Rebu in Karo Culture

REBU IN KARO CULTURE

As a community consist of unique cultures and mores, the people of Karo Highlands is inherited by a sacred and peculiar tradition of Rebu in its language. Rebu is an oral tradition which disallow certain people to speak directly within each other. They must speak using indirect technics via speaking to surrounding utensils or by means of indirect speech. Rebu in Karo language refer to something sacred according to manner, restricted, prohibition, regulated. In other words, Rebu is measured ethics or manners, supposing to control behaviors among the Karo community.

In its uniqueness, Rebu has been succeeded throughout generations of Karonese people in order to place order within the traditional society. Even though modernization is storming throughout the Karo Highlands nowadays, many areas still conducted the values of Rebu. People consider it very ancient and complicated, as it is abandoned by many Karonese today. It is feared that the next generations will be blind of rebu as it face its extinction. This writing is dedicated to preserve the threated value of Rebu (or what is left of it). We nowadays are fond of 5 types of Rebu implementations, which is:

REBU NGERANA (unable to speak directly)

Rebu ngerana is a form of Rebu limiting someone to speak in a conversation. Limitation of this matter is considered as approved norm in the Karo community between certain people to avoid direct contact, such as between a husband (Kela) and his mother – in law (Mami). Between a father (Bengkila) and his son’s wife (Permen) or even between brother – sister in law. Rebu ngerana is not only conducted by separate sex, as by means it is also implemented when a Kalimbubu (wife giver) is corresponding his Anak Beru (wife taker) in a ceremony. It is not decent for a Anak Beru to talk directly to his Kalimbubu, he then will mandate his Anak Beru (Anak Beru Menteri) to then ask what necessary. As in Rebu ngerana, the application of such mores are divided into four forms of actions, which is Rebu as speaking directly. Here a person and his / her Rebu is not allowed to speak directly in a conversation. They then must use a person / object as a intermediaries using the term nina. As example:

Me: Excuse me, is anybody home?

Mami: I’ am alone nina the door!

Me: Oh pardon me nina the door, there is an invitation for a feast, I’ll leave it by the door nina the door.

Or by using the term “kataken sitik / please do tell”

Me: Excuse me, is anybody home?

Mami: Dear door (In Indonesia we translate it as “o pintu”), please do tell that I am home alone

Me: Dear door, please do tell my Mami that I will leave an invitation for the feast by the door. Thank you.

Mami: Dear door, do tell him that I said thank you.

The second form of Rebu ngerana is Rebu as in contact with the body. There is an audible rule that Karonese people do not conduct body contact with their Rebu, even as only as in shaking hands. It is known taboo and is not favored to be done in any circumstances. Third form is the Rebu as in sitting face – to face. The Karonese believed that men do their job in the living room (runggu) but the woman will wait in the kitchen, where they’re more freely stated. They could do gossip, chew betel, cook or even just sitting around chit – chatting, but only in kitchen parts, while children use to play in the ture (terrace) or jambur (wheat storage). It is not recommended for a person especially with Rebu mutuality to sit facing his rebu. As so, the anak beru which take no parts during runggu oftenly waited outside the house. The last part is Rebu as sitting on the same mat. A bamboo weaved mat Amak Mbentar is considered sacred among the Karonese, while an average mat although is functioned only as a sitting place has rules which a person and his Rebu could not share the same mat. Using the same situation with the other Rebu, a person seeing that his rebu is already sitting in a mat usually seek for another mat unattached, or even leave the room if necessary.

This is conducted throughout the society, the disruption of such values ends in clashes or even punished by deaths.

REBU LA ARUS

Rebu la arus is a form of Rebu disallowing a person to bond a relationship or marry a girl from his clan (Merga). For example a Ginting boy would not dare ask a beru Ginting to be his girlfriend as they are a “Turang” / ‘Turang Impal”. As so, a girl would leave her group of friends when she knew her turang / turang impal is coming to join the conversation. This tradition is strictly inherited to avoid a person marry another person with the same merga / beru as in Karo culture they are known to be bloodily bonded.

REBU TAPIN

Rebu tapin is conducted to avoid two people in law share the same watery hole as they bathe. Tapin in Karo tradition is a watery hole used by villagers to bath. Tapin is usually located in rear side of the village and utilized for bathing, showering, water reservoir and washing. Rebu Tapin is implemented to avoid people in law to share the watery hole in the same time. In ancient times where communications are not as good as today, a person approaching a watery hole use to yell or cough so it could be heard by the ones inside. If a person then yelled “Wait a moment, your rebu is still inside” then the person must postpone, better if the person also stay out of the entrance so that his / her rebu could walk freely after using the tapin.

Rebu tapin is not only conducted in the watery hole but also between sisters in law not to take / spit the lime and betel from the same place (Eda and Beru). Such regulation then only acted when both enjoy consuming betel, so then they would not or at least be reminded not to share lime paste, Gambier and betel from the same Kampil (a place to put lime paste and betel made from rattan webbing). Offending of such rules will end in insult.

REBU ERDAHIN

Rebu erdahin is an advice to rest after Merdang Merdem (rice harvesting) or prohibition to bring vegetables or ringing objects inside the house four days after planting. It is still unknown the purpose of such rebu but in every ceremonies during festives, the Rebu day will be conducted two or three days after Mantem / Matana (peak days of Kerja Tahun). Experts assume that this kind of rebu is to commit order and manner towards the society after a week full festive.

REBU API

Is a form of Rebu which prohibit newly childbirth parents to conduct sexual intercourse or Dumberat (sleeping near the fire after giving birth) as so it will bring misfortune, considered could lead to divorce.

Those are the forms of Rebu as we know today implemented throughout the Karo Highlands nowadays. As it is complicated and impractical the preservation of Rebu within the Karo community is beyond threat. Many people choose to leave the tradition due to its awkwardness. We then conclude two main factors that cause people to leave Rebu as in first is the Education factor. The higher a person is educated, the broader his interactions will be. Then they would realize that Rebu is no longer necessary especially in order to free communications within the family members. The second factor is the Environment as people nowadays are not only married with his / her fellow Karonese but with other tribes, even cross culture and religion. Rebu then is considered obsolete when interactions between family members with cross culture and religion backgrounds that do not understand Karonese culture such as Rebu. It is interesting however that in past times the divorce and cheating attitude is rated considerably low, proofing that Rebu is a useful tool to defend people from deceitful actions that could insult the Karonese mores as a whole.

Picture of Kampil Sirih.

A Picture of Tapin (watery hole) in Kuta Rayat village. One of the famous watery hole known in Karo Highlands is the one located at Batukarang village, the famous Pancur Siwah (watery holes consist of Nine Fountains, which reflects the nine social stages of Batukarang community).

Sources:

1 H. Ahmad Yunus & tim. Makna Pemakaian Rebu Dalam Kehidupan Kekerabatan Orang Batak Karo. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI. 1994

2 Rebu dalam Masyarakat Karo, Masihkan Layak untuk di Pertahankan article of Sora Mido, Tahun ke XXIII Edisi Juni 2017

3 http://sembiring-jo.blogspot.co.id/2012/08/ngembah-belo-selambar.html

0813 5433 2455 (accessed in 15 July 2017, 13.30 WIB)

3 H. Ahmad Yunus & tim. Makna Pemakaian Rebu Dalam Kehidupan Kekerabatan Orang Batak Karo. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI. 1994

4 Special thanks to Andi Yahya Sembiring for the chit – chat of cultural Karo preservation among young generations at Kos Jalan Pam Lama Pejompongan Jakarta.