mt2

The masks you have seen from Bali fall into two categories, those that are employed for the Topeng and those used for ritual and religious performances in which a Rangda and a Barong Ket mask are used. Besides having an entertainment value for those who watch the characters they depict in action, they also serve a practical purpose to the Balinese. Discuss some of the masks and the characters they depict and the way they are employed to serve ritual and religious purposes in Balinese society.

The Barong dance serves both a religious and ritual purpose in Balinese culture. Masks depicting various characters tell the story of these Balinese rituals. The characters that lead in the story are played by actors wearing the Rangda and the Barong Ket masks. The Barong dance depicts the classic story of good vs. evil. The good character, Barong, fights the evil witch character, Rangda. This is an eternal battle in which the horrifying Rangda leads an army of evil witches to destroy Barong and his forces for good.

There are many types of Barong masks. Each village has it's own mask, which is most often the lion mask. The beard of the mask is dipped in Holy Water, and this is what ultimately protects the villagers. The Barong character sniffs out evil things. He is somewhat of a "guard dog" that keeps the outsiders or evil ones from getting in and disrupting the community. He is seen as the ultimate protector of Balinese society. Baron Ket's face is on the gates of the temple to protect it against outsiders. This is similar to gargoyles perched on Catholic Churches across the West.

The sort of 'ensemble' in these dances are the Barong dancers. They are specifically trained to do the work required in this ritual dance. They cannot fall into a trance because then the individual would be in potential danger.

Rangda represents the evil character in the Barong dance. This mask has bulging eyes, a large tongue, sharp fangs, and an expression that is somewhat like the devil. A performer cannot play Ranga unless he has special powers.

The entire Barong dance is based off of the everlasting fight of good vs. evil. This dance brings the Balinese society together and reminds them of their rituals.

Word Count: 296 Sources: My notes from class