Asking the Ancestors through the Hudoq Dance

Helloindonesia.id – Nusantara has known the tradition of masks since prehistoric times. In the past, masks were deliberately used in various traditions regarding respect for ancestors by performing dances or simply retelling the advice of the ancestors. In fact, masks are considered to be closely related to the spirits of the ancestors who are believed to be the embodiment of the gods.

In Kalimantan people, especially the Dayak tribe, masks are better known as hudoq. Hudoq in the Dayak tribe is depicted in the form of the face of a pig, monkey, or other animals that are considered to be pests. On the other hand, the eagle is symbolized as an animal that will protect and maintain the crops of the Dayak people. Meanwhile, hudoq in human form is a symbol of ancestors.

Hudoq dance in Dayak people is usually performed when they want to open agricultural land. This dance is one of the stages in the tradition of the Dayak community which is called laliq ugal. This dance will be performed when the chief has decided to clear the land and the completion of the offering of eight eggs to the ancestors.

Apart from wearing a mask that represents the character of destruction, protection, and the character of the ancestor, hudoq dancers also wear clothes that are generally green. This shirt is made like leaves attached to the dancer’s body. This green shirt really symbolizes the leaves that will continue to be green as long as the tribal chief clears cultivated land.

Besides there is a mystical side because it is related to the spirits of the ancestors, hudoq dance also functions as entertainment for people who are clearing land.

The hudoq dance is a legacy of the Dayak tribe and is one of the archipelago’s assets that must be preserved and preserved. Don’t let modernization swallow up traditional arts which are closely related to traditional rituals in this archipelago. [AhmadIbo / IndonesiaKaya]

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