- GEBUG Ende is an expression of art combining lovely dance and martial arts
- Aside from serving as an art expression, it is also functioned as ritual to ask for rains
The heroism of the people of Seraya Village in the past was manifested through a work of motion art in combination with martial arts which later became the Gebug Ende tradition.
Gebug Ende is a martial art that uses a shield and a whip. A pair of warriors will demonstrate their bravery through skills in war with this pair of reliable weapons.
Ritual traditions
Apart from functioning as an expression of art and traditional games, Gebug Ende also contains a ritual function to ask for rain. The people of Seraya village usually hold this ritual on Sasih Kapat (Balinese month falling in October-November).
This typical Karangasem ritual tradition is played by two adult male players or children during the (prolonged) dry season and after farming. The game uses tools called gebug (rattan stick) and ende (round shield made of cowhide). Then, the players wear Balinese traditional costumes that are typical for war.
Rule of the game
Even though this is a traditional game, it also applies rules that must be obeyed by players and referee so that everything in the games can run smoothly and end peacefully.
Firstly, players may only attack from the waist to the head. So, to keep the rules of this game up, this game is supervised by a referee. As soon as a violation occurs, the referee will immediately intervene.
The game will be considered over when one of the players is unable to counter his opponent’s attack. After the game is over, players may not harbor anger or grudges regarding the game.
Uniquely, this traditional game is also accompanied with traditional gamelan which is consisting of traditional instruments such as cymbals, flute, kempul, tawa-tawa, and gamelan of gong kebyar genre.
A brief History
The Gebug Ende tradition was inspired by the battle between the Kingdom of Karangasem and the Kingdom of Selaparang (Lombok) in the past. It is said, the Kingdom of Karangasem involved the people of Seraya Village, who were considered the right hand of the palace to advance to the battlefield. At that time, they were known to be tough and strong because they had invulnerable knowledge. Finally, they were able to win the battle which was helped by the heavy rain. Well, the victory was then believed to be help from God.
To commemorate the victory in the war, the troops then carried out a ceremony asking God for rain which was accompanied by a war game called the Gebug Ende ritual. In the end, the tradition of the people of Seraya Village became a historical milestone.
The staging of this traditional game also aims to preserve and serve as a medium for introducing local culture to the younger generation so that they as cultural heirs can feel proud in the midst of global civilization that enters through a ‘door’ called cyberspace.
