Part 11.2 - The History of Animism in Indonesia

[Full title: The history and origins of Animism in Austroasian Countries (2): Indonesia]

The spirit of the Indonesian lion (Barong) is known because it comes from the Gianyar region, where Ubud is located (the home of the Balinese tourist). Within the Arang Calon, the theatrical dance in which Barong appears, the barong responds to the use of Rangda's magic to control and kill him to restore balance. In the usual dances of Barong's acts, he is described in his evidence against Rangda (the sorceress of Leyek), is the best known part of Balinese taste. The mythological creature would dance in the way of the calon arang dance. A priest would throw holy water there.

The dance opens with two naughty monkeys mocking Barong in a quiet environment.

Subsequently, the scene is popularly known as "Keris Dance". Role player Rangda appears and creates chaos. He sends sorcery to the dancers, who represent the soldiers of Airlangga, and orders them to commit suicide. In a daydream, these men are drilled in their chests with their own swords. Meanwhile, Barong and the priest extend protective magic over these men, which makes them immune to sharp objects.

The dance ends with the final battalion between Barong and Rangda, which ends with Barong's triumph over Rangda.

Rangda fled, evil is defeated and the star system is re-stabilized. The Indonesian Barong is a brute and dramatis personae in the folklore of Bali, Indonesia. He is the supreme leader of the spirits, the captain of the armies of the good, and the enemy of Rangda, the queen of the demons and the mother of all the guardians of the spirit in the mythological traditions of Bali. The battle between Barong and Rangda is shown in Barong's dance to show the infinite war between good and evil.

Another analysis shows that Rangda was in fact related to the archaic queen Mahendradatta or Gunapriyadharmapatni, a Javanese sister of Dharmawangsa from the Isyana dynasty of East Java since the end of the Medang Kingdom. She was the queen consort of Balinese king Udayana and the mother of Airlangga. She is known for her dedication to Durga worship in Bali. According to the story, Mahendradatta, Airlangga's mother, was reprimanded by Airlangga's father for spreading black magic. After becoming a widow (Rangda in the old Javanese language means "widow"), mutilated and shamed, she took revenge on the court of her ex-husband and all his estates. She had called all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leyaks and the demons that were wreaking havoc and losing lives in the kingdom. Airlangga is against his own mother to save the field. There was a fight, but she and her armies of dark magic were so sacred that Airlangga had to ask the help of the king of spirits, Barong, to be able to defeat her. Barong arrived with the Airlangga soldiers, and the war started. Rangda spread a spell that made the Airlangga soldiers all commit suicide, with their swords pointing to their own stomachs and breasts. As a reprimand, Barong spread a spell that made the soldier's bodies safe from sharp swords. In the end, Barong won, and Rangda fled the scene of the battle.

Here in South East Asia Rangda (Dhumaavati) is in the negative role play and Barong the Lion is in a positive role play.