 |
| GT01 Lompat Batu Nias |
Many of us may have heard the LOMPAT
BATU (Jumping Stone) tradition of Nias Island, North Sumatra, but probably not
many know the meaning. Jumping Stones or commonly Nias people referred as fahombo was originally done by a young Nias to show
that he has grown and matured physically. If a man capable of skipping stones,
are arranged with a height up to 2 m and a thickness of 40 cm, perfectly, it is
a sign that he will be a warrior when his village conflicts with residents from
other villages (samu’i mbanua/la’imba hor).
Since it is so prestigious, the young man in the island who has managed to conquer this rock for the first time will be the pride not only for himself but also for the family. Usually the family will slaughter a few head of cattle as a thanksgiving for the success of their kid. From the age of 7-12 years, boys in Nias have been training. They stick the two poles next to other and make a stone pedestal in the middle and then jump. It was ranging from low to elevate over time. They also can do with the help of two friends which holding each end of the rope, and the others jump in rotation. They played with spirit and fight. Interestingly, despite all the lads training hard not able to pass the compound stone, in fact rarely fracture was caught while trying to pass through. There is also a young man who, despite only practicing once or twice but was immediately able to pass the stone. According to local beliefs it is influenced by genetics. If his father or grandfather was a brave and stone jumper, then there must be their son afford to skip the stone.
To participate preserve of the great tradition, LITTLE INDONESIA, issued a Jumping Stone design as one of the premier collections. Hopefully someday our kids not only know the tradition but come to understand the value behind it so it will strengthen their understanding about Indonesia
