Burangir Na Hombang Performance of Mangandung Pabagas Boru

Tradition as Community of Angkola Natural Resources

Hennilawati

, Robert Sibarani

, Ikhwanuddin Nasution

, Syahron Lubis

Doctorate Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Medan, North Sumatra 20155, Indonesia

Postgraduate Department of linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Medan, North Sumatra 20155, Indonesia

Keywords: Burangir Na Hombang Performance, Pabagas Boru Tradition.

Abstract: Sirih in the tradition performance of mangandung pabagas boru is an activity to give words of advice to the

bride and groom at a wedding. This tradition displays ko-teks as traditional symbols that are full of meaning.

Sirih comes from nature is a traditional symbol for Angkola community as a background for the social

interaction of Dalihan Na Tolu that will convey the rules of customary procedures in the traditional

activities in Siriaon and Siluluton (happiness and sadness). The approach of the research is descriptive

qualitative by applying ethnographic model Spradley (2007). Data was collected by using observation and

in-depth interviews with several of Angkola indigenous people. Based on the research result, sirih in the

tradition performance of mangandung pabagas boru has meaning as the invitation/ announcement to the

guests, harajaon as connecting community social interaction when they give advices and parents’ approval.

1 INTRODUCTION

Demban or in Indonesian which is popularly called

betel leaf is an Indonesian native plant that grows

vines or rests on other tree trunks. Karo Batak call it

belo, Gayo Batak call it blo or lemongrass, Angkola

people call it burangir. Burangir is used as a

medicinal plant (fitofarmaka) which plays an

important role in life and various traditional

ceremonies. In Indonesia betel vine is the flora of

the Riau Islands province. The islands of Riau

Islands highly uphold the burangir meal ceremony

especially during the ceremony to welcome guests

and use burangir as a medicine for various types of

diseases. But generally betel plants are used as

ornamental plants. Its utilization as a traditional

betel leaf culture chewed with gambir, areca nut,

and tobacco and betel lime or soda. Betel has been

very well known by Batak people, even considered a

magical leaf and is still used today in rituals or in

traditional ordinances, especially in marriage,

besides still commonly used as chewing by rural

mothers in Batak land.

We can witness one of the betel uses for the

Angkola community in the activities of traditional

siriaon and siluluton events, where in this case betel

being one of the co-texts in the performance of the

marriage tradition takes place. The tradition of

mangandung pabagas boru in the community of

Angkola is a tradition of crying or meratap with

words that occur during a wedding event held in the

house of the bride's family home. The existence of

this tradition is still ongoing until now, only it has

undergone a change, where the process of

mangandung is less expressed by the bride, so it

seems the bride does not have a burden when he will

leave close relatives, especially his parents. Whereas

from the tradition of mangandung this illustrates

how subtle a woman's feelings are, with the words,

rhythms, tones, and philosophies that burst through

the cry of a woman, because in general the actors in

this tradition are performed by women (Sutan Tinggi

Barani, 2015).

Pabagas boru is a traditional procession in

marrying daughters to the community of Angkola.

This means that in marrying children, the Angkola

community does not distinguish love even though

the daughter is in second place after men. This refers

to the public philosophy of Angkola "Saanak

Saboru", meaning that the Angkola community has a

shared responsibility at the traditional feast both in

siluluton (sorrow) and siriaon (joy) events, where

164

Hennilawati, ., Sibarani, R., Nasution, I. and Lubis, S.

Burangir Na Hombang Performance of Mangandung Pabagas Boru Tradition as Community of Angkola Natural Resources.

DOI: 10.5220/0009899600002480

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (ICNRSD 2018), pages 164-169

ISBN: 978-989-758-543-2

the key holders of this event are known as Natolu,

namely mora, kahanggi, anak boru, where the

elements in the dalihan na tolu have a unified whole

in the implementation of traditional events. The

sense of responsibility is upheld by the three

elements that exist in dalihan na tolu, where the

happiness of one of the elements of transition from

tolu is happiness for the other elements, and vice

versa when disgrace for one of its elements, other

elements also cover it.

