Debus: Definition, History, Equipment, Types, and Order of Events

Debus is – Sinaumed’s, have you ever seen Debus performing arts? The general public usually recognizes debus as a scary and sadistic attraction. This is because the players slashed themselves with machetes, chewed on broken glass or glass, even plunged into fireballs but there was not the slightest wound on their body.

Debus is a traditional art found in Banten Province which displays the attraction of the human body’s immunity from various kinds of sharp objects. The word debus comes from Arabic which means ‘ Sharp Weapon’ .

The Debus attraction does not only display immunity, but also dance and sound arts as well as mystical nuances of magic. However, it turns out that this debus is a medium used by local clerics to spread Islam in ancient times, you know .

Not everyone can do this, of course, Sinaumed’s, to be able to master the science of debus, one must have a commitment and istiqomah attitude in practicing. So, to be able to find out more about debus, you can see the article below.

History of Debus

Debus art began in the 16th century, during the reign of Maulana Hasanuddin from Banten (1532-1570) Debus began to be known by the people of Banten as a way of spreading Islam by Nurrudin Ar-Raniry, who was a Muslim leader from Tarikat al-Rifa ‘iyah by showing strength by self-mutilation while reciting prayers from the Holy Quran in an attempt to plead for salvation. Then during the reign of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (1651-1692), debus was used as a medium to pump up the enthusiasm of the people of Banten in the face of Dutch colonialism.

Debus art had disappeared along with the weakening of the Sultanate of Banten, which was under the rule of Sultan Rafiudin. In the 1960s the debus art reappeared and has become a means of entertainment to this day. There are also those who say that Debus comes from the Middle East, namely Al-Madad, which has some similarities. Currently, the members of the Al-Madad art group are indeed not as many as the members of the Debus art group.

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Debus and Silat

If you hear debus, you must be very synonymous with silat, right? This was because the Debus art was revived and developed again at paguron/ hermitage/ silat studios. However, not every paguron/ hermitage/ silat studio works on debus art. Debus is a certain stage in martial arts activities. Every debus player must be a fighter, but not all fighters are debus players.

Every silat hermitage or studio is bound to belong to a particular silat school. Currently, there are at least three silat schools that are quite large in the Banten region, namely cimande, bandrong and reef schools. This style of silat colors the characteristics of the Debus arts owned by silat studios. Usually debus players can recognize the characteristics of cimande debus, bandrong debus or reef debus.

A debus studio is usually led by a professor or sheikh who is in charge of about 20 debus players, including attraction players and nayaga musicians.

Equipment for Debus Performances

To attract the attention of the audience, the person performing the attraction will use several equipments which can also support the attraction. Such as player clothing, art equipment and equipment for the debus action itself.

1. Debus clothing

In performing debus attractions, usually players will use typical debus clothing. Debus player clothing consists of a lomar or headband, shucks clothes, and pangsi pants.

2. Art Equipment

Apart from wearing clothes, debus players also use art equipment. There are two types of art equipment used to accompany Debus performances, namely:

  • Drum art equipment https://sinaumedia.com/literasi/ kinds-pembangkit-listrik/ penca that is used to accompany Cimande debus. Consisting of trumpets, kanco or gongs, kemprang drums, gedur drums, and kulanter
  • Patingtung art equipment used to accompany the reef debus and bandrong debus. It consists of 1 large drum, 2 small drums, a small gong, a roasted gong (made from a drum filled with water and a long iron with a convex shape at the top), kenuk, angkeb, kecrek, and trumpet. Some are also a combination of drums and tambourines.

3. Equipment Debus

Usually the equipment used is adjusted to the type of debus that will be displayed. Such as broken glass, embers, sharp weapons, wire or needles, hard water, and many others.

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Types of Debus Attractions

If you talk about the types of debus attractions, there are a lot of them. However, there are several types of attractions that are commonly shown, such as:

  1. Piercing the stomach with a spear or other sharp weapon without getting hurt.
  2. Slice part of the body with a knife, machete or other sharp weapon.
  3. Eats fireballs.
  4. Inserting a needle or wire into the tongue, cheek, or other body part without bleeding.
  5. Dousing the limbs with hard water until the clothes worn are destroyed but the skin remains intact.
  6. Fry the eggs over the head.
  7. Burn the body with fire.
  8. Climbing or occupying an arrangement of machetes or sharp weapons
  9. Roll over broken glass or glass
  10. Chewing on glass or glass shards.
  11. Peeling coconut skin with teeth
  12. Lick a knife or sharp weapon that is burned
  13. Hit the placed brick on the head with a wooden blade.

Debus Art Program Order

Usually debus is performed as a complement to traditional ceremonies or public entertainment. This show is ideally held in an open field so that the players can freely do their attractions. Before starting the show, the sheikh or professor will perform a special ritual that aims to ask God for help so that the debus show can run smoothly.

Then also the players made preparations and checked the equipment and the performance arena. The following is the sequence of Debus art events in general:

1. The Show Begins with the Opening (Bubbles)

Usually, salawat or chanting praises to the Prophet Muhammad will be recited, dhikr to Allah and accompanied by percussion instruments for thirty minutes. The aim is to get safety during the debus performance.

2. Baluk event

The Baluk event is an event with the chanting of the dzikir in a loud, shrill voice, resonating with the accompaniment of percussion. Debus attractions generally begin with the sound of several traditional songs (as the opening song or “bubble”).

3. Pencak Silat Game

After the dzikir and macapat are finished, the next event is carried out with a game of pencak silat which will be demonstrated by one or two players without using sharp weapons. However, it is combined with dance, sound, and mysticism with magical nuances.

4. Debus attractions

After the pencak silat game is finished, then proceed with demonstrating debus attractions according to the wishes of debus players.

