TAJEN | BALINESE COCK FIGHTING

Tajen is one of the tradition in Bali,Tajen is Balinese word for cock fighting gambling, yet in the sense of true gambling of Bali Tajen has developed from a small number of men gathering at the village temple during the ritual provocating their cocks to fight each other until one or either were dead or one gives up armed with sharp two sided knife tied at the leg of the cock involved in fighting. Both cocks will injure each other, even kills one or both. This sharp knife called " taji " which word forms "tajian", and tajian is assimilated into " tajen " The bebebotoh is the name of tajen gambler who use the money for betting at the cock fighting field called " kalangan tajen " It is not known when Balinese started to know this type of gambling.

We know that in  the other place like Lombok also exist the tradition of cock fighting, but the cock is not armed with taji like in Bali. Here the winner is the cock that made it's sparing smacked down until it gave up or run away with the sigh of tortures. During the kingdom of Bali it was permitted by the smaller kingdoms as the source of retribution or a kind of tax. This is probably the beginning of popularity of tajen, which then among priests also relate it as a requirement of religious ritual called " tabuh rah". The meaning of tabuh rah is water or essence of blood.

During a ceremony called " macaru " some tabuhs are needed such as alcohol of coconut ( tuak ), alcohol of rice ( brem ), and including essence of blood. It is not clear what is the philosophy of all this just like the complicated banten offering. Writer think that the element of blood essence is the influence of Buddhist left hand path such as Tantrayana school who was ever existing in Bali, and it's influence on the completion of Banten in Bali has been very strong. If we see the Pedanda ( Hindu priest ) when conducting various offerings, it is very clear from his hand gestures called " Mudra ". The mudra is belong to the tradition of Tantrayana who belives that hand gestures can arise magic power as well as the belief of chakra in the body of human beings. It is just no reason basis that can be understood by human being. This must all the practiced by priests and other religious figures, that how far they understand this activity is a big question.

Balinese people gives cocks names and also hen or chicken based on the color of it's feathers. Within this mixed colors there are names such as biing (red), buik ( blue - black - white ), klau ( mostly blue and black), berumbun ( mixed color of grey, black and white ), putih (white), ijo (dark green some time with black), and others. Beside it's good tradition to give names for their cock that is probably at the beginning was started with the need of easier way in tajen or rituals ,because both tajen and ritual have the same importance of the name of the chicken or cock. Certain ritual can only sacrifice biing or brumbun, while others need both or even every colors. Until now no one can find weather tajen or ritual that has been initiated the name for the cocks.


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