BARONG AND KERIS DANCE
Barong and Keris Dance is a traditional Balinese dance performance that tells the story of an endless battle between Barong, who represents the good character, and Rangda, who represents the evil character, in which the barong wins. Furthermore, there is a trance dance attraction in this dance performance where the dancer will stab a dagger in his body and his body is not injured at all. A dance performance that is full of meaning and inspires our lives in which we are taught to treat our fellow humans well in order to create harmony in our daily lives. Barong is a character in Bali mythology. In Bali’s mythological traditions, he is the king of the spirits, the leader of the hosts of good, and the enemy of Rangda. Banas Pati Rajah is the fourth brother or spirit child who follows a child throughout his or her life. The spirit that drives Barong is Banas Pati Rajah. He is often represented by a lion as a protector spirit, and traditional Balinese performances of his battles with Rangda are popular parts of Balinese culture. The Barong Dance is frequently depicted with two monkeys.
BALINESE DANCE STORY ABOUT THE FIGHT BETWEEN BARONG AS A GOOD SPIRIT WITH RANGDA AS A BAD SPIRIT
What exactly is Barong?
Barong is a mythological character whose goal is to protect Bali from all evil disturbances that threaten the island. The barong is depicted in various animal guises, including lions, tigers, wild boars, buffalo, elephants, and dogs. Since people still believe in animistic beliefs, barong has become a part of Javanese and Balinese culture. In Bali, the barong character is shaped like a cross between an animal face and a scary but good character. When you look at it, it can give you a religious feeling. Barong bali evolved from barong ponorogo or Reog, which King Airlangga brought with him when he fled to the island of Bali to save himself. Airlangga brought with him, in addition to Barong Ponorogo, other forms of literary art, Javanese script, and religious rituals. This influence is visible in the shape of the ponorogo barong when it is not wearing a peacock crown.
Barong Varieties
The types of barong in Bali are very diverse, with different looks and functions, and not just any dancer is performed because this barong dance requires a lot of practice to be able to perform professionally. Barong Ket, Barong Bangkal, Barong Landung, Barong Macan, Barong Gajah, Barong Asu, Barong Brutuk, Barong Lembu, Barong Kedingkling, Barong Kambing, and Barong Gagombrangan are the different types of barong found in Bali. Barongs can take the shape of animals with four legs such as elephants, dogs, goats, oxen, and others. If you’ve ever seen the Barong Sai dance from China, the barong dance in Bali is somewhat similar to that, with the only difference being that Balinese dance is performed with a typical dance technique. Without doing attractions like those in Barong Sai, Bali is more prominent. The type of barong seen frequently in Barong and Keris Dance is the Barong Ketket. This show is performed by trained dancers who perform very well with a comedy twist, leaving the audience happy and carried away by the storyline that was delivered.
Keket Barong
The Barong Ket or Barong Keket that is played in this Barong and Keris Dance Performance takes the form of a combination of lion, tiger, cow, and dragon that produces the barong face that you see today, with a touch of traditional Balinese carvings that creates a mystical and mystical atmosphere. When he saw it, it was surrounded by a spiritual aura. As a good character, which is represented in mythology by Banaspati the king, who is the king of all spirits. The mask of this barong keket does not take wood arbitrarily to be used as a barong mask, but rather chooses specific trees, such as the Pule tree that grows in the grave area, because the Pule tree is thought to be easy to invite demons. And it is believed that taking material from the grave will bring a mystical aura inside this barong mask. Two people in the front, known as Juru Saluk, hold the head and dance, and those in the back, known as Juru Bapang and dancers, must be in harmony so that they can create a very beautiful movement when seen. The feathers of this barong keket are made of perasok (pandanus leaf fiber and palm fiber), and some replace them with crow feathers. Barong keket is a mythological creature from the island of Bali who is adept at protecting the island from all negative threats.
What exactly is Rangda?
Rangda is a mythological creature from Bali with an evil character and a frightening appearance who frequently kidnaps and eats small children and is considered to be the embodiment of Goddess Durga. Rangda is derived from the ancient Javanese language and means “widow.” In the past, the name Widow was found in the Vaisya, Kshatriya, and Brahmin castes, while the lower caste, the Sudra caste, was known as Balu. So Rangda came from a caste, and most likely Rangda came from queen Mahendradatta, who lived in the 11th century on the island of Java. He was exiled by the king of Dharmodayana after being accused of witchcraft against the two kings’ consort. According to legend, he exacted his vengeance by slaughtering half the kingdom, which later became his and the property of Dharmodayana’s son, Erlangga. He was then replaced by a wise man. Rangda manifests in a terrifying form as a woman with long disheveled hair, long nails, a long protruding tongue, and long breasts. His face was frightening, with long, sharp fangs.
