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Nothing stronger than the rain in July It lets the unspeakable In the slot between root of the flower - Nothing wiser than the rain in July It wipes its own footprints Which hesitate on the road. (translated from Hujan di Bulan Juli by Sapardi Djoko Damono) All a sudden I remember the verse of the poem because of July 2005. Subsequently, rain irregularly falls, waters North Sumatera. There is no exception not even in Laguboti, one of the small capital sub district town in Tobasa, which kept some attractions due to the existence of its Batak Parmalim community. Such weather could be felt when arrived there before noon last July 20th, the first day of Sipaha Lima ceremony, one of the Parmalim adherents’ holy day. This year, the ceremony was held on 20-22 July. The information once doubted due to dates and the adjustment made based on Gregorian calendar. Based on Gregorian calendar, the event would be on 18-20 July, this is a regular dates held by naposo bulung (the youth) of Batak Parmalim. Setting the dates forward or backward is common, especially because of the astronomic calculation and perhalaan (Batak’s calendar). Sometimes, the event could be held in August. However, King Monang Naipospos, one of the Parmalim distinguish person, underlined that the dates of the event was “appropriate”. The rain that doubts us did not really obstruct the journey to Hutatinggi village, the community center where the event was held. Batak Parmalim community called this Sipaha Lima ceremony as Parriaan Bolon Sipaha Lima, which literally means “the fifth month great celebration”. Therefore, Sipaha Lima is one of the months out of twelve months in Batak’s calendar. After the fifth month, the term sipaha is being used before the eleventh and twelfth which has special names of Li and Hurung. The genuine history of naming the months considered as a last evolution in Batak’s calendar. Before, months in Batak’s calendar were in archaic terms/words such as sitora, sisaha, sibista, sisanti, sisorbaba, sibadora, sisudiya, siajimortiha, sianggaraji, sipusiya, sipalaguna, and sirajaurip. However, the archaic terms/words were probably ever used in shaman context. Dance in Sipaha Lima Raindrops still falling at 3 in the afternoon around Bale Pasogit, the Parmalim ritual center as well as the place where the ceremony would be held. However, the sound of Gondang Sabangunan (Batak musical ensemble) could be heard already. The music is specific with the sound of serunai (traditional wind instrument with a reed), gong, gendang taganiang (a kind of traditional drum), and musicians who shout occasionally. The music sounds means that parsahadatan (the event on the first day which meant to thank God) of mercy and professing faith, has started. Some of the participants have just arrived from naualu village (from other places could be fifties small communities). Some of them had placed ulos on their shoulders complete with the cloth and other specific outfit; sarong, white turban (with no tail), coat, brocade and Toba hair bun (hair bun which is deepen into the hair). Some went straight to Bale Pasogit bare foot. The form of gratefulness, forgiveness, professing faith and sometimes solidarity on that first day, seemed to be spoken out through an interpretation of a dance as a prayer. Members of induk bolon family (the pioneer/Parmalim main family), the late King Mulia Naipospos, started the dance before each small community queued. The authority of each main family appeared spontaneously to convey message and confide themselves, which was done through impromptu dance performance or request a certain gondang to present the dance for them. The melodical title requested contains religious words. A friendship was bound in Bale Pasogit yard which movement directed to the house of King Ihutan (the adhered leader). However, there was a special dance that performed by sorangan (medium who danced and delivered symbolic messages of the dance, which aroused the others’ sadness). Sorangan movement looked free and did not have to focus the attention on the chief himself. Before moving towards the leaders family who lined in front of Bale Partonggoan (worshipped house), sorangan showed various movements on the yard by cupping both hands to worship, raised them high above the head and bent. However, the minimalist character of the movements becomes a dancing pattern in Parmalim community, which could only be performed by sorangan and his leader. The minimalist and dance pattern on that first day was the kind of dance seen the next day in Parmalim. Everybody could dance. However, from the minimalist moves, it can be assumed that there would be some movements in its mental aspect as well. The minimalist character could be described by the hands which shaped as if worshipping, the always bent-head, and urdot (swaying the body up-down swiftly) balanced by the feet firmed on the ground, neither moved not shifted while dancing. Dancing on the Second Day The first day dance lasted for two to three hours