A Lunar-Star Calendar
Inquiry to the Traditional Batak Cosmogram
Yuri Sagala1
Hokky Situngkir2
Abstract
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.
Keywords: ethnoastronomy, calendar, cosmogram, tradition, batak, agriculture, climate, weather.
1
2
Associate Research Fellow in Bandung Fe Ins6tute, Head of Ins$tut Batakologi.
Dept. Computa6onal Sociology, Bandung Fe Ins6tute. Mail:
[email protected]
When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
What is man that you are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You care for him
(King David of Israel)
1. Introduction
Two theories explain celestial movement: the geocentric and the heliocentric. Ptolemy's geocentric
theory placed Earth at the universe's heart, a notion evident as the sun seems to ascend in the east and
descend in the west, a belief widely accepted until the 16th century. In contrast, the heliocentric theory,
introduced by Nikolas Copernicus in 1543, positions the sun at the universe's core, with other celestial
bodies orbiting it. This new perspective eventually replaced the long-standing geocentric model.
Despite their differences, both theories acknowledge the motion of heavenly bodies.
The sky serves multiple purposes in our daily lives, acting as a natural calendar, compass, and weather
predictor. Our ancestors heavily relied on astronomical observations for scheduling crucial activities
like agriculture, hunting, fishing, and even warfare. They meticulously tracked the movements of
celestial bodies and translated these patterns into units of time—days, hours, months, and years. This
knowledge, documented and refined over generations by traditional sages often referred to as shamans,
improved its precision, aiding in the collective planning of human activities. These observations and
corrections were chronicled in cosmograms.
The word 'cosmogram' is rooted in the Greek language, blending 'κόσμος' (kosmos), translating to
'world' or 'universe', and 'γράμμα' (gramma), meaning a written symbol or illustration. Stemming from
'γράφω' (grapho), which means to carve or to write, a cosmogram fundamentally captures the universe's
expanse in a visual format. To elaborate, it's a meticulous portrayal of the recurrent sequences and
rhythms of celestial entities, including the sun, moon, planets, meteors, stars, and constellations.
Various instruments and diagrams such as ephemeris tables, calendars, and wall clocks serve as
cosmograms, helping us track astronomical cycles. Of these, the calendar is the most ubiquitous,
integrating astronomical positions into daily life (Chapman, 2002). Some notable types are:
a. Solar Calendars: These align dates with the seasons or the sun's position against the celestial
sphere. The Gregorian calendar is the most prevalent solar calendar globally.
b. Lunar Calendars: Based on the phases of the moon, these calendars are exemplified by the Hijri
calendar, which Muslims use for marking religious events.
c. Lunar-solar Calendars: Integrating both solar and lunar observations, these usually consist of
twelve months, with an intercalary month added occasionally to align the lunar and solar cycles.
The Chinese and Hebrew Calendars are prominent examples of lunar-solar systems.
Throughout the paper, we revisit some inquiries on ethnoastronomical realms of ancient Batak people
of North Sumatera, Indonesia. The paper revives the long time previous works on Batak calendar, do
the simulations with astronomical aspects within it, and outline some algorithmic approach to have the
good approximation of equivalence on modern times understanding of time and calendar as well as
other traditional calendar from other ethnic groups in Indonesia (Bali and Java) and the Hebrew and
Chinese one.
2
2. Realms of Time in Ancient Batak Tradition
The Batak represent one of the numerous ethnic groups in Indonesia, renowned for their tradition of
migration, 'mangaranto', in search of a better life. According to the 2010 Central Agency of Statistics
report, the Batak ethnic group ranks as the third largest population in Indonesia. They are widely
dispersed across the country but predominantly reside in North Sumatra Province, especially in the
vicinity of Lake Toba. The Batak comprise six sub-ethnic groups: Toba, Mandheling, Angkola,
Simalungun, Karo, and Dairi, each with its distinctive cultural traits, both in oral and written forms.
