'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.