The Incantation of “Tonggo ni Harbue” for Ricefield Farming in

Toba Batak Society: An Anthropolinguistic Study

Yessy Octavianna, Robert Sibarani, Hamzon Situmorang, Nam Syahot Hasibuan

Student of Doctoral, Post-Graduate Department in Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Science,

Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Oral Tradition, Anthropolinguistics, Martonggo-tonggo, and Local wisdom.

Abstract: The purposes of this article are to (1) finding the function of the incantation of “tonggo ni harbue”for rice

field farming, (2) describing the types of local wisdomsinthe incantation of “tonggo ni harbue”for rice field

farming.This article was made on the basis of anthropolinguistic analysis with the model is ethnography,

which used three components. The components are performance, indexicality and participation that can be

considered effective in the assessment to text, cotext and context of local wisdom. The analytic parameters

for this research are interconnection, evaluability and sustainability. Based on the research finding, it is

found the function of incantation of tonggo ni harbue is asking the blessing (hatuaon) of dainang (mother of

gods). The function of this blessing is asking for long life, having many offspring, asking for healthty,

fullness of life, convenience and no have enemy. There are the cultural values that contained on the

incantation of tonggo ni harbue which is used in the tradition of planting rice field can be formulated as 1)

hard work, 2) diligence, 3) discipline, 4) togetherness, 5) mutual cooperation, 6) mutual help, 7) politeness,

8) caring for environment, 9) thanksgiving, and 10) healthy life.

1 INTRODUCTION

Since ancient times, the ancestor of Toba Batak had

the tradition of incantation, that is called

“martonggo-tonggo”. It is used starting from

beginning until finishing a religious ritual, mores

and other events. It can give the convenience and

kindness in an event or feast. In delivering the

incantation of martonggo-tonggo is devoted to the

ruling of banua ginjang that is called Ompu Mula

Jadi Nabolon(the highest gods).

The incantation of martonggo-tonggo is the

language spoken with the rhythm of language which

contain the prayer/request, compliment, recognition

and submission to gods who is trusted by the

community. The incantation of martonggo-tonggo

that the writer discussed is the incantation of tonggo

ni harbue. It is the traditional prayer for rice field.

This prayer tells about how human interact to rice

field. When the rice straw is small, human must

nurture the rice field as like as their daughter in

order to live and grow well. But when the rice straw

has become big, this rice give life for humans like

their mothers (dainang na hupagodang, dainang na

pagodang ahu on).

Right now, the tradition of martonggo-tonggo for

planting rice field almost do not use anymore

because the new types of rice field from government

is not suitable used in this ritual that giving a great

influence to the agricultural system of Toba Batak

community. They do not use the rice field that they

plant as usual because the emergence of government

programs.They have to change the types of rice field

what they plant. They said that the new types of rice

field is not suitable for this tradition because the rice

field is produced by chemicals and if it is soaked in

homban (wellspring) will damage the spring itself.

Besides its impact on springs, the biggest impact is

the new types of rice field is not suitable with the

Toba Batak’s calendar (parhalaon). In Toba Batak’s

calendar, it has been determined the rice grows

every time.When the harvest is faster, the utilization

of Toba Batak’s calendar does not work anymore.

Besides, the use of chemical fertilizers is also a big

problem, where the rice field that they usually plant

does not need chemical fertilizer. They only use

organic fertilizers like buffalo, cow and chicken

droppings and also the straws that obtained at the

previous harvest. The using of chemical fertilizers

make Toba Batak people do not believe for the

Octavianna, Y., Sibarani, R., Situmorang, H. and Syahot Hasibuan, N.

The Incantation of “Tonggo ni Harbue” for Rice Field Farming in Toba Batak Society: An Anthropolinguistic Study.

DOI: 10.5220/0009904500002480

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (ICNRSD 2018), pages 451-455

ISBN: 978-989-758-543-2

451

blessings that obtained from boras pati ni tano (the

blessings from land). It means that Toba Batak

people systematically and massively leave the old

ways and follow the new ways. They prefer the

chemical fertilizers than boras pati ni tano (the

blessings from land). Moreover, there is a cultural

shift in Toba Batak society where there is no have

the effort of inheritance to the next generation.

The incantation of tonggo ni harbue contained

the values of local wisdom which must be explored

depthly. The local wisdom is the prevailing values in

society which is believed to be true and become a

reference in daily behaviour. The local wisdoms

contain the elements of intelligent, creativity and

local knowledge of elites and the community is the

one who determines the development of society’s

life. The local wisdoms and local community’s

knowledge can be utilized for increasing and

creating prosperity and peacefulness in society.

