Hareubab (also spelled hareubab, harubab; Dutch: gestreken spiesluit) is the Achehnese name for a bowed spike lute (spiesluit / spike fiddle), a chordophone with a narrow neck that pierces the resonator body. It is the local Acehnese variant of the widespread Rebab family found across the Islamic world and the Malay-Indonesian archipelago. In the Batak Lands it is known as Arbah, and in Nias as Lagija.
Organology
- Hornbostel-Sachs classification: 321.311 (spike bowl lute, bowed)
- Resonator: typically a small, hollowed wooden body (often coconut shell or carved wood), covered with a skin membrane (bladder, goat, or monitor lizard skin)
- Neck: a slender wooden spike that passes through the resonator
- Strings: traditionally two or three strings (historically horsehair, later metal)
- Bow: arched wooden bow strung with horsehair, rosined
- Playing position: held vertically on the lap or against the chest, bowed horizontally
Historical and Regional Context
The hareubab represents the Southeast Asian penetration of the Persian-Arabic rebab tradition, which spread with Islam across the Indian Ocean world. In his 1946 monograph Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten, Jaap Kunst notes (p. 9) that the hareubab occurs “also more northerly, namely in Atjeh” — placing it at the northern tip of Sumatra as part of the Islamic instrumental complex that includes the gambus, rabana, Marwas, serunai, and Bangei.
Kunst explicitly links the Acehnese hareubab to the Batak arbah and the Nias lagija, demonstrating a shared organological lineage across northern Sumatra. The rebab family entered the archipelago via Persian and Arab traders and missionaries from the 13th century onward, adapting to local aesthetic and organological preferences.
Role in Acehnese Music
In traditional Acheh ensembles, the hareubab functions as a melodic lead instrument, often paired with the serunai (oboe) in processional and ceremonial music, and with the gambus in more intimate Hikayat (epic narrative) or Dendang (lyric song) accompaniment. Its penetrating, vocal-like timbre makes it suitable for outdoor processions (Pranaji) and for the Saman dance accompaniment in some regional variants.
The instrument is also associated with Meuseukat (women’s seated dance-song) and Seudati contexts, where it may double the vocal line or provide instrumental interludes.
Comparison with Related Instruments
| Region | Local Name | Resonator | Strings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acheh | Hareubab | Coconut shell / wood, skin head | 2–3 | Spike lute; Islamic repertoire |
| Batak Lands (Toba/Karo) | Arbah | Coconut shell, skin head | 2 | Used in gondang ensembles |
| Nias | Lagija | Wood, skin head | 2 | War dance accompaniment |
| **[[Menangkabau | Minangkabau]]** | Rebab | Coconut shell, skin head | 2 |
| Malay Peninsula | Rebab | Coconut shell, skin head | 2–3 | Mak yong, wayang kulit accompaniment |
| Java | Rebab | Wood, bladder skin | 2 | Central Javanese gamelan (slendro/pelog) |
Iconography
Illustrated in Jaap Kunst, Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten (1946), Mededeling No. LXVII, Afdeling Volkenkunde No. 20, Plate 1a (as gamboes / gambus — the plate includes both lute and spike fiddle types). The hareubab proper is described in the text (p. 9) as distinct from the gambus (pear-shaped lute).
See Also
- Rebab
- Gambus (Aceh)
- Serunai (Aceh)
- Rabana (Aceh)
- Marwas
- Bangei
- Geudoemba
- Tjanang Triëng
- Kendang (Aceh)
- Acheh
- Batak Lands
- Nias
- Gayo Lands
- Islam in Aceh
- Hikayat
- Saman (dance)
- Meuseukat
- Jaap Kunst
- Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten (1946)
Account from Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu
Only indigenous Acehnese string instrument. Bowl-shaped soundbox of nangka-wood hollowed out, covered with buffalo/cow stomach. Bow made of bent rotan/bamboo. Orchestra with two or more nangka-wood drums accompanies recitation of pantoens.
Source: J. Jongejans, Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 151.
Source
Jaap Kunst, Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten, Mededeling No. LXVII, Afdeling Volkenkunde No. 20, Koninklijke Vereeniging “Indisch Instituut” te Amsterdam (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1946), p. 9. Based on field research 1919–1934.
Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu, by J. Jongejans, Oud-Resident van het Gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, with a foreword by Dr. H. Colijn (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 151.