BARONG VERSUS CALONARANG DANCE

Thu, 23 Jun 2011

Myth and history being blended into one reality

Bali is the island of interesting culture as the identical religious significance, whereas the theater and dance are essential parts of it. One of the famous dances is Barong Dance as the fighting case between the goodness and badness. Barong is symbolized as goodness with shape like a lion and Calonarang is symbolized of badness with shape like a giant with a big canine. There are more than five types of Barong dances as there are myths and legends available in Bali. The main stories are often between the fighting of good and evil. One of the most popular Barong dances is the Barong Keket and Calonarang (witch) story.

The Balinese believe that the story of the dance derived from the ancient period of Hindus. The dance always performed in the temple for completing ceremony, mainly in Dalem temple (temple for dead) accompanied by gamelan is typical, and unlike other gamelan. It starts with a brief opening scene of monkey in the forest and some dancers carry out Legong dance. Then, the dance is begun.

The story goes that Calonarang, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was predestined by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. The real name of Calonarang is Randeng Girah. After she became a widow, she woke up all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons to order them killing the villagers and also the king of Erlangga. Randeng Girah had a daughter but no boys wanted to marry her because afraid of her mother. It made Rangdeng Girah so angry and stated a war to slaughter people without any exception.

The king got the information about his people suffering and sent his great warriors to defeat the witch. The witch turned into Calonarang with long fingernails, long tongue and threatening fangs. Calonarang casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp sword (keris). The fight was so long because Calonarang has black magic power and blessed to be immortal by the God. However, there are those who seem to reach a state of fervor, or 'trance'. This is the most memorable part of this Barong Dance since the music plays madly and the men foam around the mouth, moving backwards and forwards and some are rolling on the ground.

One of the strongest soldiers turned into Barong. Barong leads an army of humans, plus the impish Monkey-god Hanuman, into battle against Calonarang and her army of witches. Barong counters by making their bodies impervious to the blades. The priests come and sprinkle holy water on the soldiers to free them from the magic power of the Calonarang.

This is unique spiritual version; Barong Dance is about reordering the steadiness between good and evil. The dualities of life, a ritual contest between chaos and order. That the real of human in daily life with the good and bad behavior. In the end, no one side wins the fight since there is no good without evil. Both are required in the Balinese for balance.  It is also such kind of telling dance, narrating of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality of our life. would you like to see the dance and feel the atmosphere? Please call us at 720620 for further information and booking. The stage for tourist attraction is different likely to be more colorful music comedy but still carry out the state of beauty.