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E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

THE DYNAMIC OF CACI MULTIFUNCTION IN MANGGARAI ETHNIC

NOWADAYS

Karolus Budiman Jama1, I Wayan Ardika2, I Ketut Ardhana3, I Ketut Setiawan4

1Nusa Cendana University,2,3,4Cultural Studies Study Program, Faculty of Arts, Udayana

University

email: 1karolus1007@yahoo.com , 2ardikawayan52@gmail.com,
3phejepsdrlipi@yahoo.com, 4setiawan58@yahoo.com

Received Date : 19-11-2019
Accepted Date : 03-01-2019
Published Date : 29-02-2020

ABSTRACT

Manggaraian ethnic has a special art named Caci. The art holds and became an identity of
the whole of Manggaraian. The art was begun as the ritual of farmer’s land fertility. In its
developing, the aesthetic has gone under the multifunction in it show time. The art is not only
performing for the shake of the local people culture, but also perform for the political interest
as well as the catholic church in Mangggarai. This research used ethnographic method, data
collected through the observation, interview, documentation, and triangulation. The research
was done in Manggaraian ethnic of Flores. Every Caci performance has its own unique
ideology. The ideology goes behind the cultural Caci performance is the ideology of fertility.
The ideology goes behind the government interest of Caci performance is capitalism
economy and political power. The church ideology is inclusivism through the inculturation
languages.
Key word: dynamic, multifunction, caci, ideology, culture identity

INDTODUCTION

Manggaraian ethnic is one of numbers of ethnic spread out through Flores island of

East Nusa Tenggara Province. The ethnic of Manggarai known with is art called Caci. The

art of Caci valued as the unifier in diversity of subculture of Manggaraian ethnic. The art that

was begun as the fertility ritual of the local farmers as well as performs for the other five

important cultural rituals.

Now days, Caci is not perform only for interest of cultural ritual, but also on some

ceremonies, either it is government ceremonies, Catholic church in Manggarai or the other

ceremonies such as thanks giving ceremony as well as the political achievement. The

dynamic of multifunction of Caci performance is not only related to cultural ceremonies, but

also related to its esthetic value. The dynamic can be seen through the shapes and the style

E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

of the esthetic. The dynamic of multifunction implicates to the social life, religion, and the

culture of Manggarai ethnic.

The implication and expansion of Caci performance showing the interested point of

the art. The government of Manggarai and catholic church assume that the art that is unified

the subcultural of Manggarai ethnic is capable in managing local potentiality. The potential

religiosity toward the catholic belief, political potential to get the people interest, and the

economy in industry cultural. Even, some individua Caci perform for the shake of political

achievement. For example, the chosen one in political competition. The aesthetic value of

Caci has power and interesting point in multifunction dynamic that goes to the deepest point

of Caci ideology in the practical of social, cultural, economy, and politic in Manggarai. The

expansion of dynamic multifunction of Caci aesthetic comes up with new ideologies in

aesthetic value of Caci nowadays.

RESEARCH METHOD

The research method used in this research is ethnographic method. Atkinson and

Hammersley (Denzin &Lincon, 2009: 325) stated that the characteristic of ethnographic is

seems exist, ethnographic texts conventionality, representation of self and other in those text,

the character of ethnographic as the genre textual, the characteristic of base argumentation

of ethnographic, and rhetoric proven. The fours method of data collection used in this

research were observation, interview, documentation, and triangulation or merging, (

Sugyono, 2013). The location of the research was done in Manggarai ethnic of Flores. The

informant selection was done by purposive and snowball, which was sourced from the

speaker and the doer of Caci. After data collected, the proceed to the analysis based on the

culture paradigm study. Data presentation is done verbally and through pictures illustration.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The Caci aesthetic tradition was begun from the farmer’s land fertility. The ceremony

is done for thank giving toward the creator through the worship of the ancestor and the

worship to nature. The tradition is then brought along with other thank giving ceremony among

the five cultural ceremonies and became a legitimation up on the cultural ceremonies. It is

related to the draft of habit and domain according to Bourdieu (Takwindalam Harker, 2009:xx)

stated that the practical of aesthetic Caci is related product from the habitual as the histories

E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

product of civilization of Manggarai ethnic. Caci aesthetic is product from the field of efforts in

Manggarai ethnic.

The power of Caci aesthetic tradition is on the holly ceremony before and after the

Caci performed. The Caci player also doing the purifying ceremony individually before the

Caci performance. The purifying ceremony then implicate not to have sexual harassment as

the prohibition during the purifying session as well as not to make other people get hurt. In

this context Caci aesthetic is domain of self purifying and life reflection domain. The process

of purifying which is by Langer (Djelantik, 1999: 154) stated that art is the representation

towards the value for life. Langer’s view is same as schiller (Sugiharto, 2013) that human

being as a soul are able to see deeper his spirituality. The soul is able to control the power,

sense of careless, desires, greedy desire, change them in to love solidarity, humble, and

compassion became a noble.