The illustration above gives a way to explore and

describe the local wisdoms of Toba Batak which are

inherited orally and find in cultural tradition of the

incantation of tonggo ni harbue in farming the rice

field in Samosir, North Sumatera Province. This

article attempts to answer two basic questions, they

are : what is the function of the incantation of

tonggo ni harbue in rice field farming? and what

types of local wisdomsin incantation of tonggo ni

harbue?. This research was conducted with a

qualitative approach with ethnography model. The

qualitative approach with ethnography model apply

twelve steps both of observation and interview. The

data collection in this study applies the observation

and interview methods. The observation method was

conducted with direct and participatory observation

and interview method was conducted with open-

ended and in-depth interview to informant who

knows about the incantation of tonggo ni harbue

deeply as well. The data collection of interview was

conducted with ethnographic record, structural

questions, and contras questions, while the

observation data collection was conducted

withmaking descriptive observation, making focused

observation and making selected observation.

The techniques of analyzing data that collected

from interviews was done by analyzing ethnographic

interview, domain analysis, and componential

analysis, while analyzing data that collected from

observation (direct, participatory observation) also

was conducted by making analysis domain, making

a taxonomic analysis and making a componential

analysis. And then, the continuance of data analysis

was conducted by discovering and taking cultural

themes as the result of interpretation to draw

conclusions about the function of the incantation of

tonggo ni harbue and the types of Toba Batak’s

local wisdoms. Because of this research is in the

range of linguistic anthropology, the text, co-text

and context in relation to local wisdoms that deal

with ceremonial of life cycle and verbal tradition as

well as with performances, indexicality and

participation as the components of anthropology

linguistic which are paid attention. And the target for

this research is interconnection, valuability and

sustainability the incantation of tonggo ni harbue for

agriculture.

2 CONCEPT HEADING

2.1 Local Wisdom

Local wisdom is the values that apply in society

which is believed and become a reference in daily

behaviour. The local wisdom contains the elements

of inteligence, creativity and local knowledge from

elites and society who determines the development

of people’s civilization. Local widom is the values

of life or society’s life behaviour in interacting with

the environment where they live wisely. Each tribe

do not have the same local wisdoms. It is caused by

the natural challenges and various of life necessities,

so that their experience in fulfill their life necessities

bring up the various of good knowledge system

which is related to social environment.

The farmers of Toba Batak have local wisdoms

in rice field farming which is still running until now

and also the activities of farming that abandoned.

The one of wisdom is already abandoned in farming

is rice hijacking by using a buffalo. The farmers do

not use a buffalo again to plowing but switched it by

using the handtractor. They use it because it is faster

and easier in planting and plowing the fields.

The rice field is one of plants that highly

glorified by Toba Batak people because they think

that the rice field is the spirit (tondi) of human. Toba

Batak has the local wisdoms in glorify the rice field.

In farming the rice field, Toba Batak people have a

unique tradition. It starts from the process of seed

sowing that is knowed as the ritual of manabur boni

(seed sowing) until harvesting. The ritual of

manabur boni (seed sowing) consists of the ritual

marsungkun. The ritual of marsungkun is the

discussion held by the kings of bius (area) who leads

by the king of Ijolo to determine the types of

seedings’ use, the time to cultivate agricultural land,

the starting in cultivation the agricultural land, when

starting the farming. After that, they started to

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determine the good day in process of farming. It is

called maniti arie.After they know when the good

day in farming the rice field, they start to soak the

seeds in the place to be sown, it is called mangengge

bone. And the last step is manabur boni. It is sowing

seeds in the nursery.

This local wisdom is a part of oral traditions or

cultural traditions that have to inherited for the next

generation and utilized for the prosperity of

community. In cultural traditions or local traditions

contain a lot of cultural values and norms as the

heritage and have the function to structure the

community’s social life. These local wisdoms can be

classified into two kinds of core local wisdoms that

have the function is to uplift the welfare and create

the peacefulness. The local wisdoms of welfare

contain are 1) hard work and study, 2) diligence, 3)

discipline, 4) creativity and innovation, 5) self-

reliance and thriftiness, 6) educating, 7) healthy life,

8) mutual cooperation, 9) caring for environment,

10) loving for culture, and 11) pro-gender, while in

the local wisdoms of peace contain are 1)

trustworthiness, 2) honesty and fairness, 3)

politeness and respect, 4) solidarity, 5) harmony and

tolerance, 6) self-control, 7) commitment and

responsibility, 8) care and compassion, 9) friendly

and communicative manners, 10) positive thinking,

and 11) thanksgiving (Sibarani, 2018).

