GLAGAB – Banyuwangi is indeed like a cultural treasure. Starting from the ider of the earth to the cat's in-laws on Earth Blambangan. The latest is the kolo ritual, namely bathing the child before being circumcised with chicken blood.
The kolo ritual in Glagah Village has a deep philosophical value. The ritual is carried out three to seven days before the circumcision is performed. A resident of Glagah, Sunadi, 34, yesterday (28/12) perform the ritual.
Before heading to the peak ritual, First, the ritual of selling rujak and dawet is held. Two old women who are relatives of the child who is about to be circumcised brought a cauldron and a jug each containing grated salad and dawet..
Then, Neighbors and family come scrambling to buy these two snacks. Special, none of them bring money. They only brought broken plates and glasses which were exchanged for a bowl of rujak or a glass of dawet.
According to Jam'i, 72, one of the local elders, shards of plates or commonly called shards were used by residents as a means of exchange instead of money. Why are rujak and dawet types of food being sold?, according to Jam'i, because rujak has the meaning of getting along with each other.
“Back then no one had money. Eat it selling salad, pay with what they have at home, like this shard,” said Jam’i. After all the dawet and rujak are sold out, the ritual continues with the title songo. The title songo is manifested in the form of a worship of nine small tumpeng and nine pieces of beef, from cingur to offal.
Those nine things choose their own Philosophical value, especially regarding the life of the Glagah Village community. After the title of songo, the worship is carved around the village. While walking around, while reciting a prayer, some elders and families of circumcised children spread yellow rice mixed with coins or welcome them tinkering.
When walking child- Even small children fight over the tossed coin. After the carnival, Vishnu ,8, the child who is about to be circumcised is prepared for kolo. After the clothes are taken off, Vishnu is dressed with powder, eyebrow stone, and Vishnu's lipstick is sitting on the chair, Then spread a white cloth with a hole in the middle.
After that, the prepared red rooster is slaughtered right above it. Blood was running down the cloth that was dripping on Vishnu's head until it wet his back. Not long, one of the handlers cracks a chicken egg on it.
Final, flower water poured from the top of the cloth that wet Vishnu's whole body. Feeling the ritual is over, Vishnu immediately ran, followed by his friends to the river. In the lion of Vishnu, the themes are praying again while being surrounded by flowers.
Over and over again the eight-year-old child listened to the prayer while throwing himself in and rubbing his body which was flowing with river water. After that, Vishnu returned to wearing neat clothes and was invited by his parents to move to the graves of his grandparents. It signifies the end of the ritual if as a whole.
Sanusi, one of the traditional leaders in Glagah Village explained, there are many philosophies contained in the kolo ritual. Even though society is modern, but the Oseng Glagah tribe still holds the custom and doesn't dare to leave. There are many symbols in the ritual.
The kolo ritual that uses red -haired and slaughtered chickens is similar to the sacrifice performed by Prophet Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim, who was considered to love his son too much, was tested by Allah with the order to slaughter Prophet Ishmael.
Even though it was hard at first, but then Prophet Ibrahim succeeded in carrying it out. That's a lesson that can also be taken from the ritual of kalo. The father must be willing to sacrifice his son to be circumcised.
“Chicken is also a symbol as a medium for transferring pain, the pain of circumcision had already been borne by the chicken. The child doesn't feel sick. that's what people believe, but now there are many anesthetics at the circumcision. So many people don't do this ritual,” Sanusi explained. (radar)