involving solo performance of the chief. Technically, that dance could be considered as the preliminary check-in for the second day top performance. The second day in the morning, the unobstructed sunshine lighten bale pasogit. Every Parmalim adherents prepared themselves and the necessities for the ceremony. Pargondang (musician) positioned on the small roofed-stage. On the first day, they were placed on the porch of the chief’s house. While the ensemble prepared themselves, other equipments and necessities were placed. Three units of langgatan (worshipped foods, flowers and offers altar) placed close to the middle line of three chambers, there were Bale Partonggoan, Bale Parpitaan and Bale Pangaminan (placed higher than the other two). The three items decorated with white-red cone-shaped cloths. The four corners of each altars and cone were given a nice scent leaves taken from a certain kind of plant such as bane-bane. Before the ceremony began, some worshipped items (pelean) put onto the altar. So did the borotan (wood used for holding the sacrificed-animals) which cow is black this year, has been tied up under Bale Parpitaan. Usually, the wood is taken from sturdy tree such as ingul that measured and holed before placing it at the beginning of the ceremony. Lambe (yellow coconut leaves or palm sugar leaves) shaped like chicken placed on borotan along with the Batak’s color banner (red, white, black) which completed the decoration, expressing the worshipped in lace decoration atmosphere. As for the near sides between the chief’s house and Bale Parpitaan, special worshipped axis were also made for King naopatpuluh opat, those the powerful once in the eight points of the compass (including the prophets of the samawi religion (religions which believe on the existence of God’s prophets). Before mid-day, the adherents took position on the mats facing the altar. The sound of music played previously accompanied the chief and his family to Bale Parpitaan. Their perfect steps perfected by their special customs, white cloth on ulos across their shoulders and black turban with reddish cloth tuft worn by the chief. The family members who have not married were not allowed to line. There was a dialog with the distinguished ceremony officials in Bale Parpitaan such as ulu punguan, the chief of small community and King Parhobas (a kind of ceremony coordinator). During the dialog, about half hour, all “oriented direction” on the yard equipped with censer for all prayers or music interval accompanying the prayers. The aged-paniaran women moved to the ceremony circle, which showed that the ceremony would have dance performance. Various kinds of dance performed during the important ritual were; first, tortor tonggo, a dance which still performed by the chief as variation of expressing the prayers. Second is tortor paniaran, a dance performed by the aged-women positioned on the ceremony circle. Firstly, they were the first object to gain bless, this is marked by spraying them with aek pangir, water from a kind of rough-skinned orange called jeruk purut and sipir ni tondi, rice placed by the chief on the head of each dancing women. Lembar napuran, a betel vine in their hands is a symbol of requesting a privilege in receiving bless before the others, who accordingly would gain it through the authority of the chief, family and the official of the ceremony. Third, is tortor mangaliat, a dance, which performed in circle, especially the one conducted by family representative who sprayed the orange from saoan (white saucer) and took ampang (a rectangle basket contained certain farm yields) as well as plate filled with rice and betel vine. The dance might be performed up to seven circles. Fourth is tortor parhobas, a dance of the officials whose task is carrying the sacrificed animal. In this dance circles, the men seemed to have with them piso halasan (sacred sword) and with the stamping of the foot as well as the certain stopping between dances made this dance interesting. The fifth is tortor ama, a dance which performed directed specially for the gentlemen after the sacrificed animal taken to the kitchen. Next is tortor ina-ina, this is meant special for the aged-women, which performed similar to paminta godang (requesting certain melody to the musicians). The last is tortor naposo. This is the youth turns for dancing which sometimes combined with speakers or spoke person that usually taken over by the elderly. All dances accompanied by musical instrument. The sun was very hot on that second day. However, all dancers danced on the yard and “the supporters” who danced from their seats presenting a unification of great universe (macrocosmic) and man’s heart (microcosmic) right before the Mulajadi Nabolon (the Creator of Universe). Each of the participants would take the effect of the unification home after getting jambar (small pieces of the sacrificed-meat) on the third day, in which this jambar was divided proportionally based on the customs and religious rules. The rain in July was then a truly strong, fair and wise rain.