Figure 1. Map of residence of Batak People. (Lumbantobing, 1956)
The history of the Batak as migrants isn't ancient. The use of surname of individual is very strong among
Batak people reminding them to their places (village) surrounding Lake Toba, North Sumatera
(Situngkir, 2008). Parlindungan (2007) describes the Batak as one of the Proto-Malayan tribes, which
for millennia settled in the mountainous regions along the borders of Burma and Thailand. This secluded
area was once a haven of contentment for them. However, the southward expansion of Mongolian tribes
forced the Proto-Malayans to move further south, where they encountered the Palae-Mongoloid Tribes
and were pushed towards the coast, ending up in the Martaban Gulf—a place less idyllic than their
former homeland. In pursuit of their lost solitude and mountainous terrain, they ventured to find a new
home that mirrored their past isolation. This quest led them to the slopes of Pusuk Buhit, on the western
shore of Lake Toba, opposite Pangururan. Remaining true to their mountainous heritage, the majority
took up farming. They were definitely not nomadic people, because they must maintain their fields
3
which needs the right weather. Usually, they consult the shaman to plan when they plant, or what will
they plant.
In the traditional practices of the Batak people, the shaman, or 'datu' as they are locally known, holds a
significant role beyond healing. The community often consults the datu for auspicious timings and
seasons to plan important activities. The datu records various phenomena in the 'pustaha', a Batak tome
considered to possess magical properties, using cryptic symbols to represent the complex elements of a
cosmogram. This condensation often involves the use of folklore, mythology, and turiturian or
torsatorsa narratives, as the breadth of observable variables is vast and express the unique forms of arts
(cf. Situngkir, 2015), philosophy, and literatures and notes. These cryptic notes aid the datu in advising
on favorable or unfavorable days for certain undertakings.
To determine the propitiousness of a day, the datu employs two main techniques: the observation of
'Pane na Bolon' (Great Pane) and the interpretation of 'porhalaan'. 'Pane na Bolon', as described by
Lumbantobing (1956), is believed to be a celestial phenomenon akin to lightning observable from
various compass points on the island of Sumatra, shifting its position every three months and completing
its cycle annually. It is symbolically represented as a serpent navigating through the four cardinal
directions.
Figure 2. Ancient Batak symbol of cosmos: Pane Na Bolon
In a study, Winkler (1956) documents the cycle of 'Pane na Bolon', noting that in the initial three months,
it positions its head towards the east and its tail towards the west. Over the following quarter, it shifts,
placing its head southward and tail northward. In the subsequent three months, its head turns west and
its tail east. Finally, in the closing trimester of the year, its head points north while its tail lies in the
south. This celestial serpent’s movements provide the datu with the framework to advise on critical
times for warfare, construction, and other activities, to avert misfortune.
The alternative method involves the consultation of 'porhalaan', the traditional Batak Calendar. Filled
with various symbols, the porhalaan guides its readers in distinguishing between auspicious and
inauspicious days. The term 'porhalaan' originates from 'hala', meaning scorpion—a creature feared for
its deadly sting. Symbolically, the calendar earmarks three to four days as cautionary periods to be
particularly vigilant. The word 'kâlá' from Sanskrit, translates to 'time', and the porhalaan is
acknowledged as a lunar-solar calendar, integrating both lunar and solar cycles (Napitupulu, 2021).
4
(a)
(b)
Figure 3. Depiction of Porhalaan diagram, (a) Winkler (1913) and (b) Lumbantobing (1956)
Batak calendar recognizes 30 days in one month and 12 months in one year. The names are shown in
Table 1 and 2, days and months respectfully (cf. Lubis, et. al., 1985).
