Bloody village initation for boys

Jagadhita, Contributor, Denpasar

In the secluded Aga community, believed to be the first group that inhabited the paradise island of Bali, boys shed their blood in a Perang Pandan (pandan duel) before they are socially acknowledged as adults.

Each boy of the traditional village of Tenganan Pegringsingan in Karangasem regency -- about 85 kilometers away from Denpasar -- must go through this initiation ritual, locally known as makare-karean, where they are not only required to demonstrate their strength, but also their mercy.

The ritual takes place in June of each year, as part of the sacred Usaba Sambah festival held in the Bale Agung or village hall.

A fighter is armed with a thorny pandan leaf, about 30 to 40 centimeters long, in one hand and a shield made of woven dried pandan leaves in the other. A referee is appointed to oversee the duel, which is accompanied by the enticing sound of selundeng, Balinese iron gamelan.

The adolescents usually drink tuak (a traditional alcoholic beverage made of coconut juice) to boost their spirits before the duel.

Each fighter is given only one chance to strike. Those who break the rule are required to hand over a fine of two-and-a-half kilograms of rice.

The event commences with a series of duels between boys who are at least seven years old.

After these duels are over, bare-chested teenagers present themselves to the cheering crowd. The ritual is a momentous phase in each boy's life and marks their transition to adulthood.

Two teenagers fiercely fight each other with pandan leaves and shields until one falls to the ground. The back and other parts of the body would usually be bleeding by this time.

Wayan Suena, a teenager who has fought five times in a pandan duel, said he loves to fight despite the pain.

"I feel something magical that elevates my spirit and inspires me to join the fight," he said.

A cultural observer, I Gede Parimartha, said that the tradition of the pandan duel dates back to the golden age of the powerful Majapahit Kingdom of Java -- between 1294 and 1520. The Hindu kingdom is believed to have successfully conquered almost all the territories under modern Indonesia and some parts of Southeast Asia.

At that time, the ruler of the Majapahit kingdom ordered the ruler of the Gelgel Klungkung kingdom to breed cocks for cock- fighting.

But Mangku Dukuh from Gelgel Klungkung kingdom refused to heed the order, and a battle broke out. To prepare for the battle, young men of the Gelgel Klungkung kingdom used thorny pandan leaves to fight.

"Witnesses of the duel saw that blood flowed from the wounds of the young people of Tenganan; thus (symbolically) they had become young adults," Parimartha said.

Although their bodies are splattered with blood, the boys are proud as they consider that they have made a sacrifice to the gods.

The fighters also hope to learn how to survive the challenges of life through the duels.

However, the boys do not hold grudges over the wounds inflicted during the initiation ritual.

Instead, they help each other to treat the wounds with a traditional remedy made of kunir (turmeric), kencur (or lesser galangal, a brown aromatic rhizome of the ginger family ), lengkuas (or galangal, also called Siamese ginger), acid liquid, and sandalwood for fragrance. The mixture is usually prepared by the girls of the community.

In a spirit of togetherness, the girls also help to treat the wounds in a symbolic gesture of their own transition to adulthood. They hope for a better future and that, as adults, they will be able to overcome temptation.