preprints.org > social sciences > ethnic and cultural studies > doi: 10.20944/preprints202404.0235.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 1 April 2024 / Approved: 2 April 2024 / Online: 3 April 2024 (09:27:44 CEST)

The traditional societies evolved locally with the realms of time in their calendars while modern Gregorian based on the solar movement and some others use lunar or the combination with solar. Unveiling some information from the old manuscripts to gain the realm of traditional Batak people since the ancient times in settlements surrounding the tropical Lake Toba, North Sumatera, Indonesia, revival of cosmos is delivered. Uniquely the ancient Batak count days in a month by observing lunar phase and the period of year is by looking the observable Constellation of Orion & Scorpius within the new phase of the moon. Thus there are years with 12 months and some leap years with 13 months, and we propose to categorize the calendar to be lunar-star, relative to other widely analyzed calendars. In the realization of the use of the cosmogram, we cross the period of the leap year to the examination of contemporary data on agriculture event, i.e.: crop failure, as well as some profiles on weather. The revival of the Batak Calendar opens further interesting conjectures based on the rich cultural and astronomical knowledge embedded in tradition with deep connection between celestial observations and timekeeping.

ethnoastronomy, calendar, cosmogram, tradition, batak, agriculture, climate, weather. 

Social Sciences, Ethnic and Cultural Studies

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