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Catching joy and blessings through a chicken hunt in Mondosiyo celebration
Three days prior to the celebration of Mondosiyo, the sense of anticipation among people cooking for the festivities at the house of Santosa, a respected elder of Pancot village in Karanganyar regency, Central Java, was palpable.
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Pancot village residents take part in chicken hunt during the Mondosiyo celebration (JP/Stefanus Ajie)
T
hree days prior to the celebration of Mondosiyo, the sense of anticipation among people cooking for the festivities at the house of Santosa, a respected elder of Pancot village in Karanganyar regency, Central Java, was palpable. The people were cooking nasi tumpeng (cone shaped rice with meat, vegetables and condiments) and gandhik, a type of confectionery made of rice, which is often used as an offering during Mondosiyo.
The celebration of Mondosiyo is a thanksgiving to God for the safety and welfare of Pancot residents. The celebration is similar to those carried out in other Javanese villages, known by such names as Merti Dusun or Bersih Desa (village cleansing).
The Mondosiyo ceremony is held once every seven months, on a kliwon (the fifth day of the Javanese five-day-week calendar) and fell on Jan. 15 in the wuku (month) of Mondosiyo, according to the Javanese calendar.
“Mondosiyo is a tradition that is passed on from generation to generation for Pancot villagers. Although it was historically linked to spiritual acts, now Mondosiyo is more like a tradition that unites the residents, and also a medium for cooperation and meeting up among the community,” said Santosa in the midst of the Mondosiyo preparations.
The spiritual ceremony is still to be found at Cetho temple, located close to Pancot. Meanwhile, Mondosiyo in the village is more like an arts and culture festival, a tourist attraction at the slopes of Mount Lawu.
One afternoon leading to the culmination of the Mondosiyo celebration at Pancot, the fog and the rain brought the typical coolness of a village atop a mountain. The gloomy weather did not stop the residents from attending the gathering around the market square hall, which is the location of Cungkup Watu Gilang, a place considered sacred by Pancot residents. The area surrounding the hall became a pop-up market, where vendors offered snacks, children’s toys and other traditional items.
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Mondosiyo began with a parade of Reog dancers around the streets of the village, heading to the yard of the market square hall. As soon as they arrived, each of them performed a dance, followed with the performance of the traditional “Penthulan” and “Jathilan” (horse dance) by children of the village.
Meanwhile, inside the hall, some Pancot residents played instrumental music titled “Manyar Sewu” using gamelans for the elder residents gathered there.
When the sound of the gamelan faded to a stop, there was only the sound of the rain and the fog became darker as the village elders chanted prayers together, and it was finally the time for the most-anticipated ritual of Mondosiyo, the chicken hunt. The chickens were released on the roof of the hall for the village residents to catch.
“There are people who wished to recover from illness, wished for a good harvest, for their children to get certain jobs, [and they vowed to offer a chicken if their wishes were granted]. If they were granted, they release chickens during Mondosiyo, to express their gratitude,” said Parno, a resident of Pancot village.
The chicken hunters are not allowed to climb onto the roof of the hall. They are only allowed to hang at the eaves of the roof or wait for the chickens to come down.
Cheerful noise filled the air as the chicken hunt started, with dozens of villagers fighting to catch one of the 12 chickens released. Some young men hung on to the roof eaves by themselves, while others helped each other to reach up to the roof to catch a chicken. Spectators cheered and clapped their hands to enliven the event, amid persistently heavy rain.
The chicken is a symbol of sharing, especially for those who feel that their wishes have been granted. Those who caught chickens were delighted, but those who watched were also happily entertained.
Mondosiyo is, therefore, a symbol of sharing joy and happiness through a traditional ceremony, which has lasted long among people living on Mt. Lawu’s slopes. (mut)
