In ancient times, the kingdom on Samosir was led by a king named Rahat.
He has an only child named Manggale.
One time Raja Rahat ordered his son to fight against the enemies on the border.
Manggale went to war, but he never came back.
He died and his body was never found, so King Rahat was sad and fell ill.
The local people also wanted to cheer up the king.
They made a statue that resembled Manggale and named it Sigale-gale.
Gale in the Toba Batak language means limp.
At that time, the shaman there also helped summon Manggale’s spirit to enter the statue, so that the Sigale-gale statue could move on its own like a person dancing.
Gradually Raja Rahat’s illness recovered.
Since then, this statue has often been played with.
