execution block of the traditional courts

Sign at the museum - We wondered if it was a warning to buy something at the souvenir shop or else!

Fortunately for us, this practice stopped when the missionaries came in the mid 19^th Century and accomplished near total conversion, though a few missionaries ended up in the pot before the conversions were complete.  It was mainly Dutch and German missionaries who brought Christianity to the area. The main Christian religion now is The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) Church which is part of the Lutheran sect.  Churches dot the landscape and rarely is a mosque seen.  

One of the many churches

Catholic church Batak style

This Christian enclave in Indonesia certainly brings a different feel to the Indonesia we experienced before.  Although Christian, the Batak still practice some of their traditional beliefs.  One is the reburial of the bones of their ancestors several years after death.  In a ceremony that lasts several days the bones are exhumed, cleaned and rehoused in bone houses known as a tugu or tambak, which we saw everywhere.  This reminded us of a similar practice in the Greek Orthodox religion with their ossuaries.

Tuga  or bone house in a field

 

Stone sarcophagus

Bone house along the road

We didn’t get a chance to sample traditional Batak cuisine as it was the off season and the restaurants that were open served general Indonesian food of rendang and nasi goreng but sometimes with a Batak style using the special pepper spice, andaliman.  We did sample the Lake Toba fish which was excellent.  Also there was lots of pork available – a rarity in Indonesia.  The more unique Batak dishes were not on the menus, though having read about them I doubt we would have tried them.  One of the specialties is Saksang, pork cooked in spices and its own blood.  There are several other dishes that use a blood sauce as well.  I like rare steak but will stop at blood sauces – never tried the North England black pudding, either.

Saksang picture courtesy of Wikipedia

The Batak people have a high regard for education and one of the highest literacy rates in Indonesia.  On a Sunday afternoon we decided to do a circuit around the peninsula of Tuk Tuk; a pleasant 5 km walk.  We found out that Sunday afternoon is the time that high school students do their English practice with the tourists.  Every 500m we were stopped by a group of students who wanted to interview us.  Most of the students had very good English.  Any small mistakes in grammar were accompanied by lots of giggles and it was all good fun.  The kids were really very sweet but after about 4 interviews we had to say enough – all with good humour and jokes.

The student interviewers

Lovely girls

Music also seems to be an integral part of the Batak life.  Every night we heard jam sessions coming from the houses.  All the staff at the hotel could be heard singing while doing their work.  We went to dinner one night and as we were the only customers, the owner and his friend sat at our table and started singing and playing the guitar.  It was lovely but also the intimacy a bit confronting for our Western sensibilities.  Another night we went to a traditional Batak dance and the musicians were loving their music making.

Batak dancers

In our 5 days at Lake Toba, we only scratched the surface of this amazing area of Indonesia.  The people are delightful and friendly with a rich history.  The countryside is breathtaking – a very special place I was sad to leave.