The Barong and Kris Dance Bali

THE BARONG AND KRIS DANCE

The barong play represents an eternal fight between good and evil spirits. A barong ( a mytological animal ) representing good spirit and rangda (a mytological monster) representing evil one.

THE DANCE START WITH MUSIC OVERTONE

Followed by his friend the monkey, the tiger comes up. Three masked dancers appear, representing man making palwine in the forest whose child is killed by the tiger. The three men get angry and attack the monkey which is helped by the tiger. During the fight, the nose of one the three men is bitten off.

FIRSTACT

Two girl dancers appear, representing the servants of the rangda. They are looking for the servants of dewi kunti who are on their way to meet patih (prime minister).

SECONDACT

The servants of dewi kuntu come. One of the servants of the rangda changes into a with and enter both servants to make them angry. They meet their patih and go together to dewi kunti.

THIRDACT

Dewi kunti and her daughter, sahadewa come up, dewi kunti had promised the rangda to sacrifice sahadewa. A witch appears and enters dewi kunti. She becomes angry and orders the patih bring sahadewa into the forest. The patih is also entered by a with so he does not have pity on sahadewa. Sahadewa is then taken into forest and tied up on tree.

FOURTHACT

Unknown by rangda, God siwa appears and gives sahadewa immortality. The rangda appears, ready to kill sahadewa and eats her up, but sahadewa is still alive. He then surrenders and asks her to redeem him, sahadewa agrees and kills the rangda. The rangda goes to heaven.

FIFTHACT

One of servants of the rangda called kalika who comes up before sahadewa and asks her to redeem her too. Sahadewa reuses. Kalika gets angry and changes into a boar and fights sahadewa. She than changes into a bird but defeated again. At last she changes into rangda. Sahadewa can not kill her. In such circumstances. Sahadewa meditates and then she herself changes in a barong. Still the rangda seems to be too powerfull and the fight is unending. Followers of the barong appear and help him to fight the rangda.

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