'Jatilan' performers cast their spell

'Jatilan' performers cast their spell

By Bambang Tiong

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Jatilan, as it is called in Central Java, is
a traditional art performance in which men dance themselves into
a trance on a horse made of plaited bamboo. This traditional art
has recently started to become popular again after seemingly
disappearing for many years from the cultural map of a country
which claims to be cultured.

Jatilan is not only entertainment for people, but it is also
an arena of creativity on the part of the genii, which are indeed
directly involved in this art form. The dance performed by a man
riding on a horse made of plaited bamboo is laden with mysticism.

This art belongs to the category of a dance of soldierly
heroism, a symbol of the cavalry's heroism of the Kingdom of
Demak, the first Islamic kingdom in Java. Jatilan originally
comes from Jan-til-an, meaning a dance which is marked by the
moving with slightly raised feet and by running in small steps,
just in the way a horse moves.

According to H. Hasyim Asmawi, 64, manager of Jatilan Dulang
Cempaka troupe domiciled in Klaten regency, Central Java, this
performing art is the result of an obsession related to a
dramatic event in the era of the Kingdom of Demak.

Hasyim said this event took place when Demak troops led by
Sunan Ngudung confronted soldiers from Pengging. In the battle,
the troops from Demak could not counter the fierce attacks
launched by the enemies. At a critical moment, Sultan Ngudung
decided to meditate to seek guidance from the Ruler of the
Universe. Then a strange thing happened and changed the whole
situation. Unexpectedly, Demak soldiers went into a trance and
rushed forward in a strange formation, forcing the enemy's
soldiers to take to their heels.

In Jatilan, the dancers must also enter the trance so that
they can easily eat anything: needles, broken pieces of glass,
prickly durian skin and so forth.

A jatilan troupe needs costumes for the dancers, which will be
comprised of waistcoats, trousers, shirts or undershirts, waist
sashes, belts, long scarves, bracelets and headbands. The pawang
or controlling master, as well as the musicians and the
assistants need black undershirts, long wrapped clothes and
belts. The troupe itself comprises 23 people, made up of eight
dancers, three controlling masters, two assistants and seven
musicians to play the two gongs, a tambourine and some other
traditional instruments. Hasyim said a minimum of Rp 14 million
would be needed to set up a jatilan troupe.

Hasyim himself, who took his troupe to perform in Japan in
1974 as a representative of Indonesia in a Festival of Arts in
South-East Asian Countries, said genii strongly influenced the
jatilan traditional art.

"The influence is there not only during the procession, but
also in making the bamboo-plaited horse. The element of a genie
is there already in, for example, determining which tree is to be
felled," he said.

Metaphysically, this bamboo-plaited horse is the home of the
genie. That is why incense is needed during the making of the
horse. To ensure that the genii feel at home, offerings made up
of a variety of flowers, incense, honey, yellow sandalwood oil
and young green coconuts are made on certain nights.

Rochimin, a maker of bamboo-plaited horses in Purwomartani
village, Yogyakarta, said, "Before you choose the material for
the horse, you must take only plain rice and plain water for
three consecutive days." He said that in this way one could hope
to clearly hear the directives that were supernaturally whispered
in one's ears.

After the appropriate bamboo plant is felled, the two ends of
the stem are cut off, leaving a length measuring about seven
meters. Then the bamboo is split to a breadth of three cm and the
next step is to make it smooth. "When you do this you must at the
same time take only plain rice and plain water. In addition you
must also remain totally silent," he said.

There are two kinds of bamboo stems that genii like, namely
bambu apus and bambu wulung. That's why you must listen to the
supernatural whisper in you ears when you are in the process of
looking for the appropriate bamboo. If you listen to this whisper
then you will know the genii's taste and correctly select the
bamboo for their abode.

Rochimin said that the size of a bamboo plaited horse for a
jatilan performance is exact and could not be altered. It is 150
cm long and 70 cm tall. One such horse will need 10 m of bamboo
and 15 m of plastic rope. He said that when plaiting the horse
you must take plain rice and plain water only, remain speechless
and carry out the work on the roof, making sure that one never
touches the ground.

When the process is completed, the bamboo-plaited horse is
given to the controlling master, who will then hold a rite in
which the horse is filled with some supernatural power.

According to Wasmani, 33, a controlling master, this rite
marks a transaction of two kinds of creatures from two worlds,
namely human beings and genii. In this transaction, the genii
must obey the order of the master, while the genii, in order to
make the bamboo-plaited horse its home, is entitled to determine
the color of the "house" and the accessories it desires.

In this process of transaction and negotiation, the genii must
be served with a spotlessly white chicken, a variety of flowers
for a rite and various snacks. At the same time, the master must
also eat plain rice and drink plain water for seven days. In
addition he must fast for one full day before D-Day.

He added that the process of putting a genie into the bamboo-
plaited horse may take place either at home or in an eerily
haunted place such as a graveyard. In the process, the bamboo-
plaited horse is provided with a small bell. If there is a genie
wishing to enter the horse, the bell will sound. He suggested
that this process should take place at home because if it takes
place in a haunted place there is a fear that a wandering genie
will take up residence in the horse.

The bamboo-plaited horse is then painted in the color desired
by the genie and afterward decorated with accessories. It usually
takes two days to paint the horse.

Mardidoyo, who has a jatilan troupe called Turonggo Muda
Gandung Mlati Gambir Anom, said that a would-be player, usually
dubbed a jongky, must be well-prepared, both physically and
mentally. A jongky must eat plain rice and drink plain water only
for three days at a stretch and then fast for one full day. In
addition, he must also practice meditation regularly so that he
will be sensitive to a genie's presence.

Sarwito, a jongky, agreed with him. "It is true, because
without this sensitivity we will not be ready when a genie is
going to enter our body. If we are not physically strong and
healthy, the whole body will be painful as if we had been beaten
black and blue by a policeman."

When asked about his trance experiences, he said that he did
not feel anything and that it was just like a dream.

He added that besides fasting and meditating, a jongky must
also read a magic formula to let the genie, formerly residing in
the bamboo-plaited horse, enter his body. When the jongky has
performed enough in his trance, the controlling master will then
let the genie return to the horse. In this respect, Wasmani said,
a magic formula must also be read. If the name of the jongky is
not mentioned in the magic formula, his soul will follow the
genie, he said.

What if a genie refuses to leave someone's body?

According to Hasyim, unlike human beings a genie can keep its
promise.

Hasyim's troupe is regularly invited to perform at
circumcision celebrations, wedding parties, village-cleaning
ceremonies and receptions for state guests. The hiring cost for
the troupe is Rp 500,000 for a one-hour jatilan performance. If
the troupe is invited to perform outside of its hometown, all
expenses are borne by the inviting party.