Woza Uzobona AmaBatak

Lapho umhloli wamazwe ongumNtaliyane wangekhulu le-13 uMarco Polo evakashela esiqhingini saseSumatra e-Indonesia, wakhuluma ngesizwe esithile “sabantu basezintabeni” athi “baphila . . . njengezilwane, . . . futhi bangamazimu.” Kunenkolelo yokuthi laba bantu ayekhuluma ngabo kwakungamaBatak. Kodwa-ke, mina nomkami sinombono ohluke ngokuphelele ngawo. Woza uzobona laba bantu esesibazi futhi esibathandayo.

“HORAS!” Besibingelela ngale ndlela efudumele, abangane bethu abasha abangamaBatak basamukela eNyakatho yeSumatra e-Indonesia, lapho sifika esabelweni sethu esisha sezithunywa zevangeli eduze kweChibi LaseToba. Njengoba lingenye yezinto zemvelo ezinhle kakhulu eSumatra futhi liyichibi elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni aqala eyizintaba-mlilo, leli chibi liyisizinda samaBatak.—Bheka ibhokisi elingezansi.

AmaBatak angesinye sezizwe ezinkulu zendabuko e-Indonesia. Njengoba engaba yizigidi ezingu-8 ngesibalo, anezizwana ezingaba yisithupha ezihlukene, kodwa ezihlobene eduze—amaToba, amaSimalungun, amaKaro, amaDairi, ama-Angkola namaMandailing. Isizwana ngasinye sinozalo olukhulu. Uma amaBatak ehlangana, ngokuvamile aye abuze ukuthi, “Ungowaluphi uzalo?” Ngokushesha abe esethola ukuthi ahlobene eduze kangakanani.

Imithetho Yokuganiselana

Ngokuvamile imishado yamaBatak ayihlanganisi nje abantu ababili kodwa izizwana ezimbili. Okanina babhekwa njengabantu abafanelana kahle. Kodwa ukushada nomfowenu noma nodadewenu ngawobaba, noma nothile wozalo olufanayo, kuyichilo. Ngokuvamile, imishado yesiko ilandela lo mthetho: Amadoda esizwana A angaganwa abesifazane besizwana B, amadoda esizwana B angaganwa abesifazane besizwana C, kanti amadoda esizwana C angabathatha abesifazane besizwana A. Ukuganiselana ngale ndlela kuqinisa izibopho zamaBatak futhi kwenza abasanda kushada babe nezihlobo eziningi.

Ngisho noma imibhangqwana engamaBatak ishade ngokomthetho futhi isinezingane, uzalo aluwuhloniphi lowo mshado kuze kube yilapho kwenziwa umshado wesiko. Le mikhosi emikhulu ingahlanganisa amakhulukhulu ezihlobo futhi ingathatha amahora amaningi.

Ngokwesibonelo, emishadweni yamaKaro, ilobolo kanye nomabo kubalwa ngokucophelela bese kwabelwa iqembu ngalinye lozalo oluthintekayo. Ngemva kwalokho-ke umkhosi usungaqhubeka. Abozalo banikeza izinkulumo ezinde ezikhuluma ngempilo yasemshadweni. Umkhwenyana nomakoti bayalalelisisa. Kube sekuphethwa ngokudla nomdanso.

Ipharadesi Labafuyi

Esikhathini esidlule imindeni eminingi yamaBatak yayihlala emanxulumeni ahlanganyelwayo anophahla olumise okwezimpondo zenyathi. Ezinye zalezi zakhiwo ezinkulu—ezakhiwe ngezingodo, uqalo namahlamvu esundu—zazakhiwa phezu kwezinsika, kanti ezinye zaziba zinkulu ngokwanele ukuba kuhlale imikhaya engu-12 kuzo. Izipikili zazingasetshenziswa. Kusenezakhiwo ezineminyaka engu-300 okusahlalwa kuzo. Ngaphansi kwalezi zindlu eziphakeme kuhlala imfuyo—izinkomo, izinkukhu, izinja, izingulube nezinyathi.

