14/06/2026
Rekaman Percakapan Kruyt di awal Penginjilan di Buluh Awar.
Hendrik Cornelis Kruyt adalah missionaris yg pertama ditugaskan NZG tiba di Buluh Awar pada pertengahan April 1890. Saat itu belum ada orang Karo yang Kristen, sementara di Toba sudah 29 tahun lebih awal diijili RMG Jerman. Kruyt belajar terlebih dahulu budaya dan bahasa Karo dan bahasa Indonesia. Ia mengenakan Bulang dan sarung, mengikuti keseharian masyarakat Karo tempo dulu. Dalam mengawali misi Zending beberapa diskusinya dengan warga direkam dan diteruskan ke Zending.
Ia menulis beberapa wawancara yg ditulis ulang dlm desertasi Rita Smith Kipp.
Berikut sebuah percakapan Kruyt dgn Ngasap, apa pandangan org Karo ttg ke-Kristenan (Serani/Nasrani) tempo doeloe. Berikut petikannya:
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"Ngasap, do you know what a Serani is?"
"A serani is someone who is nice"
"Nice? But How? Nicely dressed? Nice looking? Nice what?"
"Nice everything, Tuan"
"Where do serani live?"
"At Labuan, Ketumbah, Medan"
"Where else?"
"Other places I don't know, but there many overseas"
"Have you ever seen one?"
"Yes, At Ketumbah. The bodyguard of one of the Europeans there is Serani"
"What does he look like?"
"I don't know exactly. I mean he has the same appearance as a Batak (Tapanuli), but his language is different"
"What language does he speak?"
"Malay"
"Are there also serani who speak Dutch?"
"I don't know. Oh yes. I have heard that Serani can have only one wife"
"So then, they have different rules from Batak - who can have more than one wife."
"Yes, The Bataks are somewhat lower than the Serani, but they come from the same origin. The Malay have another origin."
"Can the Malays become serani?" "Oh never"
"Can the Dutch become serani?" ...... dst * SERANI = Nasrani