Batak Ancestors – the living Gods

ACM has a fascinating exhibition showcasing Batak tribal art with an intriguing title ‘Beginning of the Becoming’ and it comes from one of the names of the supreme God of the Batak - Mula Jadi ni bolon. Batak is a collective word for the indigenous people who live in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. There are six diverse groups that make up the Batak today. 

Lake Toba in Northern Sumatra

A scenic crater lake called Lake Toba, is believed by many (but not all) Batak to be the birthplace of their people and therefore considered sacred. For centuries, they had successfully protected their lands from outsiders, guarding the passes to the villages and also exaggerating stories of head-hunting and cannibalism. No outsider has witnessed these rituals (…or lived to tell about them) so we have no way of knowing if the wild rumours were true. It was not until the 18^th CE that accounts of the Batak came from Dutch merchants and Christian missionaries.

Since the early 20^th CE, many Batak have been converting to either Christianity or Islam, with mass conversion around WWII in the 1940's. Due to this, a lot of the beliefs and the traditional way of life is now lost and the current generation doesn’t associate with many artifacts in this exhibition. Most of the information we know is based on accounts from western anthropologists or missionaries.

In this post, I will write about their old religion from the pre-colonial times, focusing only on ancestor worship. Batak believe in three realms or worlds – upper world which is inhabited by the gods and ancestors, the lower world where bad spirits live and sandwiched between these is the middle world were humans reside alongside spirits. So basically, spirits were all around with the ability to bestow blessings or create havoc to the living.

Bataks were ancestor worshippers with many rituals surrounding this belief. Fetishes* of ancestors were carved and rituals were performed in order to receive their blessings and coorporation. Ancestor were very important to the Batak because they were believed to be intermediary to the deities and any calamities- like earthquake, diseases, famine- were believed to be due to unhappy ancestors. As mentioned, the ancestors resided in the upper world with the Gods and only took up temporary residence into fetishes during rituals where they were fed and anointed with offerings. One of the important rituals in which ancestors participated was a fertility ritual that would be held by a childless couple or a couple wishing to bear a son.

Fig 1: Debata idup (ancestor figures). Toba Batak, 19 CE. ACM collection

In fig 1, we see a pair of ancestors– one male, one female- all dressed in their finery. They are called living gods or debata idup (like many words in the Batak language, the word debata comes from Sanskrit ‘devata’ meaning divinity or demigod). They represent either the founding couple or important couple of a clan or village. Not everyone who passed away became an ancestor. Since there was a hierarchy in the spirit world, it is only people who were important and has a good status in society that made it to the upper world after death...and proper funeral rights were absolutely essential.

Because ancestors were worshiped, they would have been placed in an altar in the oldest clan house, just below the roof since this is the most sacred spot in a house and they would be clothed as a sign of respect. These ancestors have been wrapped in many layers of fabric and one even has a few white beads sewn on it.

To appreciate the stylistic features of these fetishes, we have to see them undressed. Luckily for us, most of the fabric covering them has been lost, probably disintegrated due to its fragile nature.

Fig 2: Debata idup/ Ancestor figures. Toba Batak, 19 CE. Mandala foundation. 

Fig 3: Debata idup/ Ancestor figures. Toba Batak, Late 19 CE. Mandala foundation. 

Here we have some ancestor figures with their hands in the classic posture – the arms are on the side of the body and the hands by the navel, often in a diamond shape (fig 3). Their legs are together and bent at the knees. The male figures have a protrusion on their heads in order to secure a turban. 

In most Batak fetishes, the feet are rarely fashioned and often are just stumps (fig 2), probably because their torso and feet were mostly covered with fabric. The ancestors in fig 3 look more realistic and have toes, which is very rare, and the stomps at the bottom were probably used to peg them into a wooden altar. 

These fetishes are all made of wood but over time, the color has changed to a beautiful, black shining patina. This is due to exposure to cooking smoke inside the house (Batak traditional houses have poor ventilation and have a cooking pot going almost the entire day) and from being regularly handled during rituals. 

Fig 4: Debata idup/Ancestor figures. Toba or pakpak-dairi. 19 CE. ACM collection

Fig 4 shows ancestors that are placed together onto a stump which is covered with palm fiber tied in a spiral pattern, notice the mohawk on the male's head. 

Ancestor figures were once considered heirlooms to be passed down from one generation to the next, but sadly many fetishes were either burned during conversion to Christianity or Islam; or many were sold to collectors’ decades ago.

*Fetish = inanimate object that is worshipped for its magical powers or because it is inhabited by a spirit

Indian patola fit for SEA royalty

ACM has a finely woven, silk shoulder cloth that was painstakingly made in Gujarat, West India about 200 years ago probably for the Southeast Asian (SEA) market. Because of the fragile nature of the fabric, it is dimly lit, giving it a beautiful sheen. This cloth is called patolu (singular and plural is patola). Although this technique originated in India, it is now popularly known the world over by a Malay word - double ikat (meaning to 'tie or bind'). Patola was sort after in SEA where it was mostly worn by the elite and sometimes restricted to the royality, for example, in the courts of Southeast Sumatra, Indonesia. This was one of the textiles that I included in my tour on Indian trade textiles called ‘Dyes that bind’.

