Yet the dance also contains an element of morality, as the whipping imagery also alludes to a villager who sacrificed his prized buffalo by flaying it and using the skin to save his younger brother.
Moving vigorously in line with the martial origins of the dance, the dancers tried to find weak spots in their opponents’ defense. This element is much the same for Caci Lontong Golo dance to wish for good health, or the Caci Randang Weri Leka to christen a new village.
But a demonstration of intent and a few token blows, quite unlike the lacerations or even the blinding of opponents that once marked the dance, still impressed the audience and leave them spellbound.
“After the Caci Dance, the visitors would join the locals in feasting on the local produce,” Kadek said. “This speaks volumes about their sense of community.” But regardless what one as a traveler would opt for, they are spoiled for choice in NTT.
(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Kahfi Dirga Cahya)
Source:
Dapatkan update berita pilihan dan breaking news setiap hari dari Kompas.com. Mari bergabung di Grup Telegram "Kompas.com News Update", caranya klik link https://t.me/kompascomupdate, kemudian join. Anda harus install aplikasi Telegram terlebih dulu di ponsel.