Barong Bali

Barong Ket

**The most important and most common barong is a supernatural creature, sometimes described as a combination of lion and tiger. He has the innocence and playful nature of a puppy, yet fights menacingly, snapping his great, wooden teeth. As a representative of white magic, he can conquer, but not kill. The Barong Ket belongs to the family of demons, as evidence by his bbbbuilging eyes, red complexion, and enlarged teeth. The zenith of his sorcery is evidenced in his sacred beard, which becomes holy if dipped in spring water. The bair of his great, shaggy body is made of praksok (the fiber of pandamas leaves), or ijuk (black palm fiber), or occasionally heron feathers, horsehair, or crow feathers,. Peacock feather, considered extremely powerful, may be used for trim. The face is framed by a large, elaboratery tooled leather crown, called sekar taji, which is decorated and painted gold. It extends to a large rounded apparatus on the shoulders. Mirrors also embellish the leather work. Leather is used for a beautiffuly bowed tail, which trails a cluster of peacock feathers, several tiny bells that punctuate the performers's movements, and a small mirror. The mask is somewhat dwarfed by the size and opulence of the costume, the outer layer of which is connected to a wide-mesh rattan frame.

Barong Bangkung

**Bangkal means "old boar" in Balinese . The boar, a common Barong, is connected whit the holidaysof Galungan and Kuningan, when it is part of a village procession. When the villagers see hem, they feel the essence of the gods and goddesses protecing them. These two holidays are also occasions where pig meat is consumed, which also explanins the appearance of the boar Barong. Depending on availablefunds, the bristles on the head of the mask are made of black sugar palm fiber or horsehair, and the costume of cotton black and white velvet.

Barong Macan


**This Barong resembles a tiger like those found on the indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. The tiger is seen as kepper of balancebetween the earthly world and the spiritual world. appearing in many of the Tantri folk stories, Macan protects villages from the harmful imfluences of dead souls. His viuvid orange and gold mask uses monkeys pelts for the beard, mustache, and hair. Inscribed on his wooden tongue are the symbols of the Hindu Trinity. THe costumes is made of plain orange cotton fabric with painted stripes and includes a comical tail that is stuffed so tightly it is rigit.