Pabagas boru (marrying daughters) whose time

to settle down is an expression of happiness for

parents, because it is an honor for parents, if those

who come to propose to their daughters are people

who have good morals and character. This

expression of happiness is illustrated through the

philosophy of the community, "children are praised,

boru is excelled" means that the child will be looked

for as a life partner, as well as women. The tradition

of pabagas boru is the implementation of the peak

of happiness of parents because they have delivered

their children who are guarded, educated, until

finally married to the beleaguered hearts of the

children themselves. Although sadness will arise

because the girl will leave her parents and will be

brought by her husband's family. This procession

started the stage of mangandung pabagas boru

(happy crying) at a wedding reception at Angkola.

The mangandung tradition is the most awaited

event in this stage of pabagas boru, because in this

event the community or invitation to watch boru cry,

even deliberately made to cry by singing a song with

the theme of how a mother's affection, such as

Borhat Mada Inang, Rere Na Rere song, which

contained the goodbye of a girl leaving her parents.

In fact, sometimes the situation of a heart that cannot

be conditioned is not uncommon to make a bride fall

weak, unable to resist the novelty. Of course this

tradition is passed by displaying the performance

(performance) of the tradition that continues until

now.

Betel in the performance of the tradition of

mangandung pabagas boru is an important part of

the pabagas boru ceremony, especially in the

community of Angkola. where betel is a part of the

traditional symbol that is manifested in objects and

conversations in the customary congregations that

are manifested by objects and conversations in the

traditional congregation of mangkobar mangalehen

manganese boru. In addition, betel serves as an

information medium for the invitees, both harajaon,

hatobangon, and dalihan na tolu. Given that betel

nut is very useful as one of the results of natural

resources, betel also plays an important role in the

performance of cultural traditions as one of the

assets in advancing the world of local creative

industries that need to be developed, here will be

explained how the performance of betel or passing

through the meaning of mangandung pabagas boru

in the Angkola community.

2 LITERATURE OF REVIEW

2.1 Perfomance

In the ethnographic approach to performance it can

be seen as a text as a fundamental unit of description

and analysis in supporting the empirical framework

for understanding oral literature. As an ethnographic

approach, pay great attention to actual behavior

when presenting artistic oral traditions in certain

people's lives. Some components that play a role in

the presentation are presenters (performers),

audience, situations, and organizing the presentation

supported by the media such as music, place and

time of presentation (Bauman, 1993). Furthermore

Finnegan (1992) explains that there are several other

related concepts about performance, including:

1. Performance is a basic idea that is often used to

describe human actions and culture / rituals that

are within the human sphere.

2. Performance is a special step or way done before

starting the interaction in terms of

communication with the audience in the same

place, time, and background unit.

3. Performance is also described as a form of

performance in the same time and setting.

4. Performance is the actuality of a language, so

performance contains dimensions of process and

practice or speech acts.

So Finnegan (1992) concludes that performance is a

concept used to describe the art of speaking in oral

traditions. In this case, performance pays attention to

aspects of language expression to determine

characteristics and conditions of performance.

Furthermore Finnegan (1992) describes several

factors that can be used to describe a performance,

namely: Meanings and skills in performance,

meaning that attention is not only focused on the

words delivered but also focused on the way they are

delivered, such as intonation, speed, rhythm,

pressure, dramatics, and performance techniques.

1. Part of the reality of life in an interaction,

behavior, all forms of participants that exist or

are expected.

2. The definition and meaning of the genre that is

expected verbally is not only dependent on

Burangir Na Hombang Performance of Mangandung Pabagas Boru Tradition as Community of Angkola Natural Resources

165

verbal language, but also seen from the use of

non-verbal languages, such as music, body

language, attributes, and others.

3. The form of speech language delivered in

performance is used to show individual

interactions as a skill and customs (habits)

contained in it.

4. Context contained in the performance.

While dimensions need to be considered in the

performance expressed by Finnegan (1992), namely

performers, audiences, participants includes:

1. Performers are performance actors seen in terms

of age, gender, social position, reputation, skills,

and competence.

2. The audience is a listener of performance that is

presented in a period of time.