Similar to a commonly known calendar, the Batak Cosmogram outlines a pattern that is derived from
the datu's meticulous study of celestial objects. It provides insights into the positioning of these bodies
within the observational field. From a mathematical standpoint, this relationship is expressed as follows,
𝑊 = 𝑓(𝑤, 𝑝𝑜𝑠!"#$#%&'(!)*+$#%&' , 𝒪",#-)*).$/"0 )
where:
𝒪",#-)*).$/"0 = astronomic periodical observation,
𝑝𝑜𝑠!"#$#%&'(!)*+$#%&' = geolocation information,
𝑤 ≡ .𝑑 +
13(𝑚 + 1)
𝑦
𝑐
+ 𝑦 + 6 8 + 6 8 − 2𝑐< 𝑚𝑜𝑑 7
5
4
4
𝑤: day in week, 𝑑: day in month, 𝑚: month, 𝑦: year, 𝑐: century
5
Table 1. The names of days in Batak tribes of Toba and Karo.
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Toba-Batak
Artia (auch aritia)
Suma (ni poltak)
Anggara (ni poltak)
Muda (ni poltak)
Boraspati (ni poltak)
Singkora (ni poltak)
Samisara (ni poltak)
Antian ni aek
Suma ni mangadop
Anggara sampulu
Muda ni mangadop
Boraspati ni tangkop
Singkora purnama
Samisara purnama
Tula (Full Moon)
Suma ni holom
Anggara ni holom
Muda ni holom
Boraspati ni holom
Singkora mora turun
Samisara mora turun
Antian ni angga
Suma ni mate
Anggara na begu
Muda ni mate
Boraspati ni gok
Singkora duduk
Samisara bulan mate
Hurung
Ringkar (new moon)
Karo-Batak
Aditia
Suma pultak
Nggara telu uari
Budaha
Beraspati pultak
Tjukera enem berngi
Belah naik
Aditia naik
Suma ni siwah
Nggara sepuluh
Budaha ngadep
Beraspati tangkep
Tjukera lau
Belah purnama
Tula; belah purnama raja
Suma tjepik
Nggara enggo tula
Budaha gok
Beraspati sepuluh siwah
Tjukera dua puluh
Belah turun
Aditia turun
Suma
Nggara si mbelin
Budaha medem
Beraspati medem
Tjukera mate
Mate bulan
Dalin bulan
Samisari
Sanskrit
Aditya = Sun
Soma = Moon
Anggara = Mars
Budha = Mercury
Brihaspati = Jupiter
Sjukra = Venus
Sjanaisjtjara = Saturn
Purnama = Full Moon
Table 2. The names of months in Batak
English
First month
Second month
Third month
Fourth month
Fifth month
Sixth month
Seventh month
Eighth month
Ninth month
Tenth month
Eleventh month
Twelfth month
Thirteenth month (conditional in leap year)
Batak
Sipaha Sada
Sipaha Duwa
Sipaha Tolu
Sipaha Opat
Sipaha Lima
Sipaha Onom
Sipaha Pitu
Sipaha Walu
Sipaha Siya
Sipaha Sampulu
Sipaha Li
Sipaha Hurung
Bulan Lamadu
Unlike the Gregorian Calendar, which serves as a universal framework, traditional calendars are crafted
with an acute awareness of local ecological cycles and seasons. These calendars are invaluable tools for
6
agricultural planning, animal husbandry, fishing, transportation, and maritime activities, all of which
demand an in-depth understanding of the regional geology, ecology, and climate.
This implies how traditional/ancient Bataknese traditional calendar requires considering observation on
variables of:
1. Lunar Month: The Bataknese calendar is lunar, with months beginning at the sighting of the
new moon. A lunar month averages about 29.53 days. By tracking the phases of the moon, we
can estimate the beginning of each month with the appearance of the new moon.
2. Constellations' Position: The new year begins when Scorpius is rising in the east, and Orion is
setting in the west at sunset. This specific alignment happens once a year, marking the start of
the new year in the Bataknese calendar. This is the key event marking the new year in Bataknese
Calendar/Cosmogram. This event typically occurs around late April or early May, as
constellations' visibility shifts with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
3. Location: Astronomical events are sensitive to the location where the observation is delivered.
The location's latitude and longitude affect the visibility and timing of constellations and the
moon. The initiative demonstrated here emulates mathematically the experiental observation
(rukyatulhilal) from the Lake Toba, North Sumatera, Indonesia. It's the Sianjur Mula-mula
village, widely accepted as the origin place of the Batak people.
