INDONESIA: COLOURFUL BALINESE DANCE OF THE BARONG AND KRIS IS A BATTLE BETWEEN THE FORCES OF GOOD AND EVIL.

Record ID: 588437

  • Title: INDONESIA: COLOURFUL BALINESE DANCE OF THE BARONG AND KRIS IS A BATTLE BETWEEN THE FORCES OF GOOD AND EVIL.
  • Date: 12th March 1976
  • Summary: 1. SV INT. Musicians playing. 0.08 2. SCU Masks on show. 0.14 3. SCU The Barong fitting head dress 0.22 4. SCU The Rangda fitting head dress 0.32 5. SV Musicians playing for the Barong dance. 0.40 6. CU Rangda singing ZOOM OUT TO THE Barong, during act. 0.53 7. SV Tourists watching the play. 1.02 8. GV The act continues, with the Barong attacking the girl. 1.42 9. SV The Barong is carried off. End of act. 1.57 Initials VS 23.10 VS 23.30 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th March 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DENPASAR, BALI, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA68LC4JRYBL9AG6BGQR0NTT0N5
  • Story Text: In the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, where the people traditionally have a strong sense of their deified ancestors, spirits of nature, and magic forces - the dance of the Barong and Kris has social and religious significance as a fight between good and evil.

    The two forces are represented by the Barong, a mythical monster and protector of humans, and the Rangda, or widow, who occupies a terrifying place in the imagination on the Balinese.

    The Barong dance does not necessarily contain any story other than the symbolic encounter of the two great forces.

    At each Barong play the life of the community is jeopardised and the dramatic victory of the Barong is a comforting pledge of its preservation.

    There is a moment in the fight between the Barong and the Rangda when the victory of the Barong seems doubtful. It is then that the Kris dancers rush forward and furiously attack the witch.

    She casts a spell on the kris dancers and they try to kill each other with their daggers. But the power of the Barong makes them invulnerable.

    The play finally ends with the Rangda fleeing back to the graveyard where she belongs. Because she represents black magic or the forces of death, she cannot be destroyed.

    The Barong is represented by a long sagging body built on a frame of bamboo and string with a large ornate head.

    The Rangda is made to look as terrifying as possible with the players mask furnished with long woven tresses of mottled horses or goat's hair, which hangs from a great bushy wig to the ground. A long tongue of black or scarlet cloth hangs from the gaping jaws of the mask.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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