Marriage customs are a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and preserved. For this reason, there is a need for mutual awareness that cultural heritage requires management so that it remains sustainable for the next generation. This series of wedding ceremonies can be divided into several stages, such as asking for a hand, delivering the dowry, religious validation, and traditional ceremonies. Likewise, in Nias culture, they have a wedding ceremony called fangowalu. Nias traditional marriages continue to transform according to the times, both weddings on Nias Island and Nias traditional weddings in Medan City, it is known that many marriage processes must be passed according to their original customs, but for the Nias tribe in Medan City it is not all the marriage process is carried out, this is following the existing situation and conditions. The transformation of the Nias traditional marriage system in the city of Medan is caused by the influence caused by socio-cultural factors that exist in the people of the city of Medan. Some of the changes/transformations that exist include those related to a simpler wedding procession and the proposed dowry does not require livestock.
Indonesia is a country consisting of thousands of islands and various ethnic groups, religions, cultures, languages and different customs. The diversity of these customs is also a matter of pride for the Indonesian people because even though they are different, they are still one as Indonesian citizens. The influence of the various customs and religions that exist in Indonesia, the implementation of the marriage also varies according to the customs and beliefs of the community itself, so that in Indonesia various systems, principles and forms of marriage can be known. Indonesia is a country based on Pancasila and the first precept is Belief in One God, so marriage and religion or spirituality have a very close relationship because marriage is not only a physical element but also has a spiritual element that plays an important role in forming a family. Marriage is a cultural medium in regulating relationships between people of the opposite sex. Marriage aims to achieve a more mature level of life and in some ethnic groups marriage is considered a tool so that a person gets a more recognized status in his group [1]. Marriage customs are a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and preserved. For this reason, there is a need for mutual awareness that cultural heritage requires management so that it remains sustainable for the next generation [2].
Marriage is a social transaction that affects the relatives of the bride and groom;usually involves a certain amount of compensation to the family that lost one of its members [3]. The purpose of marriage is to form a happy and eternal family. Happiness is a sense of security and peace in carrying out marriages in social life, the problem of marriage is a very important event for every human being because marriage is not just a relationship between a man and a woman, but marriage aims to continue the lineage of a family, even in the view of custom, the purpose of marriage is to maintain family relations so that the ties of brotherhood are getting closer. Due to the values that live in indigenous peoples, that the marriage involves the honour of the family and relatives concerned, the marriage process must be regulated by customary rules to avoid embarrassing deviations and violations that will ultimately bring down the dignity, honour of the family and relatives who concerned.
When wedding customs first became popular in the Victorian era, they expressed not only the value placed on marriage but also the general anxiety about the procession. There is no doubt that the current institution of marriage is often viewed as fragile and unstable due to declining marriage rates, high divorce rates, and changing gender roles. Contrary to what some might expect, this did not result in a large-scale decline in the popularity of traditional weddings [4]. Marriage customs are derivatives of rituals adopted by culture and religion. Therefore, the wedding ceremony in an area will be different. In this series of life cycles, there are also different wedding ceremonies between each ethnic group, but this is a universal phenomenon in human culture. This series of wedding ceremonies can be divided into several stages, such as asking for a hand, delivering the dowry, religious validation, and traditional ceremonies.
Likewise, in Nias culture, they have a wedding ceremony called fangowalu. There are three aspects of ratification of marriage ceremonies in the Nias community, namely cultural ceremonies (customs), church blessings (religion), and civil registration (government). These three aspects are very important so that they become the basis for legitimizing one's life is obtaining a "new position" or social status in the family, relatives and society. Through a wedding ceremony that is carried out based on Nias customs, kinship is formed between the families of men and women.
