Pelebegu

Christianity is especially adhered to by some Angkola and Chinese. Angkola can be interpreted as a region, territory/region. Led by a resident with the central government being Padangsidimpuan.

Previously in Mandailing Natal. It is estimated that it has existed since 9000 years BC. This is proven by the existence of kingdoms such as Sabungan, Batunadua, Sipirok / Parau Sorat, Siala Gundi, Muara Tais, surrounding Batang Toru, Batarawisnu, Mandalasena etc.

It is said that there are 16 temples in Portibi and now only 5 remain. Among the five temples, 3 of them are called Bahal I, II, III. This is evidence of contact with India & Java.

Animism is one of the oldest beliefs ever held by humans. Animism is one of the oldest beliefs held by humans since primitive times. Belief in spirits is called animism.

The meaning of the word animism comes from the Latin anima which means spirit. The name animism comes from Latin based on the word anima which means spirit. The beginning of the theory of animism was put forward by an anthropologist who is also a professor at Oxford University in England named Edward Burnett Tylor.

Edward B. Tylor stated in his theory that the essence of primitive religion was animism. Tylor argued that animism is a description of the beliefs of primitive society. The validity of animism as a religion is still debated.

Tylor revealed that there were 4 stages of the process that animism went through to be recognized as a primitive religion. Through these 3 stages of meaning, we will explain the animist message through signs in rituals. Primitive religious systems such as animism are more easily accepted & understood by society without first explaining other elements of religions that are older than them.

Namely, continuing to have belief in spiritual things, namely belief in spirits. In other words, animism is a belief in spirits that inhabit the universe. The main element in animism is spirit.

The concept of understanding spirits by primitive society is different from that of modern society. Animist beliefs have components that have their own roles but have a close unified system. The image of the manifestation of an immaterial spirit cannot be imagined by primitive people. Spirits are formed from very subtle elements, have shape, and age & can eat and drink.

This is what underlies the existence of offerings in the form of food served by primitive people as a form of respect for spirits. In its development, animism is believed to be the beginning of the formation of primitive religion, which contains the basic elements of a religion, namely faith/belief. Animism shows the religious nature of humans more than other religions, including modern religions, because animism can present the most fundamental & permanent aspects of humanity in understanding the essence of these beliefs.

Animism is a belief in a personal power that lives behind all things. Animism not only provides an explanation through a phenomenon but also allows humans to understand the entire world & ultimately be able to differentiate between two things, namely spirit and body. The spirit in the body regulates & controls the body, the body will be considered dead when the spirit is separated from the body.

Animist communities believe that spirits will live on when someone dies. The spirit will roam/stay in a material. This spirit is believed to be able to provide help or bring danger.

Therefore, sacred rituals/ceremonies are held aimed at this spirit. Thoughts related to animism were still widespread, giving birth to ideas that became known as dynamism. In religious science, the phenomenon of ancestral relationships with living people is considered a large branch of human religion & is a very important religious reality, even animism is considered the basis of all religions.

In Indonesia itself, before the teachings of monotheism or modern religion came in, each region & each tribe had its own version of animism. Before Islam & modern education came, customs were held and absorbed by the people, because in general, they were adherents of animism/dynamism. The Angkola people have long believed in beliefs obtained from their ancestors, namely animism, belief in dead spirits/spirits.

This animist belief is carried out by praying to large trees, large rocks, and places that are considered haunted and have supernatural/magical properties. This community also has a belief in the form of religious understanding called the Pelbegu belief. This tribe's traditional wedding traditions were initially steeped in animist culture.

If you look at the period of animist beliefs, those who married by eloping would be given sanctions. The buffalo head is used as an offering to spirits as a sacrifice in the hope that it will provide smooth sustenance. Even when monotheism has dominated, animism is still inherent in society as a culture.

This animist belief is carried out by praying to large trees, large rocks, and places that are considered haunted and have supernatural/magical properties. This community also has a belief in the form of religious understanding called the Pelbegu belief. This tribe's traditional wedding traditions were initially steeped in animist culture.

If you look at the period of animist beliefs, those who married by eloping would be given sanctions. The buffalo head is used as an offering to spirits as a sacrifice in the hope that it will provide smooth sustenance. Even when monotheism has dominated, animism is still inherent in society as a culture.