Patolu shoulder cloth, Gurajat. 19^th CE. ACM, Singapore

Even today, Patola or double ikat is highly sort after with only 3 countries producing these precious cloths - India, Indonesia and Japan. The skill and patience required to make patola is enormous and can be appreciated once you hear about the labourious process involved.

Step one is the dyeing of the threads and this is where the ikat technique gets its name. Both threads that run horizontally called weft and vertically called warp have to be tied into bundles by a thread to form a desired pattern. These bundles are then dipped into dye and after they dry, the thread tying them together is removed. This results in the dye adhering only to the portion that is not covered by this thread. This process has to be repeated as many times as the colors on the cloth, starting from light to dark colors.

Tying threads to form a pattern on bundles of threads

Step two is the actual weaving of the cloth. The complete pattern becomes apparent only when the weft and warp threads come together and results in a pixilated look around the edges of the pattern. It can take weeks or months to make a patolu and because of this, it’s very expensive and therefore only the elite could afford them.

Patola weaving

A shoulder cloth is a rectangular cloth that is used to cover the head or shoulders. A closer look at the pattern on the one from ACM shows maroon flowers on a background of red. This pattern is one of the most popular patterns in Indonesia and is called the flower basket or eight-rayed flower; one central flower and 8 smaller flowers radiating from it. One suggestion for its popularity is believed to be its close similarity to the Buddhist dharma wheel which symbolizes the Buddhist eight-fold path. 

Closeup of Flower basket pattern

Buddhist dharma wheel with 8 spokes flanked by deers

There were many imitations of this pattern that were made locally in SEA, mainly reproduced by women because here weaving is a woman's job. But it was the original patola from India that were paramount in forging alliances and getting concessions on trade, as the European traders soon realized in the 17th CE.

Patola were not just heirlooms but assumed an important role in local traditions, even magical powers were attributed to them. Balinese Hindus believe patola provide protection against evil spirits and are displayed prominently in religious ceremonies and are often used as altar cloth. It is also believed that if a reproduction of a magical cloth like Patola is made, the copy will retain some of the magical attributes of the original.

Unfortunately, the art of making patola is dying and very few people are now producing them. After centuries of being highly sort after, it seems the days of the patola are now numbered.  

Dayak carved human skull

Dayak carved skull, Sarawak, Malaysia from 1900s. H 16cm, dia 17.5cm

I love guiding this human skull; mainly because it represents an important part of the belief system in Southeast Asia (SEA) and its very rare to have human remains in a museum. It's about 100 years old and is believed to be from the Kayan Dayak community hailing from Sarawak, the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo. Headhunting is the ritual act of taking a human head and had been prevalant in most of SEA communities for a few thousand years before the Europeans arrived here and banned it. It is a very complex subject and I am not going to get into it in depth or state any opinions on the ethical aspects surrounding it, but will present a very simplified view.

Dayak is the collective word given to the indigenous people of Borneo and it simply means inland or upriver. As the name suggests, most Dayak communities live along rivers and depend on it as well as the surrounding forest for their livelihood, so they form alliances with other groups living along the same river. Different communities have different beliefs around headhunting and perform different rituals so I am writing in very general terms. Dayak belief system was a mixture of ancestor worship and animism (from Latin animus meaning soul or life), which is the worship of spirits attributed to natural phenomenon and also inanimate objects. For example; thunder, lightening, earth, trees are said to have spirits. There are both good spirits and evil spirits but they have to be in harmony for the cosmos to be in balance. 

If there is an illness, disease or crop failure, the Dayaks believe that the cosmic balance is disrupted and evil spirits need to be appeased through rituals that require human sacrifice, mainly procuring heads of enemies. Why the human head? Some Dayaks believe that it contains the human soul (a very powerful spirit) and because it contains the face, it is a symbol of a human. The decision to procure a head was a serious one and the entire community made the decision together. Once the decision was made, a headhunting raid was organized and only men participated in it. It is also not to be confused with an act of war and the enemy victim was not a specific target but could be anyone. Once the victim was decapitated, the body was left behind (headhunting was not related to cannibalism) and the head was taken back to the village where it was treated with great respect. When the men returned from a successful raid, the women would welcome them home with songs and receive the victim’s head in a very special cloth called Pua Kumbu which is woven using the Ikat technique. This would imbue the cloth with magical powers of healing. After the raid, the men would get tattoos marking their participation, usually on their shoulders and fingers. 

Tattos showing he is a skilled headhunter, late 19th CE

Skill headhunter with 2 skulls and his sword around his waist

The head was usually smoked and kept in a very prominent place in a longhouse, which is a communal village house. It would be offered food and drink like eggs, rice, rice wine and these would be placed in a basket under the head. The reason for the offerings and ceremony was to entice the spirit contained in the head to become a friend of the community and work in their favour, and also to ward off the evil spirits, thus bringing prosperity to the community. Skulls are not normally carved so the one in ACM is very rare. Unfortunately, we don’t know why it was carved.