The indigenous people of Nias, who adhere to a patrilineal kinship system, draw their lineage from the father's side, the son is the person who will continue the lineage of a family. In addition, the boy has a role to take care of all inheritance, take care of his parents, and even continue the position of his parents in the custom community, women's side. The honest function (bỏwỏ) is that by paying honestly (bỏwỏ) the wife becomes part of her husband's group. The children born to his wife become the successors of the husband's family. While the daughter is seen as a person who will connect a family with other families and she will become the family of her husband. According to Nias tradition, a woman must be carefully guarded by men, both father, brother, sister and uncle (sibaya), because she is a family property in the sense that daughters must be strictly monitored, not allowed to socialize carelessly, so as not to be tarnished or tainted by his good name so that he will get high honesty. Because once stained, the family feels very ashamed and ostracized in the community, as the Nias proverb says “lebi bai mate daripada aila” (better to die than shame).
The point is that Nias women are closely guarded by their families so that these girls have high honest money when they get married. The high level of honesty results in deviations from honest marriages. The people of Nias give the name to the area where they live as "Ono Niha" (Ono = child or offspring, Niha = human) and the island of Nias as "Tano Niha" (Tano = land). The Nias tribe is a community that lives in a traditional and cultural environment that is still high. The ancient Nias people are people who live in a megalithic culture (big stones) as evidenced by historical relics in the form of carvings on large stones that are still found in remote areas, especially in Teluk Dalam (South Nias), Onolimbu (West Nias) and in other places until today.
This research refers to descriptive research conducted to provide an overview of a phenomenon that occurs in an object of research. Whether it is happening now or in the past. Descriptive research has characteristics, including being able to describe a condition as it is based on the results of a regular and rigorous study, prioritizing the principle of objectivity and being carried out carefully, and there are no hypotheses or tests. Relating to the circumstances that occurred at that time, describing only one variable or several variables but described one by one, and the variables studied were not manipulated or there was no treatment (treatment). The object of observation in this study is the Nias traditional marriage system in Medan City. The instruments used in this study were questionnaires and observation sheets to determine the transformation that occurred in Nias traditional weddings in the city of Medan. The data collected is then processed and used as descriptive data that will describe the condition of the object of research.
Nias Traditional Marriage System in Medan City Marriage in Nias tradition is the most important and very sacred thing. The people of Nias tribe, consider that marriage is a life that must be continued on this earth because it must be carried out by customary law or fondrako. For the people of Nias, the essence of marriage is not only a lifelong alliance between the bride and groom but also a familial alliance (fambambatösa) between the family of the man and the family of the woman, even alliances between villages and between clans. This idea is in line with the opinion of Mendröfa who said that "Marriage is a family matter, even more so. Marriage is a matter of legal community alliances that are bound in an institution called a banua (village). "That is, a marriage is declared legally valid if it is known by the elders and villagers. Marriage for the people of Nias is generally the same as that of the other five Regencies and Municipalities.
Based on the customs of the Nias people, marriage officially based on custom is known as honest marriage, namely, there are 3 events for the implementation of honest marriages for the indigenous people of Nias or known as Fangowalu Sangosisi Talu Golaya, namely: intermediary called sio, Fame'e Huhuo or Minang is a statement of the will of one male family to the female family to enter into a marriage bond, Fatunanga or engagement is a legal relationship between the parents of the male and female parents To tie the knot of their children's marriage by proposing first, Fanura Ana'a is the implementation of honest gifts that have been negotiated at the time of Fatunanga. The amount of honesty depends on the high and low position of the woman's parents in the indigenous community [5].
Fame’e nono alawe nihalỏ is a girl's cry where this event must be held before the wedding, usually 2 days or 1 week before the wedding depending on the agreement of both parties. The event during the Wedding or Faekhu Walỏwa, which is at the wedding ceremony, the most important thing is that the marriage is legal according to the law, namely: hada/customary ceremonies, religious ceremonies/wedding blessings, registration at the civil registry office to events after the wedding, including mame 'e gỏ is the woman's family delivering food to her daughter, mameli nukha is an event where the man comes to the woman's house intending to take all the goods and clothes and wedding gifts that belong to the woman [6].
