Of Cocks and Men

-         Clifford Geertz

In this essay, Geertz analyses the role of cockfight in defining male sexual identity within Balinese culture. The majority of the Balinese are interested in cockfight.

     A lot of words concerning cocks are used in everyday language. The Balinese word ‘sabung’ has many meanings like ‘hero’, ‘warrior’, ‘man of parts’, ‘political candidate’, ‘bachelor’, ‘dandy’, ‘lady-killer’ or ‘tough guy’. A showy man is compared to a tailless cock. A desperate man is compared to a dying cock. A young man who is shy of girls is compared to a fighting cock caged for the first time. Even the island itself is likened to a challenging cock.

     Most of the Balinese men spend their time mostly with their cocks, feeding and grooming them. While sitting in a group, these men usually keep their cocks with them and try them to rouse and calm frequently.

     Cocks are cared very much in Bali. Fighting cocks are kept in wicker cages. They are given special diet to eat. Cocks get mostly maize as diet. They are fed red pepper to make them aggressive. They are given all the care that a human baby gets. They are bathed in the lukewarm water mixed with medicinal herbs, flowers, and onions. Their combs are cropped, their plumage dressed, their spurs trimmed and their legs massaged. The Balinese men spend as much time as they can with their cocks.

     Cocks are symbolic expressions or magnifications of their owner’s self. They are also the expression of the animality of human.

     The Balinese people do not like anything related to animals. Bestiality is more hateful than incest. Most demons are represented in animal form. The child’s teeth are shaped smoothly so that they don’t look like animal fangs. Eating and emptying bowels are both considered to be hateful because of their association with animality, so they are done quickly and privately. Except cocks, oxen and ducks, the Balinese people don’t like other animals and they treat them very badly. Not only his ideal self but also his fears or hatred is reflected through cockfight.

     Cockfighting is connected with dark power. Therefore, blood sacrifice is offered to the demons to pacify them. Without blood sacrifice, no festival should be conducted. Otherwise, it should be immediately corrected. On ‘The Day of Silence (Njepi)’ they keep silent to avoid contact with the demons. Cockfights take place in almost every village the previous day.

     In the cockfight, man and animal, good and evil, ego and id are united. The owner of the winning cock takes the body of the loser cock home to eat happily. The owner of the loser cock sometimes destroys the temple of God.  The mood of a man whose cock has just won is compared to the heaven whereas the loser one’s to the hell.