Diversity Toba Batak Culture and Arts

Diversity these ethnic arts, ranging from dance, music, crafts, literature, to fine arts, lives together in the customs and religious side Toba Batak community.

IPHEDIA.com - Of the many ethnic groups who live in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, one them is Toba Batak ethnic group. Ethnics inhabiting a relatively wide area, starting from area around banks Lake Toba and Samosir Island, to highlands Silindung and Pahae, have a unique culture with an interesting variety of arts.

Diversity these ethnic arts, ranging from dance, music, crafts, literature, to fine arts, lives together in the customs and religious side Toba Batak community.

All of these traditional arts have become a part of their lives, even today. Even though the world has developed more and more modern, the variety of traditional arts can still survive, and even become an important part in the world of tourism.

Tourists who vacation in Lake Toba and the surrounding areas, are not only to witness natural beauty region, but also are also interested in enjoying the culture and traditional arts Toba Batak people.

Toba Batak Literary Arts

There are many literary arts that developed in the lives Toba Batak people, including oral literature and written literature. Various folklore, such as the occurrence of Lake Toba and Batu Gantung, become legends that we can still hear today.

The poems, called umpasa, also exist in the Toba Batak culture, which is the ethnic's local wisdom. All literary arts have a philosophical meaning in their lives.

Toba Batak Music Art

A number of musical instruments are also a part implementation of rituals and traditional ceremonies in the culture Toba Bataks. Two types of musical ensembles, gondang sabangunan and gondang hasapi are the most commonly played traditional musical instruments.

According to Toba Batak ethnic mythology, the two instruments belong to Mulajadi Nabolon, so they must be played to deliver a request to the god.

Toba Batak Dance

Tortor dance is one most prominent arts in culture Toba Batak people. Manortor (dancing, Toba Batak language) is a symbol of gratitude to Mulajadi Nabolon, the creator god universe.

In addition, this dance is also a respect for hula-hula in the concept of kinship. Therefore, this dance is usually performed in ritual ceremonies, or in traditional ceremonies, such as weddings.

Toba Batak Crafts

Martonun, or the skill in making Ulos kais with traditional looms, is one handicraft arts in Batak Toba traditional tradition, which can still be found in the interior of Samosir Island and other areas around Lake Toba.
 
Toba Batak people carry out various arts and crafts in accordance with their roles and functions in the traditional and religious structures that they believe in.

Toba Batak Art

Sculpture and senior sculpture become the main art in traditional art that lives in the Toba Batak. Carvings, which are gorga or ornaments their traditional houses, are evidence beauty Toba Batak senior community.

Meanwhile, senior sculptures can be seen from many traditional tools, such as sior and huntung (arrows), losung gaja (large dimples), as well as paragraphs and sigale-gale (tools to summon magical powers).

All types traditional arts in Toba Batak culture above are still an inseparable part lives people. They continue to keep it alive in the customs and religious life community.

That also later became an attraction in world tourism, namely as a tour for domestic tourists who so far have probably never seen traditional Toba Batak art. (as/ip)