Old Batak Shaman Staff “Tunggal Panaluan”

Tunggal Panaluan – Batak Shaman Staff

Culture/Origin:
Batak Toba People, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Material:
Hardwood (likely kayu gaharu), bound hair (possibly horse or fiber)

Description:

This Tunggal Panaluan is a sacred shamanic staff from the Batak Toba people, intricately carved from a single piece of hardwood and richly imbued with spiritual symbolism. It served as a powerful ritual tool for the datu (shaman), acting as a bridge between the human, ancestral, and spirit worlds.

At the summit of the staff is a prominent human head, symbolizing ancestral presence or the spirit of the datu. This head is adorned with a crown of tufted hair, bound with cloth, believed to activate or enhance the staff’s supernatural potency.

Directly below, the second major figure is a dragon-like creature, depicted in profile with its long body extending along the back of the staff. This dragon serves as a guardian or ancestral spirit, and its elaborate presence reflects its central role in Batak cosmology.

Beneath the dragon are several smaller beastly figures, believed to be the offspring of the dragon. These figures are carved in descending order and in varied postures, possibly symbolizing the generational transmission of power, protection, and spiritual authority. Their placement under the dragon reinforces the idea of a mythic lineage or spirit family carried by the staff.

At the base, a coiled serpent figure is intricately carved, further anchoring the staff in its role as a conduit of transformation, fertility, and protective magic.

This staff would have been used in ritual healing, ancestral invocation, protective ceremonies, and magical rites, often in conjunction with pupuk — a spiritual substance believed to be stored within or applied to the staff.

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Function:
Ritual shamanic staff for ceremonial use in healing, protection, spirit invocation, and magical rites.

H – 177 x 5 x 5 cm

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