All About Batak: From Their Rich Culture to Myths of Cannibalism
NINNA.ID -The Batak is the name for a group of sub-societies that live in the rugged highlands and plains around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra. The word Batak is believed to have originally been a derogatory term meaning “primitive” used by lowland Muslims to describe highland people. Today there is little stigma attached to the word. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, East and Southeast Asia” edited by Paul Hockings (G.K. Hall & Company, 1993) Living in a beautiful part of North Sumatra around Lake Toba, the Batak people are divided into six main cultures, each with its language and traditions. [caption id="attachment_3459" align="alignnone" width="600"] The view that can be seen if you visit Bukit Burung[/caption] Although geographically isolated, the Bataks have a history of regular contact with the outside world. Trade between the highlands and other regions saw the exchange of goods such as salt, cloth and iron for gold, rice, and cass...