Umnotho wale ndawo uxhomeke kakhulu kwezolimo, ekudobeni, emfuyweni nakwezokuvakasha. Empeleni, indawo enkulu enhle ezungeze iChibi LaseToba iyipharadesi labafuyi. Ichibi lenganyelwe amasimu aluhlaza erayisi. Eceleni kwamasimu emifino eluhlaza asemhlabathini ovundile wentaba-mlilo kutshalwe ikhofi, izithelo nezinongo. Abadobi abahamba ngezikebhe zokhuni badoba izinhlanzi eziningi emanzini acwebile aleli chibi elipholile.

Ekupheleni kosuku, izingane ezijabule zingena echibini zibhukude, amadoda adla ingevu emathilomu futhi kudlalwa umculo njengoba kupholile kusihlwa. Empeleni, amaBatak aziwa ngokuhlabelela kwawo ngamaphimbo anamandla nangomdlandla. Ayakuthanda nokudansa—amadoda nabesifazane ngokuhlukana—benyakazisa izingalo nezandla ngesizotha.

Umlando Oneziyaluyalu

Kusukela esikhathini sikaMarco Polo kuya ekhulwini le-19, imibiko yayibonisa ukuthi amaBatak ayengamazimu anonya anomkhuba wokudla izitha zawo nezigebengu. Nokho, eminye “imininingwane yobuzimu kungenzeka yaqanjwa amaBatak ngokwawo ngoba ezama ukuvimba abantu bangaphandle ukuba bangangeni ezweni lawo,” kusho uLeonard Y. Andaya, onguprofesa wezomlando. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo siyini, incwadi ethi The Batak—Peoples of the Island of Sumatra ithi “ekhulwini le-19 uhulumeni wamaDashi owawuphethe amakoloni wabenqabela ubuzimu ezindaweni owawuziphethe.”

AmaBatak ayekholelwa emimoyeni futhi ayekhonza onkulunkulu abaningi nemimoya. Ayenanemikhosi yokwenza imihlatshelo yokukhuluma nemimoya, ukubhula nokwenza iziphonso. Iziphonso, amashadi okubhula nezindlela zokwelapha kwakubhalwa emagxolweni angaba amamitha angu-15 ubude bese esongwa afingcizwe njengenkositina. Kwakubekwa nezindwangu zokuhlobisa ezingcwele ukuze kuxoshwe imimoya emibi futhi kubikezelwe nekusasa.

Amarekhodi abonisa ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli zokuqala ezingabeLungu ezafika kumaBatak kwakungamaBaptist uR. Burton noN. Ward, abafika ngo-1824. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi, lapho amasosha angamaDashi ezama ukuthatha izingxenye ezithile zezwe, ezinye izithunywa zevangeli ezimbili zaseMelika uH. Lyman noS. Munson, zangena endaweni yamaBatak kodwa zabulawa ngokushesha. Izithunywa ezimbili ezingamaKatolika, ezingazange zizishaye mkhuba izixwayiso zokuthi zingangeni ezindaweni ezingaba ingozi, kungenzeka nazo zabulawa.

Nokho, isithunywa sevangeli esingumJalimane uLudwig Nommensen, esaqala ukusebenza phakathi kwamaBatak ngo-1862, sasinda futhi saphumelela ngezinga elithile. Empeleni, abantu bendawo abaningi basasihlonipha kakhulu. Namuhla amaBatak amaningi azibiza ngamaKristu, kanti iningi lingamaSulumane noma likholelwa emimoyeni. Noma kunjalo, amaningi asanamathele kwezinye zezinkolelo zawo ezingokwesiko.

Ukufika Kwezindaba Ezinhle Zangempela

Cishe ngonyaka ka-1936, oFakazi BakaJehova bafika emazweni amaBatak, bephethe izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uJesu abikezela ukuthi zaziyoshunyayelwa “emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe.” (Mathewu 24:14) AmaBatak amaningi asamukela lesi sigijimi esisekelwe eBhayibhelini futhi alahla izinkolelo-ze zawo. Ngenxa yalokho, kunamabandla oFakazi BakaJehova angaba ngu-30 kule ndawo.—Bheka ibhokisi elikulesi sihloko.