3. Batak Cosmogram is Lunar-Star Calendar
Each calendar is specifically tailored to the environment in which it's used, addressing the unique
requirements of the local populace. The recognition that the moving year is determined by the
observation of star constellations on every incoming new moon phase has given its unique signature of
"lunar-star" realms of time.
The Batak people, predominantly engaged in agriculture, have a calendar oriented towards farming
activities. Similar to the Hijri calendar, the Batak Calendar is based on the lunar cycle, with each new
month commencing with the sighting of the hilal (crescent moon) shortly after sunset. However, it also
incorporates solar elements, taking into account the seasons and climatic changes affected by the sun's
movements. Occasionally, a thirteenth month, known as lamadu, is inserted to align the lunar and solar
years, making the Batak Calendar a lunar-solar system. This is particularly significant because the Batak
community times the celebration of the new year, or 'mangase taon', to follow the harvest and precede
the planting season, as noted by Sinaga (1981).
Winkler (1913) notes that the Batak year starts when the Orion constellation (Sialasungsang) sets in the
western horizon, while the Scorpius constellation (Sialaporiama) rises in the east. This astronomical
event coincides with the sighting of a new moon in the west shortly after sunset. Fourteen days later,
the full moon marks the middle of the first month. This cycle continues, marking each successive month,
such as from 'sipaha sada' to 'sipaha duwa', and so on. After twelve lunar months, the datu evaluate
whether a thirteenth month is necessary. If Orion is still high in the west and Scorpius is not visible in
the east at the time of the new moon, a leap month is added to the calendar. This observation is typically
made just after sunset.
We confirm this by utilizing Stellarium (2024) for celestial simulation. The Batak Calendar for the year
2023-2024 AD is projected to begin on April 21st, 2023 AD. On May 8th, 2024 AD, after sunset, the
positioning of Orion above the horizon and the absence of Scorpius indicates the addition of the lamadu
month. Thus, the Batak Calendar for this interval becomes a leap year, concluding on June 7th, 2024
AD, with the following year ending on May 27th, 2025 AD.
7
Figure 4. Simulated sky observation of Winkler (1913)
Figure 5. Simulated sky observation of Batak New Year of 2023 AD.
To date, manuscripts detailing the system of year numbering in the ancient Batak calendar remain
elusive. It's speculated that this knowledge was closely guarded as a strategic element of economic and
military strength in historical times.
The Batak calendar aligns with the Metonic cycle, a period of 19 years after which the phases of the
moon recur on the same days of the solar year. The moon takes approximately 29.53 days to orbit the
Earth, defining a month, while the Earth's orbit around the sun takes about 365.25 days, marking a year.
Over a 19-year span, the Earth revolves around the sun 6939.75 days, and there are 235 lunar months.
Typically, a year comprises 12 lunar months; hence, across 19 years, the moon completes 228 lunar
cycles. An initiative of conversion from Gregorian calendar to the names of day and month by
simulating the observation of the sky is delivered by Situngkir (2024).
This results in a discrepancy of seven months between the solar and lunar counts over this time. To
rectify this, seven intercalary months are interspersed throughout the 19-year cycle, occurring roughly
every 2.7 years, akin to adjustments made in the Chinese calendar. These intercalary months are inserted
8
according to a sequence observed every 2 or 3 years, following a pattern of years: 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17,
and 19, similar to the system used in the Hebrew calendar (cf. Longstaff, 2005).
