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Balinese Mask: Spiritual Force

Introduction

Bali is an island, which over time has been influenced by many other cultures. Although Bali religious root stems from animism and ancestor worship, Hindu mythology and Buddhism have been major influences. However, regardless than they were in the exercise, a factor which has always remained constant: "Life in Bali is governed by religion." Consequently, it is not surprising that the art of mask making calculated as a religious act, rather than to create an aesthetic beauty. Masks and form chthonic forces and religious and are used to teach theatrical adaptations of Sanskrit texts of India. In addition, mask dances plays are used for "planting and harvest celebrations and in times of transition in the lives of individuals and communities." balls masked as Topeng also talk about politics from morality, past and present, y. I also discuss the masked balls in another section of this article.

Theatre in Bali, Indonesia is a discipline distinguished, but the action is intertwined with daily life. Theatre, like all art, is a part religion and culture of Bali, where everyone involved in the art of Bali, in some way. In addition, music, dance, costumes, and drama are not separate entities, but rather plays Balinese who depend on them to achieve their ultimate goal: Creating unity and harmony between the three worlds. In this article I will discuss the Balinese masks and socio-religious role they play in the culture of Bali Theatre.

Beliefs and Balinese mythology

Bali Hindu religion, the foundation of orderly society Bali permeates all aspects of life. Bali Hinduism which has roots in India, Hinduism and Buddhism, adopted the animistic traditions of indigenous peoples, which inhibits the island around the first millennium British Columbia. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, has its own power, reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, or tissue is a house of spirits whose potential energy can be directed for good or for worse. However, art shop, even masks, wooden masks made by a dedication of the assembly line for for sale to tourists, have been known to be possessed. A former artistic director of the Center Bali offers a concise explanation: "If you an attractive house, everyone wants to live. "A proposal should

According to Hinduism in Bali, for all positive and constructive force principle is a destructive force equal power. They are sometimes called the right-wing (top) and the forces of the left (bottom). The two elements coexist in equilibrium ideally not compromise too much power. Maintaining this precarious balance is a constant concern for the Balinese, who prepare the daily offerings to satisfy the minds and keep them under control, and advocate for the blessing.

Tenders or Banten, vary depending on the nature of the ceremony and they are linked to a spirit of high or low. They may consist of a combination of incense, flowers, ancient Chinese currency, cloth, betel nuts, arak (liquor), holy water, decorated with palm leaves, and the food. The food is not really intended to be consumed by the gods, but works as a means by which people give back what rightfully belongs to the spirits. The most important moment in the life of the offer is dedication. After that, what happens with him is important. Accordingly, offerings to the spirit of low left in the soil, usually rescued by chickens or dogs. The offerings to the spirits high and are collected in the family home after staying for some time in the temple, and edible parts are then eaten by family members.

Bali temples, embellished with a screen size of decorative stone, consists of wind, patios, surrounded by a wall and entered through a broken door. Once inside the entrance is a freestanding wall (RAN-Ran). Beyond the fence a large area with many small temples open to various sizes, each dedicated to a god or goddess different. In temple festivals, the shrines are usually very dark settings, and the faithful come to pray and devote their offers, then removed from talk with friends. A festival is a very social occasion, leading to a puppet show or dance masks presented to the whole world can enjoy the local and guests, and the spirits of ancestors and deities visit, and even an occasional tourist.

Dance and works of theater masks are performed in temples as part of the offer Odal are considered important for the god and goddess. The gods are afraid to attend a birthday party where there is entertainment. A mask dancer makes an offering of their abilities every time you perform, in some cases, acting as a priest or similar. Wali dances are those allowed to occur in the inner sanctum of the temple complex, are directed towards ancestors deified, who are the guests of honor, and tend to be involved in mind rather than plot, character or history.

