Tabanan, Rainbow over Ricefields

Traditional Game
“Poh Pohan Jago Nyawan”

Constant, flexible, and smooth movements combine with art creativity just as dance and music become one attractive performance. Even if it only has a simple costume and is accompanied by bamboo musical instruments, it still reflects an amazing performance. For this simplicity, it may bring us to the past. Unadorned words and acts often invite the audience to laugh. So each of its performances may get a joyous response. It also can relieve your stress after a busy day.

Traditional games are not as common as they used to be because kids are more interested in modern and sophisticated games, such as video games. Kids today no longer recognize their own traditional games. However, not for the children of Sanggar Bumi Sari Nadi from Banjar Tegeh, Angsri Village, Baturiti Sub-district, Tabanan. This traditional game of their ancestor’s legacy is still popular and played each afternoon and full-moon night by the elementary school kids. The traditional game of “Mapoh-pohan Jago Nyawan” was performed on Sunday (22/6) related to Bali’s 25th Arts Festival at the Art Center Cultural Park in Denpasar.
Even though it is performed for a show of combining arts element such as dance art an instrumental art, it still encourages the common freedom and creativity of the kids itself. Mapoh-pohan Jago Nyawan is usually played in the afternoon, at full moon in the courtyard, wantilan (hall) or jaba pura (outside temple yard). This time, through the help of a government contribution, 25 children from this breezy land performed as the representatives of Tabanan Regency.
In accordance with I Wayan Weda, the coach who is also responsible for reviving the extinct traditional game said, it looks simple but if we investigate it carefully, it contains elements of education, togetherness and deliberation towards common decisions. This teacher of SLTP Negeri 3 Tabanan added that this game already existed in the 1950’s.
For the husband of Ni Nyoman Sulatri with 2 children who lives in Banjar Ole, Marga Village, Tabanan, staging the traditional game at the Bali Arts Festival was not his first experience like this. In fact it has been put on more than tens times with different forms of the game, such as teng-teng nyer, mebiu-biuan, mepo-pohan, medempu, megandu, mesampi-sampian, meiyat-iyatan, dakep jongkok.
The idea of elementary school children gathering is supported by the fortitude in art through the Bali Arts Festival, the annual festival for artists. Then he examines the traditional game deeply, so it encourages sportsmanship, honesty, solidarity, friendship, and togetherness. It is also a sports activity for the children.

How to Play,
Firstly, pick 2 people as penangkeb (the chatchers. Those two penangkeb will do a sut (finger lots) in deciding the winner and the loser. The winner penangkeb must choose isi poh (the content of poh) and the looser will get batu poh (the seed).
Secondly, the penangkeb stands on the front doing his job as penangkeb (both penangkeb hold each other’s hands to form an arch), and the other players stand in line. Then the game starts by singing the song “poh pohan jago nyawan” while walking under the arch between the two penangkeb. At the end off the song, the penangkeb will catch a player by dropping their hands to hit the player. The song is like this: “poh pohan jago nyawan, I nyawan ngadep poh, pul simayang-mayang mute mara kenken pohe jero? tiang meli aji satak keteng.”
The one that is caught has to answer the other player’s question. If they cannot answer, they will be yelled at until they can. The question is like this: “Apa kal pilih cir…(the player name), “Isi apa batu?” (What will you choose cir…. content or seed?) Then the trapped kid will answer by choosing the choices. Then they ask again, “Nguda milih batu/isi?” (Why do you choose seed/content?). The trapped kids answer it with many excuses. After answering the question, the kids who choose “isi”(content) will stand behind the winner penangkeb, if they choose “batu ” (seed) they will stand behind the looser penangkeb.
After the all the players have been caught (ditangkeb), there will be two groups, the “isi” group and “batu” group. Then, those two groups pull each other. The losers will carry the winners on their backs. The game ends with their agreement. (BTN 015)