Fanomba Adu

It is estimated that the Nias tribe came from Taiwan via the Philippines 4,000 - 5,000 years ago. Archaeological research on the stone tools shows that the humans who occupied this tribal cave came from 12,000 years ago. In 2000, there were around 770,000 speakers of the language.

The majority of them are Protestant Christians while the others are Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist & Fanomba Adu. At least according to the facts around 1967. This last belief system is the name given by outsiders.

This tribe is generally better known for its animist belief system. Which is a belief system that comes from their ancestors. Ancestors are the most respected, especially after their death.

Animism is characterized by the belief in the existence of the spirits of people who have died. Animism believes that relatives & people who have died are still around their relatives. Those who previously adhered to animism also asked for protection from spirits to protect living humans.

Apart from that, animists also ask for things from those they believe in, for example, healing, successful harvests, safe travel & avoidance of various natural disasters. More clearly, the definition of animism is a belief in a personal power that lives behind all things & is a very old idea of ​​all religions. Animism is also an insight into the universe & world which is believed to not only be a place for living creatures to live, but many spirits live side by side with humans.

Animism is an ideology that believes that the spirits and souls of people who have died are still on earth and coexist with living humans. This animism is often considered a belief because groups who believe in this ideology often carry out certain rituals such as worshiping the spirits of their ancestors. Apart from believing that spirits exist alongside living humans, animism also believes that every object such as mountains, forests, caves/cemeteries needs to be respected because it has a spirit.

Animism means worshiping the spirits of people who have died. There are many examples of animist beliefs developing in Indonesian society. The characteristics of megalithic culture are characterized by the tradition of using large stones as infrastructure for worshiping ancestral spirits, such as menhirs, stone tables, stone grave coffins, etc. 

Hindu religious practices in Bali, Java, Kalimantan, and other places, do not escape respect for ancestors. The essence of ancestor worship is intended as a request so that the spirits of the ancestors can immediately be perfect, reaching the realm of swah loka / moksa. The spirits of ancestors who are not perfect and have never been asked for by their descendants will return to the Bhur Loka realm and will become a disturbing factor in the lives of their descendants. 

Related to this opinion, there is a painting of a boat in a nekara which is said to be a vehicle for spirits to go to the afterlife. Other records also explain the complexity of several spirit-honoring ceremonies, burial systems & giving offerings to trees. If not, then the spirit in the object will disturb humans. 

Requests & supplications to spirits are made by making offerings and certain ceremonies which are usually led by a traditional leader. On the other hand, if humans do not do this, it is believed that the spirit of the object will disrupt human life. This tribe's respect for the spirits of their ancestors is a sacred force that can protect them from evil influences. 

People believe that to protect them from intangible spirits, they wear the faces of their parents/predecessor ancestors. The purpose of making it based on their beliefs is as a place for the souls/spirits of parents to live. The transfer of the form of ancestral spirits goes through several processes, including selecting materials, offering ritual ceremonies, and honoring rituals. 

Living side by side with spirits means that all their activities need to have support & strength to guide them. This is necessary so that one day the spirits of those who have died can help, protect, and guard against / drive away disturbing evil spirits. A spirit whose existence is invisible / cannot be seen will certainly be difficult to know. 

The figure of a parent is a life guide that must be followed by future descendants. As a marker, wooden media is made with the appearance of ancestors/parents who have died. Obligatory offerings include the spirit's favorite food and drink during its lifetime. 

If no longer worshiped then the spirit will leave their home & go away. The choice of wood cannot be haphazard, prayers & offerings are made so that the material used can be accepted by the spirit that will be the place for it. After receiving guidance from the spirit in question, the materials & techniques used will follow the spirit's wishes. 

Apart from that, anyone who visits will feel embarrassed by the presence of the leader's ancestors in the house. This monument is usually placed in front of the village gate, as a repellent for evil spirits and evil spirits. They call adu zatua for male ancestors & adu nina for female ancestors. 

Its adherents recognize various spirits as the incarnation of people who have died. Many spirits are known & differentiated based on what they experienced during their lifetime. For example, there is Matiana / Maciana, the spirit of a woman who died giving birth to a child. 

This spirit is thought to exist to disturb women who are about to give birth. Then Solofo was known as the spirit of a person who was skilled at hunting. There is also Bekhu, the spirit of an ordinary dead person. 

If the spirit has reached the world, then what it does is continue its life as it was in the world during its lifetime. Meanwhile, the shadow turns into a bekhu or spirit. In the past, Osali was a house where spirits were worshiped. 

Respect for invisible spirits accompanied by a medium in the form of a large stone, this system can be said to be a dualism of beliefs, namely animism & dynamism. Animism & dynamism are belief systems that lived in prehistoric times. This shows the form of prehistoric society's belief system, namely animism & dynamism. 

Quoting the explanation on the Ministry of Education and Culture's website, animism & dynamism are beliefs held by humans in prehistoric times, such as the megalithic era. So what is the difference between animism & dynamism and what are some examples? So that we can better understand what animism & dynamism are, which are synonymous with the supernatural, read the following review. 

