The Hudoq Festival, Long Pahangai, East Kalimantan

This annual harvest festival takes place in the upper reaches of Mahakam, river in East Kalimantan. That is about 4 days travel upriver from Samarinda, passing through some dangerous rapids and spectacular scenery. Each year a different village plays host. Villagers arrive from the surrounding by river in longboats, dressed in traditional Dayak costume: women in beautiful beaded outfits, men dressed as warriors with long knives and shields, or as hornbills with grass costumes, wooden masks, and feather head dresses. Many of the older women still have tattooed hands and feet and long ears, heavy with scores of silver hoop earrings. The colourful opening ceremony is followed by three exhausting days of dancing, eating and traditional drum music which continues through the night. Guests stay in the village, only returning home by river when the party is over.

jaranan..

Jaranan is a traditional folk dance from java where six to eight ride bamboo horses wearing wooden masks. The dance is accompanied by gamelan performers. Before beginning horses are placed in two rows at the centre of an open opera area. Offerings are placed near where the musicians sit facing the horses. The music starts and the performers come out and kneel beside the horses. Each of them grips a wooden stick. The changing rhythm of music signals the beginning of the performance. All the performers stand up and begin their dances as they ride their horses. Within a few minutes, the riders are divided into two groups and they are at war. They strike one another with their bamboo sticks. Eventually all the performers fall down on the ground. At this moment, spirits are said to enter the performers bodies.