Tabel 3. Batak year starting and the length of time as compared to Hijri and Gregorian Years
Hijri Year
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1416
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429
1430
1431
1432
1433
1434
1435
1436
1437
1438
1439
1440
1441
1442
1443
1444
1445
1446
1447
1448
1449
1450
1452
1453
1454
1455
1456
1457
1458
1459
Start of Batak
year
Gregorian Year
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
30/05/1987
18/05/1988
05/06/1989
26/05/1990
14/06/1991
02/06/1992
23/05/1993
10/06/1994
31/05/1995
19/05/1996
07/06/1997
27/05/1998
15/06/1999
04/06/2000
24/05/2001
11/06/2002
01/06/2003
20/05/2004
07/06/2005
28/05/2006
18/05/2007
06/06/2008
26/05/2009
13/06/2010
03/06/2011
22/05/2012
09/06/2013
31/05/2014
20/05/2015
07/06/2016
27/05/2017
15/06/2018
04/06/2019
24/05/2020
11/06/2021
01/06/2022
21/05/2023
07/06/2024
28/05/2025
18/05/2026
06/06/2027
25/05/2028
13/06/2029
02/06/2030
22/05/2031
09/06/2032
30/05/2033
19/05/2034
07/06/2035
27/05/2036
15/06/2037
Length
(Month)
12
13
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
13
12
13
12
9
A terrestrial year is measured by the Earth's orbit around the sun, and a lunar month by the moon's orbit
around Earth. However, due to discrepancies that arise in these cycles, periodic adjustments are
necessary. These adjustments, or corrections, are typically made by adding an extra day, week, or month
to the calendar.
Tabel 4. Comparison between Batak and other more commonly known calendars.
Criteria
Gregorian
Calendar
Days
365/366
Months
Calculation
orientation
12
353-355 / 383385
12/13
Solar
Lunar-solar
First month
January
Correction of
leap years
Intercalary
day in
February
every 4 years
Hebrew
Calendar
Nisan, first of
spring (Aviv)
season
Pregnant year
(Shanah
Me’uberet) by
Metonic cycle,
7 times in 19
years cycle.
Hijri
Calendar
Chinese
Calendar
Balinese
Calendar
Batak Calendar
12
353-355/383385
12/13
353-355 /
383-384
12/13
Lunar
Lunar-solar
Lunar-solar
354-355/384385
12/13
Lunar-solar or
Lunar-Star(?)
Muharram
正
月: zhēngyuè
Kasa
-
Intercalary
month (Adar
Sheni)
354-355
Intercalary
month
Sipaha Sada
Intercalary
month (lamadu)
7 times in 19
years cycle.
Figure 6. The length of yearly calendars after the intercalary day/month on each.
10
The Julian calendar introduces a leap day in February; normally a 28-day month, February extends to
29 days in a leap year, which occurs every four years, with a further refinement every 400 years. The
Gregorian calendar, instituted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, made a one-time correction by removing
11 days in October to better align with the astronomical year (Packer, 1893)
Several traditional calendars make use of an intercalary month to maintain alignment between the lunar
and solar cycles, thus falling into the category of lunar-solar calendars (cf. Syam, 2021). Examples
include the Hebrew, Chinese, Balinese, and Batak calendars. The differences and specifics of these
traditional calendars can be seen outlined in Table 4.
Not all calendars mark the New Year with the start of the first month. In the Balinese system, the New
Year is celebrated in the tenth month, triggered by the new moon's appearance following sunset at the
end of the ninth month, known as 'Tilem Kasanga' (Pendit, 2001). Similarly, the Hebrew calendar marks
its New Year, Rosh Hashanah, during the seventh month. Additionally, the intercalary month in these
calendars is typically inserted in the middle or towards the end of the year to maintain the correct
seasonal alignment.
4. Efforts to revive the Batak calendar system and its conjectures
Indonesian Batak Calendar has been long not being revived for modern life practicality of Gregorian
one. There have been not many literatures and texts approach it while some traditional practices of small
religious groups of Batak people often mention the existence regarding to myths surrounding it. Batak
Calendar has been reconstructed based on the ancient Batak realms of time, folklores, some other
traditional calendars in Indonesia and other part of the world, documented observations from
missionaries in the area of Lake Toba decades ago, and simulations of celestial movements using
astronomy software and even some contributions from the line of work of machine learning and AI
(artificial intelligence) from data crunch about socio-climate and agriculture in areas surrounding Lake
Toba and the extractions of old and ancient texts. The work of reviving the traditional Batak calendar
today, however, can be delivered with lots of supporting technologies including some efforts from which
many possible conjectures can also be outlined.
