Topeng Kona: A Sacred Dance in the Ritual Bersih Desa at Blimbing Village, Bondowoso Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the procession of the ritual ‘Bersih Desa’ and analyze the existence of the sacred dance ‘Topeng Kona’ as a tool for validating the ritual ‘Bersih Desa’ in Blimbing Village, Bondowoso Regency, East Java, Indonesia. The intelligence and local wisdom possessed by the ancestors of Blimbing Village, was able to give birth to masterpieces of high noble value in the ritual ‘Bersih Desa’, such as ‘Topeng Kona’ dance, ‘Singo Ulung’ dance, Tandhe’ Bini’ and ‘Ojhung’ dance. The masterpiece was the result of the marriage of two cultures, namely Javanese culture (represented by the figure of Juk Seng or Juk Singo Ulung) and Madurese culture (represented by the figure of Juk Jasiman). The result of the marriage produced a migrant culture with a high value that differed from the culture of the migrant’s home region. The sacred dance ‘Topeng Kona’ was used as a medium to validate the ritual ‘Bersih Desa’ as a form of appreciation for Jasiman figures who came from Madura and became the member of the residents of Blimbing Village.