The types of local wisdoms should be explored

through the study of the incantation oftonggo ni

harbue. This study is focused to the function of the

incantation tonggo ni harbue and the types of local

wisdoms in the incantation tonggo ni harbue.

2.2 Linguistic Anthropology

This research was done by using linguistic

anthropology approach. Linguistic Anthropology is

the study of humans and culture as a whole. Where

the humans as the creator of culture, and the culture

as the creates of humans according to the

environment. So that, it intertwined the close

relationship between humans and culture.

Anthropolinguistic examines the structure and

kinship relationship through the kinship terms, the

concept of colors, childcare patterns, or study how

the member of community communicate with each

other in certain situation like in traditional

ceremonies and associated with the concept of

culture. Through anthropolinguistic approach can be

understood what people do with language and

speech produced, silent and gesture associated with

the context of its appearance (Duranti, 2001).

Sibarani (2018) states linguistic anthropology

has three scopes of studies, namely the study of

language, the study of culture and the study of other

aspects of human life. These scopes are studied from

the framework between linguistic and anthropology.

There are three the parameters of linguistic

anthropology analysis, namely interconnection,

valuability and sustainability. The connectivity

shows a linear relationship either vertically or a

horizontally formal relationship. This parameter

determines the ‘grammar or structure’ of text, co-

text, and context internally or externally. The

parameter of valuability shows the meaning or

function, value or norm, and local wisdom of

linguistic anthropological objects, that is called

language. These are the aspect of significant layers,

where the meaning and function is the outer layer,

cultural values and norms are the middle layer, and

local wisdom is the core layer. And the last

parameter is sustainability. It shows the existence

and inheritance of the object under study including

their cultural values and local wisdoms.

Revitalization and conservation are the two

important concepts in sustainability (Sibarani, 2018).

2.3 Martonggo-tonggo

The incantation of tonggo ni habue is the traditional

prayer of rice field. This prayer tells about how

human interact to rice field. When the rice straw is

small, human must nurture the rice field as like as

their daughter in order to live and grow well. But

when the rice straw has become big, this rice gives

life for humans like their mothers (dainang na

hupagodang, dainang na pagodang ahu on).

The incantation of tonggo ni harbue is one of a

good traditional prayer both of contents and

structureson the incantation of tonggo ni harbue.

The word of tonggo means ‘call’ and martonggo

means ‘call out’. The incantation of tonggo is more

often used on the context of rite and also in the

opening of Toba Batak’s traditional prayer. When

Toba Batak pray, they call out the transcendent,

namely gods, ancestral spirit and natural spirit.Then,

in some sense the incantation of tonggo means

prayer.The language of tonggo is religious language.

Therefore, sometimes the meaning of a few words in

tonggo need more explained so that it can be

understood.

The Incantation of “Tonggo ni Harbue” for Rice Field Farming in Toba Batak Society: An Anthropolinguistic Study

453

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 The Function of the Incantation

Tonggo ni Harbue in Rice Field

Farming

In incantation of tonggo ni harbue, the word of

harbue has the same meaning wih the word of

parbue. The terminology of parbue is used for all

kinds of fruit, including rice field. And the word of

harbue is used only for rice or rice field. So the

word of harbue becomes the incantation for rice

field or rice.

Tonggo ni harbue does not explain about how

the rice field processing, how to make rice fields

land (batangi), how the process of inserting water so

that the soil becomes soft, how the process of hoeing

the soil, and how the process of refining the soil and

preparing the soil for planting. This incantation of

tonggo is started with sowing seeds in the rice fields.

Therefore, we can state that Toba Batak people live

from rice field farming.

The incantation of tonggo ni harbue is intended

to asking the rice seeds to be sprout, bear fruit and

mature. Therefore, this incantation of tonggo is not

used at harvest time but it is used at the beginning of

rice planting.The functions of tonggo ni harbue is

asking the blessing (hatuaon) of dainang (mother of

gods). The function of this blessing is asking for

long life, having many offspring, asking for healthty,

fullness of life, convenience and no have enemy. So

if the people want this happen, the mother of gods

(dainang) must guarantee a good harvest for people.

It can be seen in this parable of incantation :

1) I rungga ma pongki, bark trees are in the

twigs

I bahulbahul porsalongan, a vegetable bag is in a

rice basket

I ruma ma tondinami, hopefully our soul is at home

(body)

tongtong marsigomgoman!And we always

help each other!

