Mythologies of the Mandailing Batak Tribe

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. Well-known Mandailing margas include: Lubis, Nasution, Siregar, Ritonga, Hasibuan, Harahap, Dalimunthe (originally from Munthe), Matondang, Rangkuti, Parinduri, Puasa, Pulungan, Rambe, Daulae(y), Pohan, Batubara (not to be confused with the Batu Bara people from the east coast of Sumatra), Barus and Hutajulu. According to Tamboen's account (1952) the Mandailing, along with other sub-ethnic Batak groups are the descendants of one man by the name of Batak; who migrated to the south before the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch colonisation of Sumatra. Moreover, many Mandailing people are of Minangkabau descent from Pagaruyung in the Minangkabau highlands, such as the Nasution clan. Dutch colonization in Sumatra caused the Mandailing to be included as a sub-category of the Batak, as part of a 'wedge policy' to create a non-Muslim buffer state called Batakland between the powerful Muslim Achehnese and Minangkabau nations. The Mandailing was associated with the Toba Batak people instead of being recognized as a distinct ethnic minority. Consequently, the Mandailing people have been torn between two cultural and ethnic identities, namely Batak-Mandailing in Indonesia and Malay-Mandailing in Malaysia.

The Mandailing are part of the Batak cluster in North Sumatra Province. The Mandailing are a majority in the regencies of South Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal and in a few districts of Labuhan Batu Regency. They also live in the neighboring areas of Rokan Hulu, Riau Province and Pasaman, West Sumatra Province. The Mandailing are often called the South Tapanuli, after their main home area. This name (Tapanuli Selatan) is sometimes shortened to Tapsel. The Mandailing language is different than languages spoken by the surrounding people groups in the Batak cluster, such as the Angkola, Dairi, Toba, Simalungun, Karo, etc. Most Mandailing people are wet rice farmers. A Mandailing person who leaves home will look for land and a house as expressed in the proverb "halului anak halului tana" (children and land). Children and land are viewed as sources of personal pride (sahala hasangapon) that cause one to receive status and respect. Someone who successfully settles in another area is esteemed very highly. Mandailing villages are called huta. Traditionally, the huta leader holds control of the land and only gives permission to members of the village to work the land. Members who own land are only allowed to work it; they are not allowed to sell it without permission from the leader and a discussion with other community residents. The Mandailing people's religion in ancient times was a mixture of Hindu beliefs and a local traditional religon called Parmalin. Almost all Mandailing have been Muslims ever since Minangkabau Muslims forcibly introduced Islam. Many of their traditions have been adapted to Islam. The Batak peoples generally have three key ideas about the body and soul. First, tondi is the spirit of a person. The tondi can be temporarily separated from the body if a stronger and greater being (sombaon) takes it away. If this happens, a special ceremony is performed to return the tondi to the body of its owner. Second, sahala is the quality and amount of spiritual power that a person has. Third, begu are the spirits of the dead. They live in a reverse world: What people do during the day, the begu do at night. The Mandailing strongly identify themselves with the Islamic religion. This is a distinct departure from other Batak people groups which are predominantly Christian. The Mandailing constantly have to explain the fact that they are Muslims, since most Indonesians believe that all Batak peoples are Christian.

The Mandailing people are an ethnic group native to northern Sumatra, Indonesia, forming a subgroup of the broader Batak peoples and primarily residing in the regencies of Mandailing Natal and South Tapanuli within North Sumatra Province.[1] With an estimated population of around 1.3 million in Indonesia, they are distinguished among Batak groups by their near-universal adherence to Islam, resulting from historical conversions influenced by neighboring Minangkabau Muslims in the 19th century.[1] Their traditional religion prior to Islamization incorporated elements of Hinduism and the indigenous Parmalin animist practices. The Mandailing speak the Mandailing language, a member of the North Batak branch of Austronesian languages, which features a distinct script historically used for religious and adat (customary law) texts.[1] Culturally, they engage in wet-rice agriculture as the economic mainstay, organized in patrilineal clans (marga) and villages (huta) governed by customary leaders who oversee land allocation and social norms.[1] Adat ceremonies, including those for marriage, birth, and death, blend pre-Islamic rituals with Islamic rites, emphasizing communal harmony, ancestor veneration in modified forms, and status derived from land ownership and progeny.[1] Notable migrations have dispersed Mandailing communities to other Indonesian provinces, Malaysia, and beyond, where they maintain cultural identity through associations and remittances supporting homeland development.

The Mandailing is a traditional cultural group in Southeast Asia. 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. The etymology of 'Mandailing' is said to be a coupounding of the words mande, meaning 'mother', and hilang, meaning 'lost'. Thus, the name is said to mean "lost mother". The Mandailing society is patriarchal, employing family names, or marga,. The well known margas in Mandailing clan are: Lubis, Nasution, Siregar, Hasibuan, Harahap, Dalimunthe (originally from Munthe), Matondang, Rangkuti, Parinduri, Pulungan, Rambe, Daulae(y), Pohan, Batubara (not to be confused with the Batu Bara people from the east coast of Sumatra), Barus and Hutajulu. According to Tamboen's account (1952) the Mandailing, along with other sub-ethnic Batak groups are the descendants of one man by the name of Batak; who migrated to the south before the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch colonisation of Sumatra. Dutch colonization in Sumatra caused the Mandailing to be typecast as a sub-category of the Batak, as a 'wedge policy' to classify the communities and create typologies. It instilled the division of the Islamic nations by a non-Muslim belt, called 'Bataklanden' (Bataklands). The Mandailing were associated with the Toba Batak people instead of being recognized as a distinct ethnic minority. Consequently, the Mandailing people have been torn between two cultural and ethnic identities, namely Batak-Mandailing in Indonesia and Malay-Mandailing in Malaysia.