Babukung is a funeral dance ritual of the

Kaharingan ''Kaharingan'' is an Native Indonesians, indigenous Animism, animistic folk religion of the Dayak people such as Katingan people, Katingan, Lawangan people, Lawangan, Ma'anyan people, Ma'anyan, Ngaju people, Ngaju, Ot Danum people, Ot Danum peopl ...

religion in

Central Kalimantan Central Kalimantan () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is one of five provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. It is the largest province in Indonesia by area since 2022, bordered by West Kalimantan to the west ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It is performed by sub- Dayak ethnic groups, especially the Tomun people,

Ngaju people The Ngaju people (also Ngaju Dayak or Dayak Ngaju or Biaju) are an indigenous ethnic group of Borneo from the Dayak people, Dayak group. In a census from 2000, when they were first listed as a separate ethnic group, they made up 18.02% of the po ...

Ot Danum people Ot Danum (also known as Dohoi, Malahoi, Uud Danum or Uut Danum) people are an ethnicity of the Dayak peoples (hence also referred as Dayak Ot Danum) dwelling at the upper reaches of south Kapuas River, and along the Schwaner range, bordering Wes ...

and other Dayak tribes who still embrace the

religion. It came from Borneo, where it has historical and philosophical value.

Ritual

This ritual is found in Central Kalimantan in the Katingan and Lamandau districts. When a Dayak practicing the Kaharingan religion dies, Bukung comes from a neighboring village or from a community group Neighbors donate money, groceries, and livestock such as pigs or chickens. The Babukung ritual is performed at burial ceremonies. It can also occur before burial, or during a Tiwah ceremony. It aims to dispel evil spirits in the surrounding environment so that they do not disturb the journey of spirits that have just died or spirits that have been Tiwah-ed. The Babukung ritual is not appropriate except following a death, because it is closely related to death and the spirits of the dead. If this rule is violated, bad things happen. Several rituals are performed by the ''mantir'' (

priest) before the dance. The ritual varies depending on the deceased. For a highly respected person, it may continue for up to 31 days.

''Luha''

The ritual includes the Babukung dance. The dance involvesuses a mask called ''Sababuka'' or ''Luha'' that depicts imaginary and animal characters, such as a bird, bat, butterfly, gibbon, or dragon. Each movement incorporates sacred and magical aspects. Dancers are called ''Bukung''. The dance is accompanied by typical Dayak music. Each ''Bukung'' has a different accompaniment. The dance shows variations in masks, fashion, and even theatrical art. It expresses meaning, manifests ancestral spirits, and dispels evil spirits. ''Bukung Kambe'' (Ghost Bukung) is a ''luha'' that has enormous power and is able to catch many evil spirits.

Festivals

The Babukung dance is officially designated as a cultural festival routine by the Lamandau Regency Government, known as the Babukung Festival. The festival appears in the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism's COE (Calendar Of Event) and KEN (Karisma Event Nusantara). The 2015 Babukung Festival, which featured more than 1,000 Bukung, the record for the most traditional performances and was recorded at the Indonesian Record Museum. The dance appeared at the 2018 Wonderful Sail Yacht Rally event.

References

{{reflist Kaharingan * Ritual dances