Balinese Mask Performance

performance masks were important rituals of the Indonesian island Bali for over a thousand years. Although many ancient societies used wooden masks to celebrate their religions, Bali is one of the few places where ritual art never disappeared and is, in fact, booming. woodcarvers produce more beautiful and more complex than ever wooden mask, and thousands of people in the world collection of these objects weight. The proliferation of Balinese artists and bands indicates that the small island is experiencing a cultural renaissance, the centerpiece of is abstract, beautiful Balinese masks.

The masks may represent gods, animals, demons or humans and can be total half masks or masks depending on the dance that are used. Masks can also be sacred or secular, depending on its purpose and preparation. Because the mystique of Bali theater has attracted the attention of many foreigners to the land, are not sacred masks have done sale. However, the best sculptors of masks is not abandoned their vocation to create sacred masks, when they spent a "feeling" thereof.

The classification of Balinese masks heroes, clowns, and low spirits according to their qualities. The heroes run (often the incarnation gods), the queens and kings virtuous beautiful Halus described as a word of Bali which means "sweet", "light" and "refined". spirits low, animals, and types brutal antagonists including kings, are known as Kerasan, or strong, "" gross "and" strength. "There are certain distinctions in the middle, which generally clowns and servants.

The three types of wooden masks used in these dramas are human beings, animals and demons. human masks, like maybe the whole face or three-quarters (which extends into the upper lip), or may have a movable jaw. It is expected that resemble certain types of characters instead of specific individuals. Heroes and heroines are stereotypically beautiful, refined features corresponded b movements of dancers. The character is thicker, more exaggerated features are the following: bulging eyes mouth, nose and thicken the tusks and teeth. Color is also used to reveal the character of the mask.

masks of mythological animals are more realistic. Recognizing the distinction between humans and animals, the Balinese design emphasizes the different masks of wooden animals that appear to be closely related to demons even for animals powerful magic and God-related, and delicious as the heroic Hanuman, the white monkey of the Ramayana epic. The birds, cows, frogs and even an open mouth and protruding fangs horrible. Students eyed black-eyed golden lilies on the masks that are not classified attractive Despite elaborate crowns and earrings.

Maybe the wooden masks are the most exciting of witches and the so-called weak minds. The low mood, which can be problematic if it is not appeased, Westerners sometimes describe "as demons. This is not correct, because the weak minds have the power to carry the dead and offer good protection. The Balinese do not separate the supernatural from the natural. World spirits is a living force that must be recognized and appeased through rituals and offerings. Because the granting of powers Balinese masks that fits their functions and society, the masks of witches and spirits are low, the largest and most grotesque of all traditional masks. The wigs that require more of these masks Wood magnify the head and the height of the user. A device attached to the inside of the basket of claim construction is the user's head. As the system is relatively unstable, the constant frequency of dancers heavy wooden masks in performance.

In parts of Bali, trance is a common feature of the ritual, elsewhere it is nonexistent. In Calonarang Barong mask and dramas, trance is common. The purpose of these dramas of witchcraft, the supernatural, and the battle of positive and negative forces. The main characters, Durga, the Goddess of Death as Rangda and Barong Ket, Lord of the Jungle, the fight with every ounce of magical power that can benefit, sometimes with the help of armies.

Kerambitan Southwest Bali is one of the areas known spirits of great activity and possession of frequencies in a trance. A dancer who has worked as art director the center of Bali tells a story about the Rangda and Barong masks Kerambitan his people: "Our father had a dream that Rangda and Barong masks should be part the village temple, so it had created in the manner prescribed. Once they were taken home church they began to compete while they were inside their baskets. They have created so much noise and stress that the masks had to be separated. "Despite Rangda mask was transferred to another temple, the two fought mask and the mask still Rangda was moved to another city. Birthday the mask, the day they were dedicated, had to be united in the temple. Rangda was raised from the other village, is represented at the ceremony, and immediately after a side.

