The Legendary Traditional art of Flores People

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SLOWLY BUT SURELY, the wound on the body of one participants began to be seen. He feels unpain. And then he continued to smiling and danced after being affected by the whip from his enemy.

Not only he, but several other players was doing the same thing in the Penti traditional ceremony that was carried out by the resident from the ethnic group of Manggarai-Flores. The wound is always most decorated their arms. Hendrikus for example. Although his arms there is one that is affected, but he continues to sing out the traditional song in the middle noisy ceremony. Mutual snarls and attacked suddenly then continued to the other player. And then lash of the whip continued to be able to be heard.

Caci. That’s the name of the legendary traditional art of Flores People. The game became pride for his participants. In Flores, a participant of this game, not only could the serious wound experience but in certain cases it could result in fatalities
Cloth songke and sarong ( Traditional cloth ) that was coloured with the black foundation and the multicoloured motive, decorated the underside body of the Caci’s participants. The upper part body was allowed to be open as the easy target the opposing whip. Moreover, they who appeared also supplemented themselves with the other attribute for the head part. Each participant used panggal (the cover of the forehead part). The form panggal then was formed the quadrangle that was made a little longer and was given by the addition of the curve resembled buffalo horns on the left and right side. His colour there is one that is striking. Before put on panggal, participants usually use the other foundation like a small black cloth.

Every time one showed , consisted of two people. They will take turns mutual whips. For participants who received the turn to spur on (paki in traditional language ), then that was carried by him is only the whip. And the the participant that received the turn ward off (ta’ang in traditional language) supplemented himself with the shield (nggiling) that was made from the buffalo skin.
Before the show were carried out, the two participants carried out the traditional dance. Someone that had a position to strike, can do anything to swing his whip. The condition is, might not strike in the stomach part down. The whip target was from the waist part above to the face. Whereas the defence of the attack, always must be ready. Might not be careless at all, because the striker always lurked.

For the defence, be hit by or not be hit by whipped, successful or was not successful ward off, stayed running to the side of the crowd spectator. In one time hit, a people have done strike could only strike one time. After that, he must be ready to accept whip from his enemies.

The Legendary Traditional art has several deep meaning

The participants that was attacked sometimes they repay his striker but sometimes not. The striker could be replaced with other person to ward off the strike reply. This is one of the forms of high sportsmanship that in this game haven’t revenge. This is showing competing art healthily and in a sporting manner. Sportsmanship that was shown through the control. All of them were fully experienced in the familiarity and togetherness atmosphere. They also honored each other. At least that was seen during the change of positions. The defence will hand over shield equipment (nggiling) and agang in a kneeling manner to the Striker.

Caci also contained the meaning of heroism. However in caci, The power not showed through the violence but also through the softness. The softness was shown in the dance movements of the warrior. The wound that emerged not became something to revenge. The wound because of caci possibly was lifelong pride and became the story for the grandchild as this cultural continuer