As the fighting starts, they swoop on each other from opposite ends of the battle ground. Many charges start as feints – an attempt to lure the enemy into an ambush by many other warriors lying in wait. Other combatants ride furtively up the far edge of the field, hoping that the large crowd will distract their enemy and permit them to get close enough to strike a telling blow on an opponent.
As the day goes on and the temperature rises, the tempo of the Pasola increases. Mass charges of wild eyed horses and riders take place. Many hola ( a Sumbabese spear – mercifully blunted these days) fly through the air and often into the crowd. Men howl as they gallop full pelt to attack the enemy, or struggle to suppress the pain as the flashing hola strikes the flesh. As I watch, a warrior rushes past me, only to be smashed from his horse as a flying hola crashes into his shoulder. The crowd screams. Bloodied, he dusts himself off, beats a retreat to his own lines and prepares to charge again. Others are more lucky – catching a glimpse of the missiles headed towards them, they manage to somehow to hang over the side of the horse like a circus act and the missile pass overhead. Some riders pluck the spears from the air as they whistle past. Just near me, a man raises his spear and gallops in an arc before the crowd, screaming in triumph to celebrate his “kill”.
I watch as individual horsemen come from behind their “goal line” feinting, threatening and cajoling the enemy. Insults are hurled by the crowd and the riders at their opposition. As I watch from my vantage point within a few metres of galloping hooves, both sides charge simultaneously. Horses shower dirt on me. A wayward spear flies just past over my head. I can hear the sounds of spears whistling through the air around me. Some riders not only catch incoming spears at a full gallop but manage to hurl them back at the opposition. Another rider a few metres away is smashed in the chest and arm by a spear. He staggers but remains on his horse. Blood runs down his shirt. Again the crowd surges and cheers.
As the Pasola continues into the afternoon, the action becomes more frenetic – both riders and horses are covered in sweat. Adrenaline levels rise, as does the risk taking by the participants. Suddenly the crowd surges and howls - riders begin to dismount and start fighting on foot. The many police and elders act immediately to restore order. Unhappily there have been previous occasions when such skirmishes have escalated into a war between villages.
The Pasola has very deep religious and cultural significance for the people of Sumba. It is a ritual war where the purpose is a display of bravery, horsemanship and skill at spear throwing. It is not a game – there is no winner or loser as such but rather the “winners” are those who display the utmost bravery and skill. The purpose of the Pasola in Sumbanese culture and tradition is the staging of a ritual war, the criteria for which is a display of bravery by skilful spear wielding warriors on horseback, which requires the spilling of blood to ensure a good harvest.
After many hours the horses and their riders are visibly wilting in the intense heat. Some horses are unable to continue. The ratu enter the arena, raise a hola and signal that the Pasola is over. The gods of Sumba are appeased. A good harvest is assured by a successful Pasola. The Wanokaka Pasola is over until the arrival of the nyale next year. The warriors return to their villages as heroes.
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