Ono sitobalibanua or childbearing marriage occurs when the man does not carry out a fully honest marriage. This means that the man only pays honestly half of the honest amount set by the woman's family. Moloi or joint elopement occurs because the men are completely unable to fulfil the honesty that has been set by the woman's family. To avoid various obligations that must be fulfilled (honestly) in carrying out a marriage, the two prospective brides fled in a fairly safe area, which was not known to the woman's family [5]. As a result of a marriage that is not honest with the Nias indigenous people, among others, the husband is dishonourable in the midst of the indigenous people, the husband must live in the wife's family; traditions that have been passed down are disappearing, lack of sense of kinship, lack of respect for marriage, as if marriage is very easy, so men are easy, whatever the husband does must be with the approval of the woman's family, the husband does not have time to pay attention to his biological parents.
Based on the phenomenon of marriage in Nias custom, it can be seen that formal marriage based on Nias custom is an honest marriage that has certain procedures and characteristics as other customs and tribes in North Sumatra, especially on Nias Island. Therefore, the Nias traditional marriage system is quite interesting to study, especially in those known as honest marriages. This honest marriage will be described in detail based on research following traditional marriages that apply to the people of Nias.
The Transformation of the Nias Traditional Marriage System in Medan City
Nias traditional marriages continue to transform according to the times, both weddings on Nias Island and Nias traditional weddings in Medan City, it is known that many marriage processes must be passed according to their original customs, but for the Nias tribe in Medan City it is not all the marriage process is carried out, this is per the existing situation and conditions.
Transformation according to Handayani [7] is a change in form, appearance, nature and so on. The change referred to refers to the socio-cultural aspect. The socio-cultural aspects that will be discussed are more on aspects of customary marriage behaviour. The intended transformation is a shift in the behaviour of the marriage system of people like Nias in Medan City. Some of the reasons for the cultural transformation are based on the context of the sociological and religious scope of the community [8].
Nias has customary laws that have been established by ancient kings and traditional elders which are still valid, especially in the Nias island area, even though many have changed and been abandoned. This customary law of Nias is known as Fondrakӧ, which is set to regulate the life of the Nias people with sanctions in the form of cursing for those who violate it. According to Viktor Zebua [9], the term Fondrakӧ comes from the word Rako which means to be determined by oath and cursed sanctions. Fondrakӧ is a deliberation forum that regulates the determination and ratification of customs and laws that will be carried out by the indigenous people of Nias. Those who obey Fondrakӧ will get blessings and those who violate will get curses and sanctions.
Fondrakӧ as a result of the deliberation of the Nias traditional leaders agreed to fix it as the adoption of a new customary law that has been ratified, emphasizing that this provision will be a blessing for those who obey and curse for violators. In principle, the unwritten Fondrakӧ is based on five essential values, including Fo'adu (good deeds), Fangaso (wealth related to livelihoods), Fo'ӧlӧ'ӧlӧ Haohao (courtesy), Fabarahao (governance and social stratification) and Bimasiwӧ Masimation (fair and loving each other) is the principle of upholding customary law which binds and guarantees the rights of community members to the rights of ownership, wealth, honour and safety. Today Fondrakӧ is revitalized as a symbol of the supremacy of Nias traditional law. Since the Regional Autonomy Law came into force, thirty-three sub-districts on Nias Island have instituted Fondrakӧ as a basis for resolving adat issues in this area [10].
In the period before the entry of Christianity to Nias Island, this Fondrakӧ was believed to have power and many experienced curses as determined by the traditional elders. Apart from Fondrakӧ, there are also other penalties for individuals who break the rules ranging from fines of gold and pigs to beheading (beheaded). The process of beheading the neck is to put the person who will be punished on the ground and put his neck on a banana stem, then the execution is carried out.
Fondrakӧ has been implemented in various areas on Nias Island in all forms of customary violations, especially in violations of marriage customs. In Nias wedding customs, especially in honest marriages, they usually give a dowry of 100 pigs or hundreds of millions of money. This is set for men who want to marry women in Nias. If the man violates and does not fulfil the gift of honesty, it will be carried out and given a fine twice the dowry stipulated.
After the entry of Christianity and Islam on Nias Island, these customs began to shift and change. In honest marriages in general the bowo or dowry (honest) given in marriage includes kefe (paper money), bawi (pork), bora (rice), firo (silver money), ana'a (gold). These five types of dowry (honest) show a symbol of wealth owned by a person. Therefore, it can be said that the value of dowry (honest) in the Nias community is a major determinant in the ongoing process of marriage.
