Cock Craze
waking up to the deafening cock-a-doodle-doos of roosters is a typical Balinese village way to start the day. The countryside crack of down... with all its natural alarm clocks... cocks. feathered creatures that the Balinese so lovingly keep, either roaming yards loose and free or encapsulated in woven bamboo domes called Guwungan.
it's quite a vintage scene to stroll down an idyllic rural comunity road and see an elder stroking his... er, favorite pet.
If not raised as a mere pastime pet, cocks are bred as one-time champions, prepared for lighting and entering the blood sport arena. The latter is world very unique into itself. The world of tajen, with among nature's gladiators.
The term tajen comes from the word taji, meaning hind claw and later referring to the sharp blades fastened to the claws of the dueling cocks for cockfighthing. Cockfighting's root are still srtong in the rituals of the Balinese Hindus.
An aspect is that offering are apart of the perpetual exercises in Balinese Hinduism, collectively described as Yadnya or holy sacrifice, Lower spirits called Butakala that live at ground level behave toward man depending on how they are treatd in the firs place. They many either help or protect humans or caused misfortunes. Treated with respect, they can contribute to the protection and the ease of processes during ceremony.
Rituals that are principally directed toward butakala always require an animal sacrifice, which many range from a small chick to awater buffalo, depending upon the size and importance of the accasion. One of the most importance requirements of butakala is blood sacrifice, spilled upon the ground.
This where cockfights come in. Whenever there is an important Balinese Hindu ceremony, such sacrifice is offered to local butakala to win their cooperation and support. At such a time a cocfight is legal, and in fact a requirement. But things normally get out of hands as gambling and addiction steps in.
Normally, one to three rounds of ritual cockfights get the jb done, described in Balinese as telung seet. But things go out of proportion when the addiction to the game causes it to continue on to a furnished arena and would sometimes go on all day long. The police didn't used to be bothered as such events since it is held under the guise of religion. Until recently.
Like its counterparts in other areas of Southeast Asia such as Thailand and the Philippines, this blood sport in Bali eventually ended up a serious gambling game that involved great amounts of money. All form of gambling are illegal in Indonesia and that includeds via cockfighting. As all rules are in someway broken, the gambling remained. So popular is cockfighting taht it's not hard to say that no Balinese man can resist partaking in this favorite sport..
The Island's Police Gneral Made mangu Pastika, well known since the successful capture of the Legian bombing accomplices, became even more popular ( unpopular to the addicted cockfighters) for his anti-gambling-via-tajen campaign. A task not without a serious challenge.
He stated recenly that on the basis of low, social and economiy and even religion, it ( tajen gambling) can't be tolered. Moreover, he stressed the fact that urgings from a portion of the island's practitioners to legalize tajen would only mean legalizing gambling, as it is form of gambling and all gambling is banned by the Republic.
Bali.s gladiators aren't always coks, in Tengenan, in the Manggis sub-regency of karangasem, men shed their own blood in similar match known as pandan ( a pine tree characterized by dagger-like, thorny leaves) fighting, locally known as mekare-kare, a battle among men or boys each armed with pieces of thorny pandanus leaves and armor of platted eattan. This is a figh for pride, without revenge. Since this is not a championship, there is no final battle. One, if not badly wounded, many take another turn, but not for the overall title of champion. a bloody but nonlethal and friendly match.
Waking up in the village morning, once in a while I see two young cocks in the yard, occasionally facing each other... jumping and charging with such beautiful gestures, then getting along again scrapng and pecking around for food... Long will be the days their kin were betted upon.
By Nyoman Dana
www.villasdebali.com |
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