| The stone chairs of Ambarita where tribal elders | | | | led to the ancient Batak village where there is a |
| held council. | | | | row of traditional Toba Batak houses. As I |
| Ambarita is an ancient Batak tribal village on | | | | examined the houses, which are still used today, I |
| Samosir Island, in Lake Toba. It is located an | | | | find that many of them have zinc roofing, |
| hour's walk northwest from Tuk Tuk or about 20 | | | | somewhat removing the romanticism I would |
| minutes by boat. I visited it together with a small | | | | associate with visiting this place. I suppose zinc |
| group of AsiaExplorers members. | | | | roofing would be more long lasting, although I |
| What makes Ambarita interesting, from an | | | | would have preferred that the villagers retained |
| anthropological standpoint, is that during ancient | | | | the original roofing which I assume should be ijuk |
| times the Toba Batak people of Ambarita | | | | thatch made from coconut fibre. |
| practised a form of carnibalism. What remains | | | | From the row of traditional houses, we moved on |
| today is the cluster of stone chairs where the | | | | to view the stone chairs and the cage where |
| village elders held council. Whenever an enemy | | | | victims are incarcerated. I am surprise to see that |
| was captured, the elders would invite the rulers of | | | | there is also a stone figure sitting on one of the |
| neighbouring villages to a conference, to | | | | chairs, and we had our photos taken with "him". |
| determine the fate of the victim. The victim is | | | | A short distance from the stone chairs is the |
| held in behind bars under one of the houses. | | | | place where victims meet their death. Our guide |
| If it is determined that the victim deserved death, | | | | demonstrated how the Bataks go about with the |
| he is taken to a dining table where he is clobbered | | | | procedure. He also showed us the Batak calendar |
| to death. There is a boulder where the victim is | | | | and other tribal implements. On the hill above are |
| beheaded. After that, he is chopped up, his flesh | | | | the graves of the tribal elders as well as a |
| is cooked with buffalo meat, and served to the | | | | monument to Raja Laga Siallagan. From the |
| tribal council, who completed the meal with a | | | | appearance of the monuments and graves, it |
| beverage of the victim's blood! | | | | appears that the tribal elders have embraced |
| We arrived at Ambarita by boat. From the jetty, | | | | Christianity, but I could not determine whether |
| we were first shown the tomb of Laga Siallagan, | | | | these Christian elders are the ones who were still |
| the first raja of Ambarita. From there, we were | | | | practising carnibalism. |