3. Participants are all personal involved in

performance.

Furthermore, Finnegan said that performance in

oral tradition can be divided into (1) performance

displayed before the audience, and (2) performance

displayed before the audience according to certain

conditions. The first performance model is used for

entertainment purposes, and the second performance

model is used for sacred purposes. The performance

intended in the mangandung tradition research is a

performance model aimed at the sacred goal of

seeing how betel nut as a performance in the

mangandung tradition in the marriage ceremony of

the Supreme Court.

2.2 The Performance of Burangir Na

Hombang

In the religious rituals of betel leaves are used as a

base for offering offerings which usually with an

odd number are included along with male kaffir

oranges and eggs along with others to be offered to

the God (Mula Jadi Jadi Nabolon), including the

treatments carried out by shaman (datu). But

specifically for the people of Angkola in

Padangsidimpuan, using plants in various traditional

events, such as weddings, mangupa, manyantan,

(welcoming brides at the bridegroom's house or vice

versa), etc.

Burangir na hombang in the performance of the

traditional mangandung pabagas boru we can see in

pabagas boru during the patobang hata program,

which is the sincerity of the male family to the

female family to propose to the girl. This traditional

ceremony was opened with the manyurduhon

burangir adat program (offering traditional

burangir), where one of the daughter brought

napuran and put it politely in front of each member

of the daughter's family. After the manyurdu

burangir adat program was finished, then the two

sides continued with the mangkobar (traditional

speech) program to agree on the batang boban (the

burden that must be borne by the male family)

through deliberation. The first time is the kahanggi

pareban, the young man, to briefly explain the intent

and purpose of their many traditional burangir,

namely to reach out to Boru. After the Kahanggi's

turn is complete, they convey their intentions and

objectives in detail. Furthermore the mangkobar is a

boru child from a family of young people who

support the cause of mora. After that, the Kahanggi

and the daughter from the family of the young man

were burned and then the pareban returned to the

girl.

Figure 1: Burangir.

2.3 Oral Tradition

Oral tradition refers to all forms of inheritance and

tradition born into a community group. The delivery

of this tradition can take the form of oral meditation.

It is a way for people to convey oral history,

literature, legislation and other knowledge that can

cross generations without a writing system (Malay

Wikipedia, free encyclopedia). Vansina (1982)

explained that, oral tradition is a source of direct

witness to the past, which has history, and

interpretation, as a source of information captured

by external perspectives that have ias and have

content both demographics, arts, and documents

without script. It’s lines to Tol (1995) and Hoed,

(2008). By the UNESCO oral tradition is formulated

as follows "Oral tradition is a tradition that is

transmitted in time and space by speech and action.

Thus oral traditions include (1) oral literature (2)

traditional technology (3) folk knowledge outside

the palace centers and metropolitan cities; (4)

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religious elements and folk beliefs (outside the

formal boundaries of major religions); (5) folk art

outside the central and metropolitan cities;

customary law.”

Oral tradition was initially guided by orally only,

but cannot be denied apart from literacy (print,

write) to accelerate in modern technology. Oral

tradition in this case the cultural tradition is a target

for anthropolinguistics emphasized in verbal

traditions in the form of verbal which explores how

values and norms, meanings and functions as well as

local wisdom, which are then revitalized. In terms of

revitalizing a cultural tradition, oral tradition must

always be adapted to the times so that it can be

accepted, but the tradition must not be separated

from the past. Oral tradition can be used as a source

of national identity and character formation. This

means by entrusting moral messages that will be

delivered by speakers. This means that the richness

of oral tradition is a source of wealth of local

knowledge that can be applied in wisely overcoming

the problems faced by the nation at this time

(Sibarani, 2014). Sibarani in his article (2017) also

explained In examining the use of language,

anthropolinguistics holds and applies three

parameters, namely (1) connectedness, (2)

assessment, and (3) sustainability. This means that

connection is a linear relationship vertically or a

formal relationship horizontally. Formal relations,

regarding to the structure of language or text with

context (situation, culture, social, (ideology) and

koteks (paralinguistic, gesture, material elements).

Assessment is related to meaning and function.