Animist beliefs regarding the spirits of dead humans & occupying objects on earth are also inversely proportional to Christian teachings. At the beginning of the arrival of Christian beliefs in Batak land by priests from Germany, there were no changes made by these priests to the cultural customs of this tribe, however, after this community had already widely believed in Christianity, the priests began to eradicate the customs/habits of this community as seen does not match the views of Christianity, but if the custom does not conflict with Christianity, custom is still carried out to find a way to change the part of the custom that contains Pelebegu / animist beliefs. This sanction was carried out by the priests to eliminate animist beliefs, namely belief in the spirits of the dead.

Until now margondang is still carried out but it is no longer related to animist beliefs / Pelebegu beliefs in spirits who have passed away & also up to now margondang is not blamed by church institutions as long as they do not adhere to Pelebegu beliefs. Religious leaders also said, especially older religious leaders, that marriage customs in this tribe had changed after the arrival of Christianity, prohibitions regarding animist beliefs had been replaced by church leaders and when traditional ceremonies were carried out, they had to be carried out/monitored by the church. We can see the mangongkal holi ceremony procession which is closely related to the ancestors.

This ceremony, which is full of elements of animism, lives in the Batak community, the majority of which adhere to a monotheistic religion. The Mangongkal Holi ceremony, which is strong in elements of animism, has undergone adjustments to the modernity of this community's beliefs. The Mangongkal Holi ceremony was inherited by the ancestors of the Batak tribe from the time before the advent of monotheistic religion.

Long before Parmalim & Christian teachings entered Batak land, the ancestors of the Batak tribe had beliefs, namely animism. The ancestral traditional heritage is strong with elements of animism, which is at odds with the modern religion that has entered the Batak community. The mangongkal holi ceremony, which has been around for a long time, is full of the influence of the Batak tribe's ancestral beliefs, namely animism.

The connection between the Mangongkal Holi ceremony and ancestral spirits is the purpose of holding this ceremony. The procession also shows the interaction between family members and their ancestors, starting from the form of the grave, moving the bones, cleaning the bones, celebrating, and celebrating. The Batak people's relationship with ancestral spirits is maintained through the Mangongkal Holi ceremony.

A relationship is established between living family members and deceased ancestors through direct interaction with the tondi where the spirit resides when they are still alive. We interpret this as a form of respect for the Batak people towards their deceased ancestors, as well as upholding the traditions of their ancestral heritage. The conclusion of this article is that this story represents animism in the form of the community's respect for their ancestors in every mangongkal Holi ceremony procession, but at the same time does not deviate from the monotheistic religion they believe in.

The combination of these 2 beliefs gives rise to a syncretism of 2 beliefs, namely animism & Christian teachings. Syncretism itself comes from the Greek sunkretamos which means unity. However, the animist aspect, namely the worship of ancestral spirits, is minimized in line with the monotheistic beliefs held by the majority of the Batak tribe.

In other words, a syncretic dualism of beliefs between animists and monotheists has been created. The influence of modernist Islam came from Minangkabau through the Padri War. New religions because their presence is later than the religions that the local population already believes in, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, animism & dynamism.

It is called a migrant religion because this religion came from the Arabian peninsula. According to Syafii Maarif, the victory of Islam was phenomenal, the two old religious giants that had existed for centuries in the archipelago were eliminated in such a way, except for Hinduism in Bali which still survived. With this interaction, the understanding of animism/dynamism that previously existed was marginalized by Islamic teachings & filled with Islamic concepts, such as the concept of God in traditional terms which used to be Debata replaced with God Allah, the concept of pasu - pasu was replaced with the term prayer and the concept of nauli basa was replaced with Most Merciful. & Caring.

The customs preserved by the community are framed by Islamic principles so that animistic beliefs can be eliminated. Traditions with animist nuances changing to traditions with Islamic nuances do not necessarily change quickly. In general, traditional ceremonies with certain modifications are still practiced by the majority of the South Tapanuli Muslim community, but in terms of meaning they have experienced a shift, namely from the meaning of animism/dynamism to the Islamic religion.

In principle, girls must marry men from different clans to maintain their lineage and ancestral traditions. The tor - tor movement during animist beliefs which is intended to worship spirits is currently carried out only as entertainment, and art / to provide excitement at the wedding event for both the guests and the bride and groom. Even though this dogma is still considered sacred by some Angkola people, certain circles believe that its sacredness has declined and is considered only a tradition inherited from their ancestors.

Therefore, this traditional tribal wedding tradition is actually a relationship between animist culture which is then influenced by religion. Meanwhile, the practices carried out are no longer animist practices.