In Reply to: Tenganan posted by Larry on Monday, 10. March 2014 at 14:33 Bali Time:
... where it's a case of "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours" (lol)
Actually, it's more like a thrashing - this is a VERY busy time in Tenganan Village.
(ancient Aga Village - just 10 min max drive from Candidasa)
It's called: Mekare-kare in Petemu kaja
There is lots of men (and boys have a go as well) that stand around in like a big circle,
you have a handful of these thorny pandanus leaves in one hand, and a shield in the other,
and basically eye off / size up someone in the circle, you both come out to the middle,
and just go each other with these thorny long leaves.
The idea is to basically keep thrashing these leaves against the back of your opponent until someone backs off.
They kind of get close enough with some lashing out thrashing, yet the main part of the battle
is when they kind of embrace (for want of a better term) and try tear each other's back skin to pieces with the leaves !
These thorns are then left stuck in your back until they are picked out after the battle. Not too much blood.
The 2 people in the battle end up with all these scratched backs and lots of thorns stuck in the skin - great fun !
After the battle, the guys basically shake hands, have a laugh, and go back to the outer circle.
Then 2 more some in and the same thing starts all over again.
It's all kind of a bit of fun for them to them, BUT they do get very physical with the battle sometimes.
After the battles, they use a special (village made) cream on their backs which seems to clear up the skin very quickly.
A few days and the skin is ok again.
Tenganan get very busy on this day - hundreds of people come to film and photograph the event,
so if you plan to go, you have to allow yourself sometime in the sun,
and we willing to wait a while before it all starts (in the mid afternoon roughly).
We have been once, it is crazy busy ! ... once is enough.
Oh, when - (now I get to the question !) ... it's in late June,
but with any ceremony / event type of thing in Bali,
it could be tied to the moon cycle (not 100% sure - I'll check and post when I find out the date)
Regards, Geoff