Bali mask with supernatural power

The masks are considered powerful containers for wandering spirits. A wooden mask filled with divine energy becomes tenget (metaphysically fee). Made from a special timber is cut off at certain times, the masks are generally associated with tenget a number of rituals. State tenget wooden masks may lose its special power over time and must be "recharged" in a ceremony of renewal initiations Pasupati special or new skins, called, may contain up to ten days of celebration, dance and wayang kulit (shadow puppet), cockfights, and processions. A priest is called officiating at the precise moment when the "body" of the wooden mask separated from the head "(Spirit) and the god who lives in the wooden mask is" the house sent. "After the new mask revitalized returned to the temple, another series of ceremonies is required to invite the Spirit Back the wooden mask. The mask powerful Durga, goddess of death and black magic, sometimes called Rangda is a test to see from time to time if its power is still burning. If the shots in the eyes, ears, head, nose or mouth of the mask, it is considered sakti (sacred or powerful). Located in the cemetery the city in the middle of the night during a particularly propitious called Pamelastali Kanjeng Kliwon, a powerful time when the spirits are present and should be recognized by donations.

Sacred wooden masks are not displayed on walls as works of art in the households in the West, but are kept in bags just high cord tissue. The bag color is important, either yellow, white or black and white checked by the symbolism of the color affects the spirit of wooden masks. Once locked in bags, wooden masks are placed in baskets, which in turn are stored in the temple complex. If a wooden mask is to an individual, who may remain in the temple of the family. Sacred wooden masks only show for his birthday, which, apart from a Odal, or festival temple. Dancers explore their masks of wood when he was mandated to act in a Odal. Rarely is a mask of bare wood to be refurbished including paint fresh, full of worm holes, and gold leaf retouched. This is not by chance, but in conjunction with elaborate rituals.

The masks of the same tree is regarded as having family ties. When a tree produces a knot like growth, called Beling, which means "pregnant." Taking care not to damage the tree, and when the court makes a special ceremony held to appease the spirits of trees. If these rituals are not met, a tree could use its powerful spiritual energy to cause destruction. In the village of Singapudu, home of the most famous wood carvers two of Bali, Wood is no longer taken from a tree that grows primarily tenget on the edge of the village. Two priests ceremonies necessary before removing the timber, but he died within a week mysterious causes.

Conclusion

With this brief review of the implementation hidden Bali it is clear that the elements of theater, history, masks, performance, are special and require much preparation. masks Bali used in religious ceremonies have great concentrations of power and should therefore be treated with care. Mat masks used in traditional dances and theater, even if it is not sacred, that should not be handled by chance

It helps to understand that for the Balinese, there is the same distinction that we in the West, between animate and inanimate objects. Everything in the mind. When one considers that some of the sculptures Wood masks represent spirits of evil, as Rangda, the queen of witches, or that some depict gods or mythical protectors, as the Barong is a great responsibility to bring these wooden masks, sculpture and mixed with these powers. This is usually done either in ceremonies or in dramas High quality primarily from the ancient Hindu epics. In Bali, it is customary for the end of dramas with either of the parties "win" along the other – rather, there is a restoration of harmony between the forces of good and evil, which, according to the belief of Bali, should be kept in balance.

When someone from the West, there is a mask, it is usually pretend to be someone else. But in Bali when someone puts on mask, especially a sacred mask, becomes another person. The mask has a life force – a spiritual magic. A sacred mask is considered to be literally alive, and if the interpreter puts it, the power of the mask is also in your body. The world is full of magical power pellet. The objects that we Westerners are generally considered to have no ability to exert influence on other objects or persons who may have a force mystical.

In considering the expertise of these masks is clear why Bali is famous for its beautiful masks and masked dance.

About the Author

Author is the Coordinator of eBaliArt.com, a group of talented artists/carvers from Bali and Java (Indonesia) with the purpose to create a revolutionary system through which artisans of Bali & Java can display their fine works to a global audience of prospective customers…
Wood Carving Mask & Sculpture from Bali

http://www.ebaliart.com

Knotted Arak

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