Stories in the Land: Ancestral Presence in the Landscape of Ulumerah Village, North Sumatera

Mimi Savitri1*, Ery Soedewo2, Haybah Shabira1, and Belinda Monica1

This research examines how folklore provides interpretive depth to the sacred landscape of Ulumerah, one of the oldest Berutu clan settlements in Pakpak Bharat, North Sumatra. Due to the scarcity of written records concerning the placement and functions of sacred elements such as the mejan (ancestral effigy), pertulanen (containers for cremated remains), pangulubalang and sibiangsa (guardian figures), and the cosmological roles of mountains and rivers, oral tradition remains the primary source of spatial memory. Using a qualitative–interpretive approach combining interviews, site observations, and folkloristic analysis, the study demonstrates how narratives, material culture, and ritual practices interact to construct a layered landscape. Folklore not only records genealogical legitimacy but also functions as a mnemonic system shaping spatial organization and cosmology. This research highlights the analytical potential of folklore in landscape archaeology and argues that indigenous oral knowledge is indispensable for interpreting sacred sites where material evidence is fragmentary.