Wow!! Tradisi Lompat Batu Nias
The stones stand roughly 2
meters high and 60 – 90 centimeters wide. With a running start from not too far
back, a young Nias man sprints across the short distance and leaps effortlessly
through the air. The towering, castle-like boulder is not even grazed as the
young man lands gracefully on the other side.
From
the age of 7, the boys on the island of Nias practice the ancient art of boulder
jumping. As their age increases, so does the height of the boulders they dare
defy. For the young men of the Nias tribes, the time would come when they would
have to prove their courage and maturity as a warrior through a series of
tests. Warriors of Nias must first be strong. Next they must be skilled in
martial arts and trained in black magic.
The last and final test for the
warriors is to leap over massive stones, measuring as high as 2 meters without
so much as touching the surface. Stone jumping on Nias Island is referred to asHomboBatu or Fahombo, and is a
tradition that has been faithfully practiced and preserved for centuries.
The tradition of stone jumping first began during a time when inter-tribal wars were widespread across the island. The tribes of Nias are a warring people, and every man a fighter.
Provoked by war, vengeance, border disputes and slavery,
every village fortified its territory with high stone walls, fringed with
sharpened bamboo stakes across its top. It was through this, that Fahombo was
born – the art whereby warriors could invade a rival village by means of
nothing but pure muscle, strength and skill.
In modern times, the Fahombo tradition is not done in preparation for war, but rather as a ritual and symbol of Nias Culture. Youths who successfully achieve this skill are considered to have reached maturity and crossed from childhood into adulthood. Completing the Fahombo brings not only pride to both the youth and their families, but cause for great celebration and festivities as well.
Nias is an archipelago off the West coast of North Sumatra consisting of 131 islands. Pulau Nias is the largest of these islands, covering an area of about 5,000 square kilometers—slightly smaller than Bali.
Nias Island
itself is approximately 125 km west of Sumatra. Nias’ numerous and varied
attractions range from surfing some of the best waves in the world to exploring
and discovering Nias’ ancient culture and megalithic relics.
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