This tribe makes wooden statues occupied by ancestral spirits. The ancestor's face shape is tried to be as close to the original as possible and the body properties of the statue are by their economic and social strata. This ancestral statue is considered a spirit statue because it is believed to be the residence of the spirits of deceased ancestors. 

The function of this statue is generally to protect the family left behind, especially if the ancestor has magical knowledge/sacred powers. The shape of the statue used as a spirit medium has a different appearance, usually adapted to the intended spirit figure. The definition & definition of figure here comes from English which means the shape of a body/figure that leads to something. 

Examples of statues related to ancestors include adu zatua / wooden statues of ancestors from the male side of the family / adu nuwu which are statues of ancestors from the female side of the family. Apart from making adu zatua, apart from reminding them of the conditions in which their grandparents lived, another simple aim is to show the appearance/face of their ancestors so that they are not forgotten. The emergence of adu zatua is a form of respect for each village and family's ancestors. 

The purpose of adu zatua is as a visual form of the existence of ancestors/parents who have died because their souls live in the statue. There is no system for buying and selling statues, craftsmen are required not to carve statues of other ancestors with similar shapes. Because adu zatua is a figure of each ancestor/parent. 

The media in the form of statues represent the spirits of elders/ancestors, their homes, and the figures they worship. After the carving is complete, the statue will be held in a ceremony and worshiped so that the spirits of the ancestors/parents will live in it. Their actions will always be monitored by the ancestral spirits through the statue. 

They believe that the adu zatua that has been formed has the souls/spirits of their ancestors. This will change when dealing with different villages because they also have their own adu zatua / ancestral guidelines. One of the roles of adu zatua as a guide is adu zatua which is located in Togizita village. 

Offerings & respect began to decrease, before the Dutch attacked the village, the Zatua adu gave a sign by cracking parts of the statue's body & reminded the enemy of their vigilance. Shortly after the end of the war, the adu Zatua brought tears and for local traditional leaders, this was a sign that the ancestral spirits had left the statue. The tradition of making statues is more directed towards the ancestral residences/symbols of the local community. 

Body parts found from several ancestral statues indirectly highlight the symbol of the king and nobility of the statue. Ancestral figures who are considered stronger, more powerful, and have a position in the eyes of society are one way of showing the abilities of their extended family. As time passes, the sculpted form of this ancestral statue becomes more and more like the face of what is represented.

The statue is believed to be occupied by the spirits of ancestors. If previously the adu zatua phenomenon was intended as a medium for communication with ancestral spirits & in the context of a belief system, then the phenomenon that is occurring now is a commodity object. One example is that the rocky area in Bawamataluo village makes it difficult for people to grow crops, this is the reason for the rapid growth of adu zatua reproduction in that area. 

Now his carved statues have been purchased by foreign collectors and are in museum collections in several European regions and countries. Therefore, he is now reducing his activities of carving adu Zatua / ancestor statues. As cultural owners & initiators of the adu zatua tradition, the community places its role as a substitute for parents/ancestors who have died. 

Offering rituals are also performed to Gods, but not as often as offering rituals to ancestral spirits. Making traditional statues is prioritized as a form of respect for spirits, including gods, ancestors, and deceased parents. The myth that developed into what is now a myth has been passed down from generation to generation, showing that their belief in Gods & spirits is true. 

What is called Ida Samihara Luo has no reality, but from her two twins were created. Furthermore, these two twins mated & their marriage produced gods and humans. It is Tuha Sihai who is considered the first god to exist. 

From Tuha Sihai's breath, Aloloa Nangi was created & from his head, the Toroa tree emerged. The Toroa tree produces 3 plant shoots & it is from the top shoot that Dewa Lowalangi and Lature Dano are born. Apart from these two, two evil spirits were also born named Nadaoya & Afokha. 

Meanwhile, from the middle shoot, 1 good spirit & evil spirit were born, while no Gods/spirits were born from the bottom shoot. Silewe Nasarata is the protector of religious leaders & is the wife of Lowalangi. Sirao himself is a human created by Lowalangi. 

In Teteholi Anaa, 9 sons of King Sirao were expelled from there because they were fighting for power over the throne of Sirao. These first humans lived in the eighth layer of heaven which was right above the human world. When the missionary movement was in full swing, the making of wooden ancestor statues was prohibited. 

Worship of ancestors is seen as unjustified because it is considered the same as worship of devils. At the end of the 19th century, adu zatua was no longer produced, resulting in a shortage. The first traditional village we visited was Bawomataluwo Village. 

They only said that the megalithic stones were only remnants left by their ancestors when they still believed in animism & dynamism. Based on the brief review above, the understanding of animism & dynamism is quite closely related because both beliefs assume that objects around us have magical/supernatural powers or are considered to be places where ancestral spirits reside/are believed to have their own magical powers. That's a brief review of what animism & dynamism beliefs are with examples. 

Another name is Molehe Adu / Pelebegu.