5. Closing Ceremony (Gemrung)

After completing the series of attractions, it will end with the game of percussion instruments.

The value of cooperation will emanate from the efforts of Debus players. They come together to work together in order to show the best to the audience. Apart from that, the hard work to be able to play Debus can also be seen from the efforts of those who always practice continuously while carrying out certain conditions and restrictions so that their Debus skills are perfect.

Religious value is reflected in the attractions of Debus, this is due to the prayers said by the players. These prayers are recited with the aim that the debus players are always protected and receive safety from God during the debus attractions.

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Things to do so that debus players don’t get hurt

When during the attraction of cutting the body using a sharp weapon or stabbing a sharp weapon in the area of ​​the neck, stomach, hands, arms and thighs, a person who performs debus will chant spells so that his body is immune from sharp weapons. One example of the mantra is “It is forbidden for you to touch my skin, it is forbidden for you to drink my blood, it is forbidden for you to eat my flesh, veins, iron bones, steel skin, I came out of my mother’s womb.”

In the stomach stabbing attraction like a player holding a debus, then the sharp end is attached to the stomach of another player. After that, another player holds a wooden bat called a mace and hits the base of the debus many times. If a debus player experiences an “accident” or is injured in his attraction, a sheikh will heal by rubbing the injured body part accompanied by reading a spell, then the wound will heal. it will heal in no time.

In the attraction game of eating glass or glass, the players will say the phrase “la ilaha illahu.” then what will be spit out instead of glass shards but dozens of live bats.

Facts of Mixing Traditions in Debus

In the Debus attractions, there are several mixtures of traditions in Indonesia, both Islamic traditions and local traditions. The readings sung in the series of attractions are Arabic readings originating from Islamic traditions as well as Javanese and Sundanese readings. Here are some traditions that are mixed in Debus art.

1. Islamic tradition

The intention of this Islamic tradition does not directly show that debus art is in accordance with the teachings or values ​​that exist in the Islamic religion, especially if it is assessed theologically and fiqh. However, there are also those who say and argue that debus art is in accordance with the values ​​that exist in Islam.

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2. Wirids

Wirid comes from the Arabic word wird. Wirid are short prayers or formulas to praise Allah and/or praise the Prophet Muhammad.

In terms of reading it is done within a certain count and at a predetermined time and is believed to get a miracle or at least psychologically it will bring benefits.

3. Tawasul and Rabithah Shaykh

In performing debus attractions, wasilah is a must. The wasilah that is done in debus is exactly the same as that done in the tarekat tradition.

This wasilah reading aims to show a scientific genealogy, it is also an attempt to ask for help from the previous sheikhs whose intention was to be conveyed to Allah SWT.

4. Local Traditions

Local traditions in the performance of the debus art come from local sources, especially from the beliefs of the people before Islam was embraced by the majority of the people of Banten. Of course, this tradition is not found in Islamic teachings or the traditions of people in other regions.

5. Jangjawokan

Another reading that is practiced by other players is jangjawokan, which is a reading that is believed to have extraordinary power if it is practiced with full sincerity and all its provisions are followed. According to language, jangjawokan is different from wirid which uses Arabic. Janjawokan uses Javanese or Sundanese. That’s what makes it often incomprehensible even by those who practice it.

6. Accompaniment Music

Each Debus art game must be accompanied by the strains of traditional music called waditra. This music has a function as a game attraction. The music that was played was also adjusted to the attractions that were taking place at that time. Music players usually number 5 people or can be adjusted to the musical instruments used in the show. The musical instruments used are usually Banten traditional musical instruments.

Debus Streams

There are 3 streams of debus that can be learned. Here are 3 streams of debus.

1. Debus Al-Madad Stream

This flow can be said to be the heaviest debus flow. Usually the use of debus al-madad is not only shown for performing arts with debus al-madad but is also used for healing and supernatural powers. The meaning of debus al-madad itself is asking for help or help.

One of the characteristics of this debus genre is that the players, who every time they want to perform a debus art action, will ask for help by saying the words al-madad which seem to describe that their actions are based on help from Allah SWT. To be able to perform in this debus category, the group leader must perform a long and arduous practice.

The practice of the debus leader is taken from the rifa’iyah or qodariyah order. Someone who succeeds in becoming the leader of this debus group must have gone through various long journeys in practicing certain prayers and doing fasting and meditation.

2. Surosowan Debus Flow

This debus flow can be said to be not so heavy in its attractions. the players also do not require high abilities. Usually this debus flow can be done by teenagers who have been trained first. In the past, this debus flow was only carried out by men but now there are many women who do it.

As the name implies, which is synonymous with the Sultanate of Banten, the function of this Debus school is indeed only used as a performing arts in the palace.

3. Flow of Sky Dust

This debus flow can be said to be a light debus flow. The debus performance of this flow is a debus whose function is as a performing art and not to gain supernatural powers. In this debus flow, not only teenagers but children can also do it. Of course they had been trained before.

Just like debus in general, children who are targeted by sharp debus equipment will not feel pain and have no injuries after the performance.

After pencak silat was designated as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ), now Indonesia is trying to make debus also recognized on the international stage. The goal is to unify the shared perception between debus activists.

This is because now there are many debus players who have strayed from their original path. For example, there are many places that only display terrible acts, even though the debus must be followed along with prayers.

Well, Sinaumed’s, that’s an explanation of debus and other facts. Is Sinaumed’s interested in watching Debus live? We need to be active in preserving this Indonesian art because it doesn’t exist anywhere in the world, so Indonesian art doesn’t disappear quickly.

If Sinaumed’s wants to find out more about debus or other Indonesian art books, then you can get them at sinaumedia.com so you have #MoreWithMembaca information .

Author: Christin Devina

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