Have you ever watched a lumping Horse, or Jaranan? How do you feel when watching the art scene ?. Certainly not imagine horror and shudder !!!, as well as pity to see them whipped hard to roll on the ground, eat a handful of grain or rice husk with swallowed round without chewing like a duck to eat. Wow! It is frightening and pitying to see them treated as sadistic as animals, even though everyone knows, beforehand consciously of their own will as Jakanan's Actor, but our sense of humanity is still disturbed.
Jaranan / lumping horse is one of the popular mystical Javanese art. Either when this art was born there is no history sohih that can explain it. But it is probable that this history of art was born in pre-Islamic times. This means that this art is very old. Central Java and East Java are the birthplace. Here are some pictures of lumping horse or jaranan popular in Indonesia:
If seen from the hard style, there is a charge of brutalism in the atraksinya, such as whipped, possessed, the actor becomes ferocious to pursue and kick anybody like a mad horse including Pawangnya own, also forget themselves so greedily eat grass, eat glass, eat bran , drinking ditch water, sewing needles, nails, and other things outside of humanity, it seems that this art was born in the end of ancient Java or the period of entry of Hinduism.
My guess then changed further, if examined more deeply in the observation, for example there is a ritual calling the soul with incense, then hand artist Jaranan enter the spirit was to Pelakon Jaranan to enter the soul of his soul, and from here Pelakon experienced total possession, and the spirit had taken over full control of the bodies of Jakanan Pelakon, and acted upon them beyond fairness as I mentioned above, or according to the art grip, or the handler.
At the end of the show Sang Pawang will work very hard assisted by the crew Jaranan resuscitate the Pelakon Jaranan to the original condition. The struggle of the handler is really heavy physically and mentally .. so from here I have a conclusion, this art was born / rooted from the dark ages of Java land, before Hinduism and Buddhism entered the ground Java. That is when the Java Community is still Primitive / adheres to ancient / local religion. Which at that moment The power of the spirits of the dead, the prestigious animals, the sacred objects and the haunted places are worshiped and asked for help not as gods or gods, but only to the extent of those spirits as supernatural forces only. The concept of God or god as the ruler of the universe is known after the entry of Hindu Polytheism from India. Then after the arrival of the Islamic religion the concept of monotheism, or one God the creator of the virtual world began to be known, that there is only a single dominant power that dominates the universe.
At the time of the early entry of Islam into the land of Java brought by Walisongo, Javanese society who had embraced Hindu then, or buddha in droves of Islam. To date, 99% of Javanese are devout Muslims. But among them there are still persistent preservation of their ancestors' teachings until now, though they still claim to be Islam. They are called abangan Islam groups. Of this group, why art Jaranan and such as;
Lais, Sintren, Ronggeng, Reog etc. can survive until now. So do not be surprised if you watch the art of Jaranan / lumping horses and the like there is a charge of darkness, sadism and mysticism, which makes the audience cringe, because it is the art of the ancient animist heritage of dark ages past. Strange yes ... why would Human beings as perfect Beings soul-body become Animal in the name of art. Pelakon Jaranan will mimic the nature of apes, goats, or any animal according to the spirit that penetrates it. Though true art is the creation of common sense conscience alone (Remember the definition of Art and Culture learned in school). Not the result of trance and loss of human taste.
Art is one of the needs of the human soul as a means of expression and self-consolation. But art can also be a powerful educational tool as well as propaganda. Jaranan art is not a public spectacle of modern society because it contains elements of violence, loss of mind, and mysticism, and does not contain the value of positive education. Unless it has been modified by the norm Humane and adab reasonable art. (M S)