NARRATIVE ESSAY

The Legend of Nagari Paninggahan

Long time ago, there was a place named Bukit Lasi where the members of well-known Kingdom of Pagaruyung in Batusangkar lived. One day, the king asked his children with their fellow men to look for a new land for living by people of the kingdom. Then, they go to find a good land for their new living. They walk through valley, hills, and mountains range. After few days of walking, they stop over a land near a big lake which now people know as Singkarak Lake. At the time, the water of Singkarak Lake was very high almost until the top of the hill where they were staying. They chose to stay there for a while. Time by time, the water of Singkarak Lake became lower and lower.

People from the kingdom realized about the changes of Singkarak Lake water. It then formed a wide land with very beautiful scenery. The land was surrounded by a volcano, mountainous range, and very close to Singkarak Lake. It had fresh air and clean water. There were many trees there. Then, they decided to live there. They went down the hill to the beautiful place near the lake. They finally lived and worked there. They also made houses for living and farms for working. They planted some plants and got rid of the plants. They took the plants for eating or selling them. Besides, they also took a kind of fish named bilih in Singkarak Lake as their food. Then, they named the place as Nagari Paninggahan means a place where they stopped over when walking in looking for a new land.

Nowadays, they then created a structure of organization named Kerapatan Adat Nagari (KAN). They chose a leader of the society which is named Penghulu or Datuk. There were 65 Penghulu there, but now there are only 32 Penghulu. Not all people in Nagari Paninggahan can be a Penghulu because it is only inherited from an uncle (mamak) to his nephew (kemenakan).

There is also a matrilineal system in Nagari Paninggahan. Matrilineal is a system of relationship based on mother. A child’s ethnic (suku) is inherited from his / her mother. Actually there are five ethnics in Nagari Paninggahan. They are Suku Pinyalai, Jambak, Guci, Pisang, and Koto. 

In deciding a decision, people in Nagari Paninggahan use a discussion system. It is usually called as mufakat system. For example, when someone wants to get married, he or she needs to discuss it with her or his family and also with the Penghulu of her or his ethnic. After getting a decision, he or she can hold a marriage.