Padung padung - earrings that your ears can't handle

Jewelry ornaments are not always small accessories - sometimes heavy necklaces, large necklaces, bracelets or rings combined with a simple outfit can create a whole hypnotically eye-catching. However, as it turns out, the sizable jewels to which we are accustomed every day in juxtaposition with some ethnic jewelry turn out to be a small thing. After all, it is hard to imagine that earrings, each of which weighs up to a kilogram, could gain a sizable crowd of female admirers. And yet! There are places where such ornaments enjoy considerable popularity!

In the northwestern part of Indonesian Sumatra one can find women whose ears are decorated with bizarre, colossal spirals. These are the women of the Karo Batak - one of the Batak tribes that survived the time of Dutch colonization, Christian missions and Japanese occupation still steadfastly cultivating their ancient customs. As you can easily imagine, these intriguing earrings plugged into a woman's ears are an ornament that is quite a challenge to wear. Two kilograms borne over the shoulders is, after all, no small weight - the auricle by itself is unlikely to be able to handle it. These ornaments - called padung-padung in the local language - are therefore not only put through the ear, but are also painstakingly attached to a handkerchief worn in a fine manner on the head. Without its precious support, this miracle could certainly not be lifted.

Our modern jewelry tends to be items whose ability to speak has definitely been taken away. Some sparklers, those from Tiffany or Chopard, can only say that their owner's wallet must surely be abundant. What else can be heard from them? Rather, only silence. The language of the battered ornaments in a variety of information still remains decidedly more abundant. When you see a woman in a padung-padung you know immediately that she is a married woman from a prominent family, as only they can afford such chic ornaments. The Bataks have for many centuries cultivated the belief that they are descended from Si Raja Batak - a common ancestor, the first man and grandson of a heavenly couple. Only those of the women who can derive their lineage from him can don this unique tribal adornment.

And it doesn't stop there, though! These earrings hide much bigger secrets as well! Padung-padung is one of the wedding gifts, which can be worn only when the final handle on the issue of marriage has already been made. From the day of the wedding the young married woman can carry this gift with undisguised pride, while surreptitiously sending information to the world about who really holds the first fiddle in her marriage. One of the earrings worn upward, the other downward - this is not a mere coincidence, or a fad caused by the will of an overly frivolous owner, but a sign from which those who can read can really read a lot.

Padung padung is not only earrings of incredible size, but also an unusual spiral motif, which does not even so much decorate, but rather creates these unique ornaments. This distinctive shape has been known for millennia, and researchers link it to a motif that functioned in these areas as early as the prehistoric Bronze Age. In addition, there is no lack of influence from Tamil traders and Hindu beliefs. There is a suspicion that the very name Bataks was originally given to the mountain people by the followers of Allah who inhabited the island coast. The pre-colonial Batak belief system is not precisely known. It is known that cannibalism at one time was a fairly widespread practice here. It is known that later Buddhist and Hindu influences played a significant role. Gold, silver, copper, brass and bronze are the sacred metals of Hinduism. They are also the materials traditionally used to make padung padung.

Batak earrings are admittedly an overly grandiose item for a jewelry ornament. On the other hand, however, it is still a piece of metal and it may seem strange that such a simple object can accommodate so many different influences. Some oriental ornaments can certainly not be assumed. However, their discreet charm and mysterious enchantment still lures, intrigues and even bewitches!