At the wedding ceremony, the amount of dowry given by the man to the woman ranged from 30 million to 50 million, gold, 20 sacks of rice and 30 pigs. The size of the dowry given to the woman is also influenced by several factors, including heredity and the level of education and occupation of a woman. If a woman has a job or comes from a rich and respected family, the amount of dowry (honest) usually reaches Rp. 70,000,000.00 to Rp. 100,000,000.00 For education, even though her education is high but the woman does not work, she will not get the amount dowry given. The most important thing in determining the dowry (honest) is the status and occupation of a woman [11].
In this day and age, the dowry (honest) is not as big as what is customary in Nias, especially the Nias community in Medan City, because with the transformation of the Nias traditional marriage system in Medan City, it has been simplified. Dowry (honest) can be agreed upon according to the ability of men based on family deliberation. Therefore, in ancient times the dowry (honest) of tens to hundreds of pigs and if it was not fulfilled then the applicable customary sanctions would be a disaster or disaster for the male family. However, currently, there are no customary sanctions that apply to men who are not able to give a dowry (honestly) because there will never be a violation because it was previously agreed upon. The transformation that is felt in the implementation of Nias traditional marriages, especially in the city of Medan, generally occurs based on the demands of the times according to the observations of researchers. The stages of a marriage transforming include:
Before a traditional party, there is usually such a thing as engagement and now many are engaged in exchanging rings directly in public. In ancient times there was no such thing as exchanging rings in public, but the women's ring that had been given by the man to the woman would be stored first in the new room after that it was notified to the woman's family who had come at the engagement ceremony
The dowry given does not require the presence of livestock such as buffalo/ox or pigs
The use of musical instruments does not only focus on traditional musical instruments but also a collaboration with modern musical instruments
People's understanding is getting more modern about weddings that don't need to belong so that the time can be minimized according to needs
Advances in transportation also played a role in this. In the past, walking was an alternative, but now transportation is available
There is a pre-wedding session that shows modernity
Party events are not only held at home but can be held in a building
Developments in terms of fashion have now advanced various models of modern clothing are found
With the application of aesthetic values in terms of stage decoration, the aisle has begun to be modern
The above transformation is still carried out by some regions, both in Nias itself and outside the region, especially in Medan. The demands of the times are followed but still do not eliminate the cultural values and ethnic literature contained in them, customs and culture must be preserved. The transformation of Nias traditional marriage in Medan city only occurs in additional aspects, and not in vital aspects. This means that the things that have changed are things that do not challenge the customs, culture, and religion of the indigenous people of Nias. This is following what Aziza [8] stated that the social dynamics and cultural dynamics of society are strongly influenced by the religious values adopted.
A religion that enters the community can never be found in its original form in its entirety, there is always a bending of values (fluidity). This flexibility makes cultural symbols metamorphose into new meanings. This bending occurs because humans and society are not photocopiers that can and want to copy what they receive, consciously and unconsciously [12]. The culture that develops in a society is usually a source of reference for them in responding to various changes. The cultural system adopted by the people of an area will select the changes that occur in society, whether it will be rejected or accepted by the community [8].
The transformation of Nias traditional marriages was greatly influenced by Fondrakӧ 's decision. Fondrakӧ as a source of Nias traditional marriage law can continue to be maintained, but given the large amount of honesty that must be borne or shouldered by male family members due to the strata or high degree (bosi) of the female family, it is necessary to carefully consider it to be simplified, without being simplified, without reducing the dignity and family dignity of both parties [10].
Based on the results of the research and discussion that have been described, it is concluded that culture will always experience changes and dynamics that can be caused by various socio-cultural factors. Similarly, what happens to the tradition of marriage which will also transform areas that do not belong to them. The transformation of the Nias traditional marriage system in the city of Medan is caused by the influence caused by socio-cultural factors that exist in the people of the city of Medan. Some of the changes/transformations that exist include those related to a simpler wedding procession and the proposed dowry does not require livestock.
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