Cockfighting is part of the Balinese way of life. Cockfights, which in Balinese are known as tajen, meklecan or ngadu, are required at temple and purification (mecaru) ceremonies. No one knows when they started. There are ancient texts disclosing that the ritual has existed for centuries. It is mentioned in the Batur Bang Inscriptions from the year 933 and the Batuan Inscription from the year 944 (on the Balinese calendar). The blood of the loser spills on the ground, an offering to the evil spirits. Three cockfights are necessary for this purpose. Only men participate. Women do not even watch.
To the Balinese cockfighting is much more than a religious ritual. Men in villages tend their roosters lovingly. They identify with them and much conversation turn on them. The vast majority of men own at least one rooster. They are symbolic expressions of their owners. The sound of roosters crowing to each other early in the morning is the normal wake-up call. It is common throughout Asia.
The roosters, often of very splendid colors, are kept in wicker, bamboo cages placed outside their owners' houses. It is important that the roosters get used to the commotion of everyday life. They are trained not to be distracted by unusual sounds when they get to the all-important fight. They are fed a special diet of maize. Red pepper is pushed down their beaks to give them spirit. The birds are at their fighting peak at about three years old.
A cockfight is an offering, a sacred matter. The rules are written down in the ancient lontar palm books, which are village heirlooms. The umpire's word is final. In the case of cocks dying at virtually the same time, he decides. Before the cockfight begins, a pemangku (priest) will present offerings to the evil spirits and also the gods. Then the serious business begins.
If you see a large number of motorbikes parked outside a field or a temple - usually in the late afternoon, the chances are that a cockfight is being held.
The fight
Men travel to cockfights with their roosters. They sit in a circle in the wantilan or an open area. Each fight is treated equally and, as soon as one fight ends, men look for a suitable match for the next. They try to match cocks of equal ability for a good fight. The fight should be unpredictable. If there is an imbalance, the spur on the stronger bird is adjusted slightly to give him a handicap.
An expert affix the spurs. The sharp steel spurs, called taji, are single blades, about four or five inches long, tied around the leg with string. Spurs are sharpened only at eclipses and during a dark moon and should not be seen by women. The word for cockfight, tajen, comes from tajian, the taji being the blade. Once done the cocks are placed on the ground in the middle of the ring. The timekeeper sits at a desk on the right hand corner. He pierces a coconut with a small hole and puts it in a bucket of water. It takes about 21 seconds to sink. At the start and end he beats a kulkul, a slit drum. The loser is the one that dies first.
The birds
The rules of the fight, the colors and the shape of the birds have been laid down for centuries. In the past only local birds were allowed. Now, cocks from Lombok, Java and even as far afield as the Philippines, Japan and the United States are used. They must be healthy and not have any specific marks, such as black freckles on their legs, as these are unlucky. Forbidden also are cocks with red splotches on their muscles, tongues or skins.
Source: Murni
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