Njengoba mina nomkami sitshela abantu kule ndawo ngezindaba ezinhle, sivame ukuhlangana nezivakashi ezimangazwa ubuhle obukhulu beChibi LaseToba nesimo sezulu esihle. Nathi sivumelana nazo. Kodwa siye sinezele ukuthi ubuhle bangempela bale ndawo, abantu abahlala kuyo—amaBatak anobungane nanothando.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 17]

ICHIBI ELIPHOLILE ELAQALA LIYINTABA-MLILO

IChibi LaseToba lingamakhilomitha angu-87 ubude nangu-27 ububanzi futhi liyichibi elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni elisemlonyeni wentaba-mlilo. Linamanzi anele angenasawoti angamboza lonke elase-United Kingdom aze aphakame cishe ngemitha elilodwa. Njengoba lizungezwe yiziqongo zezintaba-mlilo ezinohlaza eziyingxenye yeziNtaba ZaseBarisan, leli chibi elihle liyintandokazi yabathwebuli bezithombe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uzithwebula ungakuluphi uhlangothi.

Leli chibi lavela ngesikhathi kuba nokuqhuma okukhulu kwentaba-mlilo cishe izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesisodwa, ososayensi abakholelwa ukuthi kwakuwukuqhuma okukhulu kakhulu emlandweni womhlaba. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lo mgodi omkhulu wagcwala amanzi, kwakheka lokho namuhla okwaziwa ngokuthi iChibi LaseToba. Ukuzamazama okwalandela ekujuleni kwaleli chibi kwaveza isiQhingi SaseSamosir, esingaba amakhilomitha-skwele angu-647, esicishe silingane nezwe laseSingapore.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 18]

IPHARADESI ELITHOKOMELE

IChibi LaseToba lingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-300 ukusuka enkabazwe, kodwa isimo sezulu sipholile, okuyinto emangalisayo. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi leli chibi liphakeme ngamamitha angu-900 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle. Izihlahla zesundu nezikaphayini zithé chithi saka kuleli pharadesi elithokomele.

Leli chibi linezinhlobo zezilwane eziningi ezihlala ngapha nangalé kwalo. Ngokwesibonelo, izinkawu okuthiwa ama-orangutan, ama-gibbon anezintende ezimhlophe nama-Thomas’ leaf zitholakala ngasenyakatho yechibi, kanti ama-tapir, ama-tarsier nezinkawu okuthiwa ama-banded leaf zitholakala ngaseningizimu.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 19]

WAYEKA UKUBA ISANGOMA WABA UMKRISTU WEQINISO

UNursiah wayeyi-ḍukun noma isangoma esingumBatak. Wayelapha izifo ngokusebenzisa umlingo, akhiphe imimoya emibi futhi akhulume “nabafileyo.”a Lo msebenzi wakhe wawuchuma, kanti nakuba ayesebenzelana nemimoya, wayeyilungu elihlonishwayo esontweni lakubo lamaProthestani.

Lapho uNursiah ehlangana noFakazi BakaJehova, wamangala uma ezwa ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu nguJehova. (IHubo 83:18) Kamuva wafunda eBhayibhelini ukuthi abaningi ababa amakholwa ekhulwini lokuqala bayeka ukwenza imilingo futhi bashisa izincwadi zabo zemimoya ukuze bakhonze uNkulunkulu ngendlela ayamukelayo. (IzEnzo 19:18, 19) Nakuba ayephikiswa kakhulu, wanquma ukwenza okufanayo, ethembele ngokugcwele emazwini kaJesu athi: “Iqiniso liyonikhulula.”—Johane 8:32.

Namuhla, uNursiah nendodana yakhe uBesli, bangoFakazi ababhapathiziwe, futhi umyeni wakhe uNengku, uba khona njalo emihlanganweni yobuKristu. UNursiah uthi: “Njengoba sengikhonza uJehova, ukuphila kwami sekungcono kakhulu! Ngesikhathi ngiseyi-ḍukun, ngangilangazelela ukwazi iqiniso. Manje sengineliseke ngempela.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe]

UNursiah enomyeni wakhe nendodana

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 16]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Sumatra

IChibi LaseToba

[Umthombo]

Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

IChibi LaseToba uma useNtabeni iPusuk Buhit ezwekazini

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Impophoma yaseSipisopiso, esemaphethelweni enyakatho yeChibi LaseToba, ingaba amamitha angu-110 ukuphakama