CHAPTER III PARMALIM AND TUNGGAL PANALUAN
3.1 Parmalim as Religion
There is umpasa proverb of Toba Batak people from their ancestor: “Mula ni mula na di tompa Debata, langit dohot tano”
“Ulaon nai gabe haporseaon, haporseaon nai gabe ugamo” “Sada na jadi, sada na so jadi”
“Sada na tiur, sada na golap” “The first, the sky and the land are created by God”
“The task become belief, belief become religion” “One comes off, but the other one doesn’t “
“There is brightness, there is darkness” That umpasa is described about God created the earth, the first He created
the sky and the land. And then, God created all of the things and created not only the brightness but also the darkness. And God said that the task of the people
become the religion for that people especially for the Parmalim adherent. And that umpasa is from Si Raja Batak who believes to Ompu Mulajadi Nabolon.
Parmalim believed to Ompu Mulajadi Na Bolon God of Parmalim who had the power in over in the heaven and his emitted power manifested in Debata
Na Tolu. Debata Na Tolu is god of universe that divided into three levels: 1.
The Upper-world called “Banua Ginjang” 2.
The Middle-World called “Banua Tonga” and 3.
The Under-World called “Banua Toru” www.wikipedia.org. Toba Batak society knows three concepts of belief, namely:
-Tondi : The spirit of a person who can give life to man. A man
gets it since from his mother womb. When tondi leave his
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body, he will get sick or die. They must make ceremony to fetch his tondi from sombaon who was captivated.
-Sahala : The spirit of power that someone. Everyone has tondi but
not all have sahala. Sahala is the luck or the power of magic that the king owned or hula-hula in Batak beliefs.
-Begu : The spirit of died person or ghost www.wikipedia.org.
Part of Toba Batak society still believes in those concepts and also called as Parmalim adherent. They do not leave their beliefs although it is an ancient
traditional. Parmalim is also Sisimangaraja adherent. Sisingamangaraja the first generation up to the last generation or called Sisingamangaraja XII is Parmalim
adherent. The position Sisingamangaraja in Parmalim concept is “Sahala”. If we compare with Catholic religion, Sisingamangaraja position is same with Paus
Paulus. Sisingamangaraja is also called as prophet of Parmalim and have a big power.
After Sisingamangaraja death, the spirit soul of Sisingamangaraja become “Panghulubalang”. Panghulubalang is spirit that the Shaman uses it to destroy the
enemy or devil. There is a description about Parmalim religion:
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Ompu Mula Jadi Nabolon GOD
Akka na martua Panghulubalang Sisingamangaraja I-XII and Simaribulu Bosi
Bius King A head of village which believed can give advice
Manisia people Toba Batak, Simalungun, Karo, Pakpak, Mandailing
On parmalim religion, there is “Partikkian Halak Batak” time zone by Toba Batak people. There are:
1. Sogot 00.00-08.00
2. Pangalui 09.00-12.00
3. Hos 11.00-13.00
4. Giling 14.00-16.00
5. Bot 17.00-19.00
Parmalim is also having several prohibitions such as: forbid to eat animal which is died without slaughter by people na bakkean, forbid to steal, forbid to
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beg a part from the harvest the other people although they help to reap a nice profit, etc.
Parmalim religion has a bible. The bible is written on Batak letter. The name of Parmalim bible is Pustaha Habonoron. And according to writer
informant, the Parmalim original bible is only one in this world. The location of the original Parmalim bible Pustaha Habonoron is in the centre Parmalim in
Hutatinggi, Balige. But, interpretation from the bible is divided into two parts: 1.
Pustaha Parguruan Teacher of Life 2.
Pustaha Hangoluan The Right of Life Parmalim is divided in two parts:
1. Parhudamdam
2. Parbaringin
Parmalim who forbid cutting the hair and believed that God live in Banyan Beringin tree.
Parmalim is recognizing as the first religion for Batak people. But, after Christian and Islam enter Indonesia, Parmalim adherent was decrease because
Batak Toba people entered the formal religion like Christian and Islam. Parmalim adherent is very little. Parmalim adherent is only about a hundred family, in
Samosir regency that the writer observer. The located: in Sagala and Hutaginjang, Palipi, and Tomok.
3.2 Division of Day as Special Event