Sabung:Many Meanings

Sabung: Many Meanings

In Geertz’s essay Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, he explains that for the Balinese, cockfighting is an essential part of their culture. The sport has many connotations for the Balinese people, and it is interwoven in daily life. Geertz explains, that for the most part cock fighting is an exclusively male sport, and gambling naturally follows. However, to understand Geertz’s anthropological perspective on the Balinese culture and “cockfighting“, one should understand the meanings of how the Balinese have integrated the word “cock” into their language, and into their male gender ideaology.
Sabung, the Balinese word for cock, has many meanings within the culture that acts as guidelines for male...