While sustain ability is related to revitalization

efforts. From the explanation above, it can be

concluded that the study of oral tradition examines

three things, namely, the form of oral tradition

concerning text, co-text, and context, the content of

oral traditions that deny the meaning and function,

and the revitalization and preservation of oral

traditions relating to activation or protection and

management and development, as well as

inheritance and utilization.

3 RESEARCH METHODS

The research paradigm used in this study is

qualitative with ethnographic models developed by

Spradley (2007). Research looks at culture that starts

from the view of the owner of the culture, through

12 stages so that this research is known as a step

forward flow. This research starts from observations

and interviews, forwarded to key informants to the

writing of ethnographic results. The location as a

place of research was carried out in the city of

Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra province, where a

large number of inhabitants were ethnic Angkola,

thus enabling researchers to be more maximal in

tracking data.

While the data in this study are utterances of

words of advice spoken at the time of mangkobar

mangalehen hata delivered by parents, dalihan na

tolu, harajaon and hatobangan which are divided

into two groups, namely mothers and fathers. The

Angkola community wedding event held at the

bride's house, known as bagas godang. Data is

obtained through observation, researchers in

following each stage of the marriage event which

has been carried out by following and observing the

stages and recording directly focusing on the stages

of mangalehen mangan. Next, the researchers

interviewed indigenous peoples, customary actors,

and traditional leaders as key informants. Data were

analyzed using content analysis using domain

analysis models, taxonomic analysis, compound

analysis and theme analysis (Spradley, 2007).

4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Sirih (piper betle) is a plant known since prehistoric

times. Sirih contains essential oils of 1-4.2%

consisting of chavikol, hydroxychavicol, carvakol,

eugenol, eugenolmetileter, pcymene, cyenole,

caryophyllene, cadinese, estragol, terpennena,

seskuipermena , phenyl propane, tannin, diastase,

sugar, starch. The content of chavicol causes betel

to have a distinctive anti-bacterial odor, and

generally betel nut is warm, spicy, aromatic,

astrigent, stimulant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic,

antibacterial, hemostatic, sedative (sedative), itchy

remover, and prevents infection. Sirih in the

performance of the tradition of mangandung

pabagas boru is abstraction in the form of words

whose emergence is included during the

implementation of the siriaon (joy) and siluluton

(sorrow) ceremonies. In the siriaon ceremony

(excitement) was held during a traditional party

(horja), in this case pabagas boru. Betel is offered

quite diverse, one of which is on harajaon, and

hatobangon and representatives of kings from other

luat (villages). Manyurduhon burangir or offering

sirih is one of the requirements to hold an event.

Formerly the kings who will attend the customary

congregation will eat the betel vine, which is now

enough to just touch it.

Burangir Na Hombang Performance of Mangandung Pabagas Boru Tradition as Community of Angkola Natural Resources

167

Figure 2: Burangir Nahombang.

4.1 Burangir Na Hombang Meaning in

the Tradition of Mangandung

Pabagas Boru

In the siriaon ceremony, the traditional ceremony of

the burangir wedding party as a traditional symbol is

accompanied by text or speech. In KBBI, it comes

from the word sirih, which is a vine with a slightly

spicy leaf taste. Susilowati's (2017) research on

chewing itself is the activity of chewing betel with

equipment (burangir / napuran), areca nut (pining),

gambir (sentang), lime soda (itak), and tobacco

(timbako). Betel has a variety of functions and is an

important part of the Angkola community. Burangir

is presented to kings who are present at the

traditional pabagas boru program or a party to

marry girls. This offering is called surdu-surdu

burangir.

Surdu-surdu burangir (offering betel leaves) is a

requirement to hold an event called pakkal ni hata,

or opening words that aim to make the bride (giving

words of advice) to the bride begin. In the past the

kings present at the customary congregation would

eat the offered betel, but now it was enough to touch

it.

The meaning of betel in the range of traditional

contained the pabagas boru ceremony in the

Angkola community carried out at the mangkobar

customary congregation. In this case betel is carried

out at the time before the event where one of the

functions of dalihan na tolu namely daughter puts a

pile of betel nut complete with areca nut, gambir,

soda, tobacco into the pinggan godang (big plate).

