Pengobatan Sembur Beltek dan Sembur Dilam : Guru Mbelin sebagai Agen Pelestari Pengobatan Tradisional di Desa Lau Lebah Kecamatan Gunung Sitember Kabupaten Dairi

Abstract

Traditional medicine is an integral part of local wisdom that is still practiced by rural communities in Indonesia. One of its forms is the Sembur Beltek and Sembur Dilam healing rituals performed by Guru Mbelin in Lau Lebah Village, Gunung Sitember District, Dairi Regency. This study aims to describe the practice of Sembur Beltek and Sembur Dilam and to analyze the role of Guru Mbelin as an agent in preserving traditional medicine amidst the development of modern healthcare services. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method with an ethnographic approach through in-depth interviews, direct observation, and documentation. The informants consisted of Guru Mbelin, community members who received the treatments, and local traditional leaders. The findings reveal that Sembur Beltek and Sembur Dilam function not only as physical healing practices but also as spiritual protection believed to ward off supernatural disturbances and illnesses such as colds or “masuk angin”. The community continues to trust the effectiveness of these traditional treatments because they are perceived as harmless, easily accessible, and inherited across generations. Guru Mbelin plays a significant role as both healer and cultural guardian by transmitting knowledge orally and through direct practice to the younger generation. This study concludes that the survival of Sembur Beltek and Sembur Dilam is strongly influenced by the presence of social actors such as Guru Mbelin who maintain the socio-cultural values of traditional medicine within Karo society.