Feriyanto Feriyanto, Imanuel Hitipeuw, Ninik Setiyowati, Vani Mantong Tendenan, Novita Toding
The article examines how buffalo fighting (tedong silaga) in Toraja, Indonesia, has transformed from a ritual practice within a funeral ceremony (Rambu Solo’) to become a socially embedded gambling arena. The research used an exploratory qualitative design. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the elders, minaa or ritual leaders, religious leaders, the owners of fighting buffalos, local youth, and local government. Findings show that ritual commodification, moral rationalisation, and communal conformity have enabled betting practices to gain social legitimacy without significant normative conflict. Buffalo fighting exemplifies culturally embedded gambling where sacred symbolism and a competitive market logic coexist via continuous social negotiation. © 2026, Ljubljana University, Faculty of Social Sciences. All rights reserved.
Universitas Negeri Malang, Faculty of Psychology, Indonesia; Yonsei University, South Korea; Institut Agama Kristen Negeri Toraja, Faculty of Educational, Indonesia
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