Myths of the World

The  Mandailing tribe  (also known as  Mandailing Batak ) people are an ethnic group in  Sumatra ,  Indonesia  that is commonly associated with the  Batak people . They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of  Sumatra  in  Indonesia . They came under the influence of the  Kaum Padri  who ruled the  Minangkabau  of  Tanah Datar . As a result, the Mandailing were influenced by  Muslim culture  and converted to Islam. There are also a group of Mandailing in  Malaysia , especially in the states of  Selangor  and  Perak . They are closely related to the  Angkola  and  Toba .  The  etymology  of 'Mandailing' is said to be a compounding of the words  mande , meaning 'mother', and  hilang , meaning 'lost'. Thus, the name is said to mean "lost mother".  Mandailing society is patriarchal, employing family names, or  marga . We...