Keris and Barong Perform a Dance
The barong and keris dances are traditional Balinese dances that depict the battle between Barong, the good character, and Rangda, the evil character, and are frequently performed for tourists as one of the cultural attractions that never ceases to amaze us. Originally, the barong and keris dance was a religious ceremony known as Calonarang, which was performed only on the day of the ceremony and also in various religious rituals. Making this barong and keris dance began to be performed as a cultural attraction over time, and the initial response from tourists was very positive, so many dance studios opened this barong dance performance in various strategic locations, the majority of which you can see here in the Batubulan area. A well-known dance show that is only performed in the morning. With a plot based on the story of the barong and rangda battles from the Calonarang legend, which was frequently staged during religious ceremonies. The Barong and Kris dance, like the Kecak Dance, is a battle between good and evil spirits. Barong can take many forms, but in this dance he takes the form of the most holy of the Barongs, Barong Keket. The Barong Keket is a strange creature that is half shaggy dog and half lion and is performed by two men in the manner of a circus clown-horse. Rangda, the witch, is his opponent.
The Barong and Kris Dance Story
The battle between Barong and Rangda is also the subject of traditional stories, which are usually performed in the temple of the dead. The most well-known is the tale of Calonarang, a Jirah widow who is enraged because she cannot find a suitable husband for her daughter Ratna Manggali. Because all of the eligible young men are afraid of her black magic, she exacts her vengeance by wreaking havoc on the kingdom of Daha. Erlangga, the king, tries to punish her, but all of his attempts fail. She slaughters all of the soldiers he dispatches to destroy her. Rangda then decides to destroy Daha. She gathers all her disciples and leads them to the Setra Gendrainayu cemetery in the dead of night to make offerings of dead flesh to Durga, the goddess of death. Durga agrees to the destruction, but she warns the witch not to enter Daha. However, the witch disregards Durga’s advice, and the kingdom is soon struck by grubug (a plague), and the villages quickly turn into cemeteries, with people dying before they can bury their dead.
Corpses are strewn about, and the stench is unbearable.
Mpu Bharadah is the only one who can defeat the witch. Bharadah dispatches his disciple Bahula to steal Calonarang’s magical weapon at the request of the king.images/banaspati.jpg> Bahula pretends to ask Ratna Manggali for her hand in marriage, and while the witch is away, Bahula steals the magical weapon with Ratna Manggali’s help. The stolen weapon is then given to his teacher, Bharadah. The weapon turns out to be a manuscript containing the key to ultimate release (moks), which Calonarang has used upside-down. Bharadah travels to Daha to confront the witch. She is defeated with the help of the Barong. She begs to be released from her curse and purified before being executed. Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, is said to have been condemned by Erlangga’s father for practicing black magic. She summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga after she became a widow. There was a fight, but she and her black magic troops were so powerful that Erlangga had to seek the assistance of Barong. Barong arrived with Erlangga’s soldiers, and a battle ensued. Rangda cast a spell that made all Erlangga soldiers want to commit suicide by inserting poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong cast a spell that rendered their bodies impervious to the sharp keris. In the end, Barong triumphed, and Rangda fled.
Reflection of Daily Life in Dance
Barong Dance is one of Bali’s distinctive arts communities, with Barong itself representing goodness with its lion-like shape. Barong dance tells the story of a battle between Barong and Rangda, Rangda being a symbol of evil with the shape of a giant with a large canine. Both are a reflection of human behavior in daily life, with good and bad behavior, or Dharma and Adharma in Balinese. Barong is similar to a doll that is moved by a person inside it. Because barong is very heavy, this dance is usually performed by two big men who lift and move the barong from the inside. A Barong dance can result in death or serious injury. It is said that if Rangda’s spell is too powerful, even with the assistance of Barong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it. He might injure himself with his own keris. Before the masks of Barong and Rangda are brought out, a priest must be present to bless them by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented. The most well-known dance is probably barong. It is also a story-telling dance that depicts the battle between good and evil. This dance is a classic example of Balinese mythology acting, with myth and history merging into one reality.
Barong and Keris Dance Location
The majority of the barong dance performances take place in Batubulan Village, Gianyar Bali. It is very easy to find because it is on the main road leading to Ubud village. Sahadewa Barong & Kecak Fire Dance, located on Jl. Puseh Temple, Batubulan, Kec. Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80582, is one of the most famous and popular barong and keris performances. You can use Google Maps to get to this location; it will take approximately 60 minutes to drive from Kuta and approximately 30 minutes to drive from Ubud. You can choose between the Full Day Ubud Tour, which focuses on visiting tourist attractions in Ubud, and the Ubud and Kintamani Tour, which combines tourist attractions in Ubud and Kintamani in one day. If you want to be flexible, you can rent a driver and a car for a day at a low cost and the service is very satisfying. The trip to Barong and Keris Dance Performance will be made more enjoyable by a friendly and experienced driver.
Sahadewa Barong & Keris Dance Batubulan
Barong & Kris Dance Jambe Budaya Batubulan
Barong Dance Uma Dewi, Waribang Sanur – Denpasar