The special model of Caci aesthetic tradition is relied on the power of ceremony’s soul

that able to control the desires. The dimension of the aesthetic Caci tradition is practice in

ritual of ancestor feeding in the night time before departure, on the day of departure( in local

language wuatwa’i), crossing the river between the two villages as the host of Caci

performance which called letangwae, Welcoming ritual, the ritual of walking around the altar

of scarification it called lilik, and ended with Caci ritual called caca selek.

The practical reality of Caci performance in its developing, is not only perform by local

people, but also by the government as well as the catholic church in Manggarai. Since the

regency of Manggarai formed legally and formally on 14 august 1958 or it is now called

E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

KabupatenManggarai. Government especially under the leadership of Frans Sales Lega,

Caci seems like an interesting point all at once as the important identity that should be taking

care and be defended.

The government through the regency, subdistrict, village, are became hands to collect

people to perform Caci in order to commemorate the independent day of the Republic of

Indonesia every august. The Caci performance became a standard made by the government

that is leading by new era government. Maria Erbin the book entitled “Adat dan Politik

Indonesia” stated that since the new order government of Manggarai regency has done the

Caci performance and the cultural art competition. The activity that is mentioned above is

done in order to find out the standard and become an identity of Manggarai ethnic as national

culture. In addition, the performance of cultural art for the shake of tourism as the contributor

of national infrastructures (Davidson, dkk. 2010: 275).

For the shake of inculturation, the catholic church in Manggarai also perform Caci.

Jehandut (2012: 99) said that, firstly the church has to fertilize the wealth of religion from the

nations. Second, acknowledged the pluriform of liturgy as the creation of holly spirit. Third,

the church should become a pioneer and adapting the liturgy to the culture and tradition of

nations. Fourth, for the shake of authentic belief, the church has to do radical renewal based

on the incarnation demands and based on unity principles as the shape of cultural. The

catholic church believes that the local culture of Caci as the unique wealth based on

experiences religion-aesthetic Manggarai ethnic. The church believes Caci has religion

values and unity. The value then taken as language and the spirit of the church in performing

Caci. The church performs Caci during the purification of the priest, building up the church,

and division or inauguration of parish.

Nowadays, the dynamic of aesthetic multifunction of Caci, in the practical

performance, Caci either by the government or the church are implicated to the standard

design and style. The standardize of practical are accordingly to the need and shake of Caci

performed. Those design are mixing the position of the players who become a host and the

invited players. There is no limit between the host players and the invited players as in the

tradition of Caci itself. There is no sacred and magical situation appeared during the Caci

performance undergoing by the government and the church as basic Caci performance used

to be. The ceremony doing by the government and the church seems like a simulation or a

fake awareness about Caci dance. In one hand, it is an awareness of doing the ritual, but on

the other hand it is delegitimate the ritual. There are some circumstances dealing with

E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

delegitimate of the ritual, for example doing the ritual as if there is an altar of scarification,

moreover in the practicalCaci is not performed as in its tradition.

Caci performed by the government and the church are made as their design either the

location or the draft that supported the Caci is being performed. For example, Caci performed

by the government, the ideology of Caci being performed is a political power and economy

issues.

Reading the dynamic of Caci multifunction is strongly indicated as Foucault said that

there is a controlling power on the players and the local people by the government and the

church in Manggarai. As Foucault writtenDiscipline and punish and history of sexuality that is

how he isolate and conceptualize the way where all bodies are become the most important

component for the relationship of power and the modern society (Santoso, dkk. 2015). He

also stated that the years dominance rulersaffected by the political and intellectual authority

that supported by the government as the ideology being run in the discourse (Ratna, 2011).

In the context of power and political ideology, Caci is perform in the field which has a

great stage. People who watch the performance of Caci are looking directly forward to the

great stage. These kind of design are made to watch the official who watch the Caci

performance. The blueprint of Caci performance location as well as the set of Caci players

when they sing a folk song are directly overlooking to the stage that has been prepared. The

kind of design are contradicted to the tradition Caci itself. The most important of tradition of

Caci is that the sacrifice altar is not block by anyone in the performance. The place of

nagagolo lying down and all souls who protect the village. It is made in order to avoid from

great wound and disorder during the Caci performance. Dealing with the economic ideology,

the government also doing it to support the tourism. It is supported by the attendance of

foreigners who come to watch Caci dance performance by becoming a honoring first hit and

involving in dende.

E-Journal of Cultural Studies Feb 2020 Vol. 13, Number 1, Page 9-14
DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)
ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

CONCLUSION

Based on the dynamic multifunction of ManggarainessCaci dance performance

nowadays, it is found that the performance of characteristic design and ideology. It is different

between the characteristic of tradition Caci performance the Caci dance perform by the

government and the catholic church in Manggarai. The difference is tradition Caci is perform

for ritual space and self-purifying. While, Caci performance by the government and the

catholic church is a Caci profanity. The ideology of tradition Caci is the ideology of fertility.

While, the ideology of Caci perform by the government is the ideology of political power and

economy capitalism, and the catholic church ideology of Caci is inclusivism through

inculturation languages.

REFERENCES

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