One of interesting conjectures is relating the climate seasons due to the numerical applications of the
Batak Calendar for since the beginning, the ancient Batak people relied upon farming and agriculture
upon the fertile soil of Toba. As tropical regions in Indonesia, Batak witness only two seasons, i.e., dry
season and rainy season. This has been shown by the weather profile as summarized in figure 8 from
the data source of Indonesian authority for Geophysical and Meteorological Agency (BMKG, 2024). It
is believed that all socio-economic activities consider the weather profiles in the living since ancient
times.
The graph indicates that during the first half of the Batak calendar year, the climate is generally clear
with minimal rainfall, although there are occasional foggy conditions. Conversely, the latter half of the
year is more prone to rain. With a 13-month calendar year, there can be a postponement in the time of
harvest due to the extended duration of a year. Our models present the 13-month Batak calendar as
follows.
As a consequence of the lengthier cycle, the Mangase Taon festivities tend to occur later than usual.
The additional intercalary month aligns with weather patterns that can lead to unsuccessful crops and a
consequent postponement in harvest, although this is not a consistent outcome. Some instances of
harvest delays have been attributed to natural events by various media outlets.
11
Figure 7. Workflows reviving the ancient Batak Cosmogram.
Figure 8. Weather profile in the area of Batak origin in Lake Toba 2022-2023.
It is also interesting if we look into the search trend obtained from Google (2024) that can reflect the
interest of people due to crop failure over time. Although there are some changes in data collection in
the backend of Google that may affect the real interest recorded in the data. In figure 9, we mark the
length of the Bataknese leap year and roughly show the relations of the online interest over the topic of
crop failure getting higher in it.
12
El Nino
La Nina
La Nina
La Nina
El Nino
Figure 9. The search term crop failure in Indonesia as recorded by Google (2024): red dashed-lines regarding to
some changes of data collection in Google, and interval of leap-year of Batak Calendar (green area).
5. Concluding Remarks
Since ancient time, inter-generations of human community regard the observation on heaven with the
noticeable regularities of nature, which in turn help them to survive in their communality and construct
their realm of time. This happens in the evolving secluded societies like Batak people. The mountainous
isolation in the volcanic Lake Toba of more than 900 meters above the sea level, has given them the
opportunity to relate the nature's periodical events directly formed of the cycles of the moon and the
sun with the observation on some star constellations. There are no notes on numbering the years passing
by, and the counting of days are not directly numbered, but instead named with particular signs of nature
perhaps related to mythical aspects reflected within their observation. All of this become the tracks of
cosmos of Batak social life, thus Batak cosmogram.
The periodic of the revolution of lunar and solar are counted by observing periodical sightings of
Scorpius and Orion constellation, the emerging cosmogram can be seen as the lunar-star calendar. It is
interesting that the occurrence of intercalary month to have good correction on the counting days and
nights are based upon the star sightings. Endeavors to revive the Batak Calendar leave wide conjectures,
from the cycles of tropical weather and climate of regions surrounding the origin of Batak people to the
pattern of the agricultural farm production that tends to connect to the socio-economics life.
The rich cultural and astronomical knowledge embedded in traditional calendars like the Batak's
showcases the deep connection between celestial observations and timekeeping practices in various
cultures around the world. This signifies that Indonesian Batak traditional cosmogram as a Lunar Star
calendrical system based on ethno-astronomy.
Acknowledgement
We thank Fausto Axel Evan Keiluhu for climate/weather data insights, Bernad Lumbantobing for
interesting discussion about year cycle and friends in Institut Batakologi on discussions and endeavors
for reviving the Batak Calendar and as well as other elements of Batak culture in general.
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Works Cited:
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