Vacation To Bali

The barong's dance


Barong is villages occult protector. As “ forest ruler” with the sharp pronged mask and long hair, Barong is the opponent from Rangda the enchanter, power of darkness soul, in contention which have never ended between goodness and evil. In festival of Galungan & Kuningan ceremony, Barong ( there are a lot of type barong, inclusive of barongket, barong tiger, and barong bangkal) wandering from door to door ( nglawang) cleaning the area from virulent influence.

This dance represent the ommission of culture of Pre Hindu using extant doll of ancient human being or quadruped having the power of magical.

Barong Mask made of a wood which is taken away from a ghostlike place like grave, that's why Barong represent the very sanctified sacred object by Hindu's society in Bali. The dance show with or without act, always early with the opener show, accompanied by gamelan which different each other like Gamelan Gong Kebyar, Gamelan Babarongan, and Gamelan Batel. Barong type which up to now there still in Bali shall be as follows:








Barong bangkung
Barong Ket
Barong Gajah
Barong Bangkal
Barong Macan
Barong Asu
Barong Landung
Barong Brutuk
Barong Lembu
Barong Kedingkling
Barong kambing
Barong Gagombrangan
Barong Sai

Barong bangkung

Cit tah, cit tah….Barong Bangkung…!” That’s how the children call it the Barong Bangkung that looks like a pig is played by two men who will chase after the children who call out. Then, chase & catch between the kid and Barong Bakung happens. To avoid the barong’s catch, the children sometimes climbing a tree so the barong cannot catch them shaking its head while dancing to the rhythm. Sometimes the children are captured by the barong will be scared off and then cry. That’s makes the audience laugh.

That was a flash of the Barong Bangkung Dance, which is performed during the series of Galungan and Kuningan Days. For people in Bali, Galungan and Barong Bangkung are inseparable to each other. Barong Bangkal will always visit people’s houses in Tabanan and will dance lively in front of each house gate.
The dweller will never feel disturbed by the Barong. In fact, they are happy for this fresh and inexpensive entertainment. With the money amount of Rp.1.000, Rp.2000 or Rp.3000, people will dissolve in laughter for few hilarious scenes that is offered by the barong’s dancer. It usually starts Ngelawang on Galungan (9/3) until Kuningan (19/3), three days after Galungan and three days after Kuningan.
During the staging, Barong Bangkung group will be accompanied by few telek mask dancers (mostly children accompanied by batel musical instruments) with their funny faces. Sekaa (group) Barong Bangkung always walks randomly from one village to another. They dance based on the money; the more they get paid, the longer they will dance.
Staging the Barong Bangkung on certain days is believed able to dissipate Bhuta Kala (evil spirit). For example, Barong Bangkung in Pangkung Nyuling sub village, Kediri, Tabanan, was their ancestor’s inheritance. This barong was put on sacral by local villagers and laid on the Temple of Merajan Agung Dalem Sukawati.
According to Dewa Ketut Anom (62), the Pemangku (holy person) at Tempe of Merajan Agung Dalem Sukawati, the Barong Bangkung existed from a long time ago. The temple also has a Barong Macan. Both of these barongs are placed on a shrine. Each month on Kajeng Kliwon Wudan, any disaster or disease that befalls the villager, Ratu Gede (that is what the villager named the Barong) will melancaran (traveling) around the village. “The barong which is carried on the street for ngelawang is the duplicate Ratu Gede,”he asserted.
There are many Barong Bangkung groups in bali, especially around Kediri, 4 Km eastward of Tabanan City. Few Barong Bangkung groups that are still active is the Barong Bangkung group of Pasekan sub village, Sengauk sub village, Koripan sub village, Abian Tuwung Kelod sub village, Senapahan sub village, Suralaga sub village, Pangkung Nyuling sub village, Anyar Danjan Tenten sub village, Anyar Delod Tenten sub village, Tanah Bang sub village, Pemenang sub village, Jadi sub village, and some in Marga Sub District; such as Tegaljadi sub village and Den Uma sub village.

Barong Ket

Barong Ket or Barong Keket is Barong dance which is at most available in Bali and most often show and also own the bursar move the complete dance. From the existing, this Barong Ket represent the solidarity between lion, tiger, ox or boma. The Barong's Body is dotted with the engraving made of a husk, patched by a sparkling mirror glass and its fur is made of perasok ( fibre from leaf), fibre of palm tree or there also from crow plumage.

For the attraction, this Barong is carried by two dancer so-called Juru Saluk / Juru Bapang, one dancer in lead and the other in bottom shares and its tail. The Barong Keket dance portray about benefaction contention ( dharma) and badness ( adharma) representing combination which always contrary ( rwa bhineda). The Barong Ket dance accompanied by gamelan called Semar Pagulingan

Barong bangkal

Bangkal meaning big pig which very old, that's why this Barong look like a bangkal or bangkung or pig, This Barong is ordinary also referred as Barong Celeng or Barong Bangkung. Generally show by circling countryside ( ngelelawang) by two dancer at certain day assumed by sacred or moment of the happening of epidemic disease groan the countryside without bringing an act and accompanied by gamelan batel / tetamburan.

Barong asu

This Barong look like a dog ( asu) and inclusive of scarce barong type, there are only some in countryside of area Tabanan and Badung. Usually showed by circling countryside ( ngelelawang) at certain day without act accompaniedly by gamelan batel / tetamburan or Balaganjur.

barong brutuk

Scarce dance, depicting holy creature ( all attendant of Ida Ratu Pancering Jagat) which stay in Pancering Jagat temple, Trunyan. Its Dancer is adolescent which have been sanctified and impose cloth made from dry banana leaf ( keraras), hence mask from shell, each and everyone bring the whip played at the same time running encircle the temple, accompanied by gamelan Balaganjur / Babonangan. This Barong are in Trunyan-Kintamani ( Bangli ).

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