Kuda Lumping

Kuda lumping also called distance braid or jathilan is a traditional Javanese dance featuring a group of soldiers on horseback middle. This dance using horses made of woven bamboo in and cut like the shape of a horse. This horse webbing and fabric decorated with colorful paint. Kuda Lumping dance usually only show scenes hussar, but some also serve appearance lumping horse possessed attractions, immunity, and magical powers, such as glass-consuming attraction and immune against flogging whip. Jaran braid is part of the dance performances reog. Although this dance comes from Java, Indonesia, this dance is also inherited by the Javanese who settled in North Sumatra and in some areas outside of Indonesia such as in Malaysia.

Kuda Lumping dance is played with the property in the form of a mock horse, made of woven bamboo or braid. None of the historical record is able to explain the origin of this dance, only a verbal history handed down from one generation to the next.

That said, lumping horse dance is a form of appreciation and support of the common people against the cavalry of Prince Diponegoro in the face of the Dutch colonizers. There is also a version that says, that lumping horse dance depicts the story of the struggle of Raden Patah, assisted by Sunan Kalijaga, against the Dutch colonialists. Another version says that, this dance tells the story of war games Mataram forces led lane I, King of Mataram, to face the Dutch troops.

Regardless of the origin and historical value, lumping horse dance reflects the spirit of heroism and military aspects of a cavalry or cavalry. It is seen from movements rhythmic, dynamic, and aggressive, with the flick of woven bamboo, mimicking the movement like a horse in the middle of a war.

Often in Kuda Lumping dance performances, the show also featured attractions smelling magical supernatural powers, such as chewing attractions glass, slashed with machetes arm, burn away, walking on broken glass, and others. Perhaps, this attraction reflects the supernatural powers in ancient times developed by the Kingdom of Java, and is a non-military aspects are used to fight against the Dutch troops.