How The Gods Send Their Massage
It is early morning in the village of Abian Gombal. The building that Mangku Lingsir is heading for has the eerie look of a puppet house: tall wooden poles with dou­ble doors in front and a thatched roof. It is the ged penyimpenan, the "cabinet" where villagers house "sleeping god" himself. It is a shrine among other pup house shrines (pelingsih) of the village temple.
As part of his daily routine, the old priest approa the double doors of the cabinet and opens it. As the d ful performer of the rites of "his" temple, he looks "his" gods every day, at this time of the day, dresses as in a white sarong and a white udeng headdress. Every since the time of his calling, as did before him his far and his father's father, Mangku Lingsir "cleans" and se faithfully the gods of his temple. He is their "guardi the village mangku priest.
Having opened the double doors of the shri Mangku Lingsir is greeted by the protuding eyes of D Mas, the tutelary god of the village, in the form of magical Barong beast, Banaspati Raja, the Lord of the est. The mask is currently "dormant", awaiting the moon and the resurgence of its spiritual power, when god will come down from heaven to "inhabit" his m and then "talk" to his followers (mepajar) through medium of dance.
The old man's gaze passes over the mask. As he raises broom to sweep the cabinet, his eyes are alerted by ethnic strange in the mask. He stares at the mask's left or there is a big hole in it - the leather has been bitten to Aueds: "Master Rat has eaten off the Barong's ear"! Is it an omen, thinks the old white-dressed man? Why the 8uong, and why the ear? Trembling, he closes the doors and rushes to the bendesa, the chief of the ritual affairs of :the village, and reports on the event. "The Barong's ear 'has been eaten away", he blurts out emotionally. Master Rat has eaten the god's ear!! It is an omen. The people have to know".
Soon, all the priests of the various temples of the villages are present, accompanied by the men of knowledge and the men of power, all assembled in the village hall. Even Cokorde Gede Panarukan, the prince, is present, `befitting the seriousness of the event. All have inspected the damaged Barong's ear. And all are unanimous about one thing: something has to be done quickly. They must `ask the god to talk" (nunas baos).
All have heard of Pan Ceper, and all know that he can make the god talk. He is well known, and many among the local people have used his his service to communicate with a dead grandfather prior to his cremation or to know the "real" cause of a disease. Pan Ceper, they concur, would be the best medium to make the god talk.
Thus, at the appointed time, all the village is there, huddle in a circle behind Mangku Lingsir and Pan Ceper, who are sitting cross-legged in front of the shrine. Offerings have been prepared on the ground: a purifying peras, some ajengan food, and more importantly, a pasep­an fire to channel the god down, and a daksina offering to be the god's repository during his short visitation.
Mangku Lingsir first wafts his hands at the offerings, addressing them to the niskala (intangible) world; then he slowly mutters: "Pekulun, Oh God, Lord of the village of Abian Gombal, we come to you to beseech a favor from you, we who are only the dew (damuh) of your invisible being".
As he drones on, Pan Ceper, the medium, places his hands and face above the fuming fire (pasepan). He stays there for a while, slowly inhaling the scented smoke. Then his body starts shaking, and he says in a blubber: "Oh, my sons from Abian Gombal, your village has sinned. It allowed impurity to disturb my last visit. I ask you to clean the place with a big Resi Gana offering". Then he passes his head again over the fumes and comes out of the trances as fast as he entered into it.
Now the villagers recall that some youths have behaved obscenely during the last temple festival. And they all agree to hold a great exorcism.