Closeup of the skull showing intricate patterns

Headhunting is deeply rooted in the SEA ritual life and a person who has taken heads gained stature in the community. Also, in some warrior communities, it was a 'coming of age' for a boy. A boy had to prove that he was a man and could only marry if he had taken at least one head. Headhunting has been banned for over 100 years in Borneo, however it is so deeply entrenched in the lives and folklore of the Dayaks that mock raids and rituals are still practiced; but luckily for tourists, a coconut is used to symbolize a head. There have been some rumours in the 20^th century about headhunting incidents especially during world war II and also some cases reported in the Indonesian papers as recently as 2001. 

Qur'an Ghubari scroll

Qur'an scroll fromTurkey, 15 CE. ACM, Singapore

Close up of the Qur'an scroll, 14 x 112 cm

If there was a fire in the museum, which artifact would I save? Tough question since there are so many beautiful artifacts in the museum but hands down, it would have to be a 500 year old Qur’an scroll written in ghubar script. The scroll measures 112cm x 14 cm and amazingly, it contains the entire contents of the holy book of the Muslims, the Qur’an.

The holy Qur’an contains God’s revelations to Prophet Muhammad in the 7^th CE and literally means recitation. It comprises of more than 77 thousand words in Arabic and they are all contained here, in a space measuring just over 1 meter. What you can see from far is a popular Shi’ite invocation but on closer inspection (click on the pictures to enlarge them), you can see minuscule words entirely handwritten in an Arabic calligraphic script called ghubar, which in Arabic means dustlike. The letters are as tiny and delicate as dust, often measuring between 1.3 and 3mm, like an army of tiny ants on paper. The ghubar script was probably first developed to convey military messages via carrier pigeons or pigeon post - olden day courier service!

What I find absolutely fascinating is the skill of the calligrapher who has painstakingly written this scroll. I can’t imagine the number of hours spent practicing and planning it and since it contains the sacred words, there can be no mistakes. Traditional tools used by Arabic calligraphers are carbon-based black ink, a reed pen called qalam and paper. The qalam is hand-cut by the calligrapher at an ergonomic angle and is slit down the center to hold ink. The width of the reed pen used to write ghubari is so small, barely visible to the naked eye.

Qalam made of reed used by Arabic calligraphers

There is a story that I like to tell the visitors. A 15th CE calligrapher eager to impress the ruler Timur (also known as Tamerlane) presented him with a miniature ghubari Qur'an that was so tiny that it could fit under a signet ring. You would think that the great ruler would be impressed, but it was not so. The calligrapher then made a Qur'an so large that it needed to be carried in a cart and for this, he was handsomely rewarded.

The ghubari script is too small to be read so the purpose of the scroll is as a talisman, since the words of God are believed to have protective powers. Ghubari miniature Qur’an were mainly commissioned for their portability and some were put into cases that were worn either around the neck or around the arm. Out of respect for the sacred words, they would have to be worn above the waist.

Miniature Qur'an from Persia or Anatolia, 14 CE (7 x 4.9 cm). ACM, Singapore

After looking at these Qur'ans, you realize why Arabic calligraphy is considered the highest art form in the Islamic world.

Introduction

'Hello, my name is Pritika and I am a volunteer at the museum. I'm originally from India but have lived in Oman, the US and now here.' This is my standard introduction before starting a tour at the Asian civilisations museum (ACM), Singapore.

Incase you are wondering who a docent is, it's a volunteer tour guide who has to bring artifacts in the museum to life and hold the visitors interest for an hour.

Its been a two year journey of discovery into a new life as a docent and I love every moment of it. I had a passion for art and now a new found love for anthropology (incidently, I also love the anthropologie stores in the US). I find it stimulating to interact with people from different countries and at the end of the tour, hopefully they leave with a greater understanding of Asian artifacts and the society that flourished in Asia.

As you can imagine, there is a fair amount of research that is required to become a docent since you have to be able to speak intelligently about an artifact and answer questions on the spur of the moment. I thought it would be a great idea to share my discoveries with the wider community and therefore am embarking on writing a blog. I will primarily write about artifacts that are in the ACM and some of the docents who bring it to life, so watch this space!

Just to set expectations, this is not a blog that is suppose to contain erudite research, but its for the general public who is probably not very familiar with historical events or doesn't have an art background. All the posts will contain information that is public but having said that, I will check sources and list them for most posts.

You can visit the ACM website to check the latest exhibitions at www.acm.com.sg. The museum celebrate the peoples who have helped in shaping Singapore into the cosmopolitan hub that it is today. The collection has artifacts from South Asia, China, South-east Asia and West Asia...lots to explore so if you are in the neighbourhood, do drop in.

Entrance to the ACM