Sigalegale

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Sigale Gale is a wooden puppet from the Batak people of Samosir Island, Northern Sumatra. Sigale Gale is a well known feature to tourists who visit the island and see it dance. During the dance, the puppet is operated from behind using strings that run through the ornate wooden platform that it stands on enabling it to move its arms and body as well as turn its head. There are a few versions of Sigale Gale in existence but the main one sits outside one of the many traditional Batak style houses in Tomok Village, Samosir Island.

Sigale Gale Story

The story behind Sigale Gale is that King Sidabutar of the Toba Bataks had one son named Sigale. He loved his son very much and was kind to him, but one day, Sigale died and the king became very sad. So that he would never forget his son, he carved a replica of him from wood who's face was meant to resemble Sigale's, and dressed it in traditional batak clothing. Whenever he missed his son he would go to see the doll. Seeing it made the king more happy and he always kept the doll, but he wanted to see it dance like Sigale so he ordered one of the villagers to make the doll dance. The villager attached the string system and set up the drums so that the doll could dance properly. Many of the people in the village watched the doll dance like Sigale until they named it 'Sigale-Gale'.

Sigale Gale dance

External links

• http://mascot-travel.blogspot.com/2008/04/sigale-gale.html
• http://indonesianculturenow.blogspot.com/2008/08/sigale-gale.html