The betel arrangement is called burangir na

hombang. The existence of burangir in the tradition

of mangandung pabagas boru is an earlier form of

traditional preservation. As an indigenous symbol in

this activity the use of betel as described above is a

symbol of the implementation of traditional

activities. This means that the opening of the event

in this case is an invitation symbolized as betel nut

cannot be replaced with other media. The one who is

in charge of giving this betel is daughter consisting

of two people, whose duty is to invite words in a

word. Without carrying betel, the daughter is

considered not carrying out the duties in the siriaon

activity.

Betel is also a utterance that is very polite, which

is a value requirement. Through betel people will be

easy to give something, easy to forgive, easy to do,

easy to help and so on. The purpose of this surdu-

surdu burangir is to ask for something without

strings attached, asking for help workers without

pay, asking for medicines without pay (Nasution

2005). This explains that betel nut is a form of

nonverbal communication.

Betel as a form of verbal communication we can

see when the kings present at the event were

attacked by a customary trial. In this case the

procedure (1) invites in horja siriaon (joyful

traditional feast) in this case the marriage uses the

media of sirih (burangir) which takes place at the

event of the induction of indahan tukkus (in giving

advice ) the tradition of mangandung pabagas boru,

the community of Angkola. (2) Respect for kings

and invited guests. Burangir is a social interaction

tool for the transfer of dalihan natolu, harajaon, and

hatobangon in giving advice to the bride and groom.

We can see this in the program, which welcomes

manganese boru (filling the bride with food). (3)

Parents’ approval. Before the bride is persunting

(proposed) by the groom there is usually a marhusip

/ mangatak-atik tradition where each messenger

from both parties, namely the parboru (the bride)

and the paranak (the bride) men) meet to negotiate a

threat to the number of dowry that will be handed

over by the party. Consensus results when the

mangaririt boru (recognizes the bride's family

further). These consensus results are certainly

recorded by each envoy which is not an important

ingredient for the implementation of a ceremony

(talking about dowry). This implementation is

carried out at the house of the parboru (the girl's

parents) and is usually carried out at night. The

Angkola community will delegate representatives

from the party consisting of kahanggi (brother of the

male parent), one of the daughter plus liaison is

called pande-pande. The pande-pande task includes:

(1) Delivering the application to the girl's parents

while sending out how much is botang boban

(burden that must be borne) called torus tips or

patobang hobar (submit application). (2) Bringing

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burangir na hombang (betel) and burangir dua

sarangkap, each of which means a wish is fulfilled

and agrees to complete the proposal. The girl's

parents received this souvenir by feeding and the

youth provided chicken or goats. After eating,

pande-pande (envoy of the youth) explained their

purpose by presenting burangir na hombang and

burangir dua sarangkap delivered with traditional

rhymes. About the batang boban the value is always

elevated

Figure. 3: Burangir na hombang performance in tradition

of Pabagas Boru as a result of Angkola community's

natural resources.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The tradition of pabagas boru in the Angkola

community is inseparable from traditional symbols

that are full of meaning. One of the traditional

symbols is obtained through natural products that

flourish in Indonesia. Betel as a natural product is

utilized in various traditional opportunities for the

Angkola community. The tradition of pabagas boru

(marrying daughters) includes betel when they will

propose to a daughter where the betel skills consist

of (1) abit naso ra buruk (traditional cloth), which is

located on the lower layer as a base (2) salipi which

is a kind of pandanus which are decorated with

beads and are white, red and black (these are placed

on the traditional cloth), (30 burangir adat

(traditional sirih) along with the accessories placed

on the salipi. The meaning of betel in the Angkola

community is also very diverse among others as a

means of invitation or notification to the indigenous

people, a means of respect for kings, dalihan na

tolu, and indigenous peoples, as well as the blessing

of parents to the bridal couple at Angkola.

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Parents' Approval

Mora

Anak Boru

Kahanggi

Burangir

Nahombang

Respecti

Invitation

Dalihan

na Tolu

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