The parable above shows us the most important

partis the ecological aspects of rice field. Toba Batak

community is aware of dependence on rice. Rice is

their staple food. The rice field (harbue) is used as

the barter for other things that are desired by them

(function as money). The rice fields also has the

important role in the rite of Toba Batak, namely, 1)

as the food (health source), 2) as a source of giving

and 3) as a means of blessing.

Therefore, Toba Batak people recognize and

honor for the existence of rice field. Their

relationship is a personal relationship. Toba Batak

farmers know at least 21 types of rice fields

including their nature. They know exactly how to get

along with the types of rice fields certainly.

3.2 The Types of Local Wisdom on the

Incantation of Tonggo ni Harbue

Local wisdom is a form of environmental wisdom

that existing in the lives of local communities on

interacting with the environment. The development

of local wisdom is the result of people’s habits as a

form of adaptation towards nature and environment.

Toba Batak community also have the local wisdom.

It is expected to maintain the truth which becomes a

local tradition between the sacred of beliefs that

existing on society itself.

The incantation of tonggo ni harbue has the basic

norm that is social norm of Toba Batak people, both

individually and in groups. The basic norm of Toba

Batak is the relationship between supernatural

beings, the relationship between humans because has

the relationship with clans (marga) and including the

relationship between ancestors or humans with

natural. Human pray and give offerings to gods for

getting blessings (pasupasu). The blessings

(pasupasu) is manifested in livestock breed,

abundant harvest and prosperous society (sinur

napinahan, gabe naniula and horas jolma).

Basically, the core of incantation of tonggo and the

purpose of Toba Batak’s offerings is to get blessings

which is synonymous with their life. Then, Toba

Batak communicate to gods (debata) and to natural

spirit through the good words or good sentences

because they believe that the good and beautiful

words have power or strength for giving alive (hata

na denggan).

In ritual of tonggo ni harbue appear how they

treat the rice field respectful as they treat as their

own mother. This attitude does not only apply to

rituals but also each process of tradition starting

from choosing of seeds, soaking, planting, keeping

the rice field, harvesting until consuming the rice

itself. There is not the processing is missed from

their respectful to rice field. This attitude appear

because they think that rice field have soul (tondi).

Toba Batak people have Toba Batak calendar

(parhalaon) that is used to summarize all the

concepts of Toba Batak’s ecology religious. They

use this calendar to see how nature relates to them.

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454

When nature does not support their behaviour, they

will not break it. It can be seen from the parable of

Toba Batak :

2) tu sanggar ma amporik, tu lubang na ma satu

It means that may the rice bird goes to the reeds,

and the rats step in the hole. They hope that the rice

field will grow fertile without the interference from

outside. The Toba Batak people will get a good

fortune through the land and livestock raised.

Therefore, Toba Batak farmers can harvest the rice

field well and they savour it.

There are some benefits of Toba Batak farmers

in maintaining the local wisdoms until now, namely:

1) it is useful for more tightening the kinship of

fellow citizens, 2) awaken the Toba Batak’s culture

so that it disappear due to the entry of western

culture. The new or modern technological progress

can change the farmers’ habits from using the

traditional tools as their wisdoms, and switch it into

modern tools.

Based on the description of the stages of the

tradition of the cycle of livelihood starting from

planting, managing and harvesting is described

above, the cultural values that contained on the

incantation of tonggo ni harbue which is used in the

tradition of planting rice field can be formulated as

1) hard work, 2) diligence, 3) discipline, 4)

togetherness, 5) mutual cooperation, 6) mutual

help,7) politeness, 8) caring for environment,9)

thanksgiving, and 10) healthy life.

From the cultural values above can be applied to

solve social problems on Toba Batak community in

creating peacefulness and improving the welfare of

Toba Batak community are the Toba Batak’s local

wisdoms. Most of Toba Batak local wisdoms can be

utilized in creating peacefulnes and partly that can

be used to improving the welfare.

4 CONCLUSION

Based on the research finding, it is found the

function of incantation of tonggo ni harbue is asking

the blessing (hatuaon) of dainang (mother of gods).

The function of this blessing is asking for long life,

having many offspring, asking for healthty, fullness

of life, convenience and no have enemy.

The cultural values that contained on the

incantation of tonggo ni harbue which is used in the

tradition of planting rice field can be formulated as

1) hard work, 2) diligence, 3) discipline, 4)

togetherness, 5) mutual cooperation, 6) mutual help,

7) politeness, 8) caring for environment, 9)

thanksgiving, and 10) healthy life.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This article was financially supported by my

promoter. I would like to thanks him.

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