The Background of the Study

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Background of the Study

Batak is a big ethnic group which has been known well by many people in Indonesia. Anthropologists today recognize six Batak tribes, they are as follows: Toba Batak, Simalungun Batak, Karo Batak, Pakpak or Dairi Batak, Angkola Batak and Mandailing Batak. Each differences in languages and customs but yet partaking to a great extent to the same cultural matrix. Toba Batak occupies the central area around the bottom of Lake Toba as well as territory to the west and south. Jansen 2003:10 says, “Simalungun Batak also known as Timur east Bataks live east of the lake, Karo Batak to the North. Pakpak or Dairi Batak is on the north- west. Far to the south of the lake Toba is Angkola Sipirok and Mandailing Batak.” This paper provides an analysis of describing the ceremony of manonggot – nonggoti practiced by the society of Simalungun Batak. Simalungun Batak regard themselves as a solid ethnic group united by the Simalungun language, their own tradition, and feature of their Simalungun culture. Tarigan 1971: 46 stated that etymologically the term “Simalungun” provides some insights into the people it describes, but an exact interpretation is elusive and difficult. “Simalungun” can be devided into three parts: Si meaning ‘one who’ or ‘he who’; ma, a prefix translated as “is”, and lungun meaning ‘quite, lonely, and seldom frequented’. Thus, Simalungun is “he that is lonely, quite or sad”. 2 Absolutely, every ethnic group of Batak has its own specification as cultural identity of the group itself. Besides the languages they have, the people live in the tradition or the culture that ties individual and social beings. Boas and Hogg 2002: 22 say: “budaya mempengaruhi berbagai aspek kehidupan manusia, baik cara berpikir, merasakan sesuatu, cara berpakaian, jenis- jenis makanan dan cara memakan sesuatu, cara berbicara, nilai dan moral yang sangat mendasar dalam diri seseorang; serta cara berinteraksi dengan orang lain”. Culture influences some aspects of the human life they are as the following: the way to think, to feel, to get dress, to eat some foods, to speak the basic of morality value in human heart, and to interact with other people. Manonggot – nonggoti is a word which comes from Simalungun language. In Indonesia language, the meaning is mengejutkan in English language it is shock or sudden surprise, fear, and worries someone by some ways like: shouting, beating and jumping, but according to Simalungun culture, manonggot - nonggoti isa tradition for the Simalungun society as a formal ceremony. This ceremony is done because a member of a family has something bad as like: disease, hasn’t got a job, hasn’t got a couple for marrying, hasn’t got a son or daughter, etc. Simalungun people believe that the bad things are caused by a wicked evil which follows the man or girl. So it is important to be manonggot - nonggoti or shocked for that person so that that wicked evil which follows the man or girl will directly go from the person body. Simalungun societies perform this ceremony by gathering all the family members and bring some traditional foods and sarong or ulos. 3 As a daughter of Simalungun, the writer of this paper is interested in describing the ceremony of manonggot – nonggoti practiced by the society of Simalungun. According to the writer it is a unique habitation of Simalungun people which has a high culture value and many norms to be known by the public society. So everyone who read this paper will know, understand, and more aware about beliefs and traditions of Simalungun culture in our country.

1.2 The Problem of the Study