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Batak Priest Diviner Datu Shaman 'magic book PUSTAHA' from island of Sumatra, Indonesia - Toba Batak Datu Ritual Healing Recipe Book
Bark pages. Buffalo bone covers.
This book preserves the datu priest's knowledge of herbs, medicines, oracle, as well as black and white magic.
Inscribed in ritual language on tree bark with text and drawings, the datu uses pustaha as a reference work or notebook in performing cures and rituals.
The script divided into three categories:
1. the art of preserving life which includes medicine or herbs.
2. the art of destroying life -- black and white magic.
3. the art of fortune-telling, written as oracle to determine auspicious time, 7 days and 7 periods of the day.
The Batak script is used to write the six Batak languages (Toba, Karo, Dairi, Mandailing, Simalungun and Angkola) spoken collectively by approximately 3 million people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is one of several scripts indigenous to the Indonesian archipelago, descended from the Old Kawi script, which in turn is derived from the Pallava, and ultimately the Brahmi, script.
It is an abugida; its 18 consonant letters each contain an inherent [a] vowel, which is modified by means of diacritics for other vowels. Syllable-final consonants are indicated by means of a pangolat (virama). Consonants do not form conjuncts. Punctuation is not normally used, but a number of bindu characters are used to disambiguate similar words or phrases or to separate sections of text. These marks may each have a number of variants and may perform more of an ornamental than a grammatical function. A further sign (pustaha) exists to separate a title from the following body of text, which normally begins on the same line.
Batak is read from left-to-right. Some have observed it being written vertically bottom-to-top along the length of a piece of bamboo. These bamboo stalks were placed next to each other and bound together with string in such a way as to form a bundle of plates inscribed with horizontal lines of right-running text.
The script was standardised in the 1850s, and was used in education until the declaration of Bahasa Indonesia as the national language in 1945, since which time literacy and usage has declined. However, something of a Batak renaissance in recent years has led to teaching materials once again being made available for use in schools. (information courtesy of http://scriptsource.org/)
Bark pages. Buffalo bone covers.
This book preserves the datu priest's knowledge of herbs, medicines, oracle, as well as black and white magic.
Inscribed in ritual language on tree bark with text and drawings, the datu uses pustaha as a reference work or notebook in performing cures and rituals.
The script divided into three categories:
1. the art of preserving life which includes medicine or herbs.
2. the art of destroying life -- black and white magic.
3. the art of fortune-telling, written as oracle to determine auspicious time, 7 days and 7 periods of the day.
The Batak script is used to write the six Batak languages (Toba, Karo, Dairi, Mandailing, Simalungun and Angkola) spoken collectively by approximately 3 million people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is one of several scripts indigenous to the Indonesian archipelago, descended from the Old Kawi script, which in turn is derived from the Pallava, and ultimately the Brahmi, script.
It is an abugida; its 18 consonant letters each contain an inherent [a] vowel, which is modified by means of diacritics for other vowels. Syllable-final consonants are indicated by means of a pangolat (virama). Consonants do not form conjuncts. Punctuation is not normally used, but a number of bindu characters are used to disambiguate similar words or phrases or to separate sections of text. These marks may each have a number of variants and may perform more of an ornamental than a grammatical function. A further sign (pustaha) exists to separate a title from the following body of text, which normally begins on the same line.
Batak is read from left-to-right. Some have observed it being written vertically bottom-to-top along the length of a piece of bamboo. These bamboo stalks were placed next to each other and bound together with string in such a way as to form a bundle of plates inscribed with horizontal lines of right-running text.
The script was standardised in the 1850s, and was used in education until the declaration of Bahasa Indonesia as the national language in 1945, since which time literacy and usage has declined. However, something of a Batak renaissance in recent years has led to teaching materials once again being made available for use in schools. (information courtesy of http://scriptsource.org/)
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Batak Medicine Horn
Naga Morsarang Shaman Magical Concoction Container from Sumatra Island. Manang Shamanism. Shaman's container for magical potions. Origin : Batak people of Sumatra Island Early - Mid Twentieth Century Horn (water buffalo), Wood Magic horn’s known as Naga Morsarang come in a variety of sizes; this larger example is an impressive work of Batak art. The wooden stopper is beautifully carved; the Singa and riders are conceived in dynamic fashion; as the riders tilt back the Singa push forward giving a sense of movement to the sculpture. The large curved container is also impressive, exhibiting the natural sweep of the horn and is further enhanced with a carved small seated male facing inward on the top of the horn. To the Batak shaman these objects were sacred, for they held secret and magical concoctions. |
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