Barong animal mask dance, together with
sanghyang dance are considered native Balinese dances, probably predating
Hindu influences. The native Indonesians of
Austronesian heritage often have similar mask dances that represent either ancestral or natural spirits; an example is
Dayak's
Hudoq dance or any similar
bear worship practice. The term
barong is thought to have been derived from the local term
bahruang, which today corresponds to the
Indonesian word
beruang which means "
bear". It refers to a good spirit, that takes the form of an animal as the guardian of the forest (compare to
bear worship). In Balinese mythology, the good spirit is identified as Banas Pati Raja. Banas Pati Raja is the fourth "brother" or spirit child that accompanies a child throughout their life, which is a similar concept to
guardian angels. Banas Pati Raja is the spirit that animates Barong. A protector spirit, he is often represented as a
lion. The Barong is often portrayed as accompanied by two monkeys. Barong is portrayed as a lion with a red head, covered in white thick fur, and wearing gilded jewelry adorned with pieces of mirrors. The shape of the lion Barong is somewhat similar to a
Pekingese dog. The origins of the Barong are far back in time and quite uncertain. Its origins could be from
animist worship, before Hinduism appeared, when villagers still believed in the supernatural protective power of animals.
Calon Arang Rangda is Barong's opposite. While Barong represents good, Rangda represents evil. Rangda is known as a demon queen, the incarnation of
Calon Arang, the legendary
witch that wreaked havoc in ancient Java during the reign of
Airlangga in the tenth century. It is said that Calon Arang was a widow who had mastered the art of
black magic, who often damaged farmer's crops and caused disease to come. She had a girl, named Ratna Manggali, who, though beautiful, could not get a husband because people were afraid of her mother. Because of the difficulties faced by her daughter, Calon Arang was angry and she intended to take revenge by kidnapping a young girl. She brought the girl to a temple to be sacrificed to the goddess
Durga. The next day, a great flood engulfed the village and many people died. Disease also appeared. King
Airlangga, who had heard of this matter, then asked his advisor, Empu Bharada, to deal with this problem. Empu Bharada then sent his disciple, Empu Bahula, to be married to Ratna. Both were married with a huge feast that lasted seven days and seven nights, and the situation returned to normal. Calon Arang had a book that contained magic incantations. One day, this book was found by Empu Bahula, who turned it over to Empu Bharada. As soon as Calon Arang knew that the book had been stolen, she became angry and decided to fight Empu Bharada. Without the help of Durga, Calon Arang was defeated. Since she was defeated, the village was safe from the threat of Calon Arang's black magic.
Rangda Another version holds that Rangda was linked to the historical queen
Mahendradatta or Gunapriyadharmapatni, a Javanese princess sister of
Dharmawangsa of the East Javanese
Ishana dynasty of the late
Mataram kingdom period. She was the queen consort of Balinese king
Udayana and Airlangga's mother. Mahendradatta is known for her devotion to the worship of
Durga in Bali. The story goes that Mahendradatta, the mother of Airlangga, was condemned by Airlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow (Rangda in
old Javanese means: 'widow'), hurt and humiliated, she sought revenge upon her ex-husband's court and the whole of his kingdom. She summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the and the demons that caused plague and death in the kingdom. Airlangga had to face his mother to save the kingdom. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were so powerful that Airlangga had to ask for the help of the spirit king, Barong to defeat her. Barong came with Airlangga's soldiers, and a fight ensued. Rangda cast a spell that made all of Airlangga's soldiers feel suicidal, pointing their poisoned
keris into their stomachs and chests. In response, Barong cast a spell that caused the soldiers' bodies to be resistant to the sharp keris. In the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away. ==
Barong dance ==