Caci dance: the whip fight of Manggarai explained

By Spider Web Rice Field Editorial Desk

The caci dance is a Manggarai war dance and folk game in which two men face each other with a whip and a shield, according to the regency tourism office. The office ties it mainly to harvest thanksgiving and other large ceremonies. No fixed public schedule was found, so nobody can promise you a performance on a given date.

This article starts with what the regency tourism office says, adds what others report and marks plainly where the record runs out. If you hope to see it, read the last section before changing your plans.

What is the caci dance?

The Manggarai regency tourism office calls caci a war dance and a folk game, played between two male dancers. Both words matter. It borrows the form of combat, since one man strikes and the other defends, and it is also performed as a game within a community occasion. A visitor who expects either a pure sport or a staged ballet will misread it.

The office also explains the name, glossing ca as one and ci as test. Together these make a one-on-one test, and that idea of two people measuring each other is the clearest thing the name tells you. The same page names the equipment and the occasions, and it is the source to read first.

What are the whip and shield made of?

Water buffalo hide, on the fullest account. The tourism office names the whip larik and the shield nggiling. Encyclopedia.com says both are made of water buffalo hide and adds that the shield may be bamboo. The office's account does not contradict this, though the two are not describing materials at the same level of detail.

For what each one means, go to a study by Citra Bakti authors, which examines the history of caci, its opening rite, equipment, meaning and function, or ask a Manggarai elder directly, in preference to a travel blog.

When is it performed?

Sources agree that caci belongs to occasions, and they differ on which ones. Setting them side by side shows how much the answer depends on who is asked.

Hang Woja is the one occasion that the office and Azimuth Adventure Travel both name. Wikipedia and Azimuth both mention weddings, and the office's phrase about other large ceremonies could cover those as well, though it does not say so. None of them gives a date. A harvest thanksgiving depends on a harvest, and a wedding depends on a family, so neither can be looked up in advance by an outsider the way a festival date can.

The Penti ceremony article covers that rite. Whether caci is performed at Penti, and whether Penti and Hang Woja are the same event, are fair questions, so do not take a link between them as established.

What happens between rounds?

The tourism office records one specific detail: during pauses, elders dance in a circle, which is called danding. It is a useful reminder that the event is more than its strikes. The contest stops and the older generation takes the floor, so it is reasonable to see caci as something the wider community takes part in, even though only two men fight at a time.

Beyond that, how many rounds are played, how a winner is recognised, what the music consists of and how the opponents are chosen are all things you may hear explained locally, and customs may differ between one community and the next. The same goes for costume, and for the question of where the tradition began.

Can visitors see it?

Sometimes, but this is the part to plan with caution. Encyclopedia.com says caci now also entertains tourists, and Wikipedia calls it a tourist attraction in Ruteng, so performances for visitors do exist in some form. Neither source says where, how often or who arranges them, and no fixed schedule was found for Ruteng or for Cancar.

Nothing connects caci to the spider web rice field viewpoint itself, either. The fields and the dance belong to the same culture, which you can read about in our article on the Manggarai people, but no source describes a performance at the lingko fields. Do not expect to come across one while you are climbing the steps.

If seeing caci matters to you, treat it as a separate question and ask well before you travel. These are the questions that help:

• Is this a community occasion or a performance staged for visitors? Both exist, and the experience differs.
• Who is hosting, and have they agreed to outside guests?
• Is a contribution expected, and to whom would it be paid?
• May photos be taken, and from where? Ask your host before raising a camera.
• What happens if the event moves or does not take place?

The last question matters most, because a date tied to a harvest or a family can shift. Keep caci out of the fixed part of your plan, and do not change a flight on the strength of a performance that someone has only mentioned. A wedding is a family's day, so attend only if you are invited.

What else do visitors ask about caci?

Does Cancar have regular caci performances?

None could be confirmed. No fixed schedule was found for Cancar or for Ruteng, and no source describes a performance at the fields. If it matters, ask well in advance through whoever is hosting you in Ruteng, and keep your plans workable without it.

What does the name caci mean?

The regency tourism office glosses ca as one and ci as test, which together make a one-on-one test. It is the one gloss of the name on this page.

What do elders do in the pauses?

According to the regency tourism office, elders dance in a circle during the pauses, which it calls danding. It gives no further detail of the steps or of who takes part.

What are the whip and shield called?

The tourism office calls the whip larik and the shield nggiling. Encyclopedia.com says both are made of water buffalo hide and that the shield may be bamboo.

Which occasions does caci belong to?

The tourism office names harvest thanksgiving, or Hang Woja, and other large ceremonies. Wikipedia says weddings in Ruteng. Azimuth, an operator, says weddings, New Year and the Hang Woja festival. None of them gives a date.

Which sources support this page?

• Manggarai regency tourism office: Tarian Caci
• Encyclopedia.com: Manggarai
• Citra Bakti journal study on caci
• Azimuth Adventure Travel: Ruteng
• Wikipedia: Ruteng

How do I reach the desk?

We do not stage or sell caci. You can still ask the desk whether it knows of anything around your dates, on WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or at bd@juaraholding.com. Bookings that begin with such a question are how we earn, as the about page explains.