Balinese mythology
Encyclopedia
Balinese mythology is the traditional mythology
of the people
of the Indonesia
n island of Bali
, before the majority adoption of Hinduism
.
Balinese mythology is mainly a kind of animism
with some widely-known characters and deities. Many themes of Balinese mythology have been adapted and worked into current Balinese Hinduism.
existed. Antaboga meditated and created the world turtle
Bedwang. Two snakes lie on top of the world turtle, as does the Black Stone
, which forms the lid of the underworld
. The underworld is ruled by the goddess
Setesuyara and the god
Batara Kala, who created light and the earth. Above the earth lies a series of skies. Semara, god of love, lives in the floating sky, and above the sky lies the dark blue sky (space), home to the sun
and moon
. Next is the perfumed sky, which is full of beautiful flowers and is inhabited by Tjak, a bird with a human face; the serpent Taksaka; and a group of snakes collectively known as the Awan, who appear as falling star
s. The ancestors live in a flame-filled heaven above the perfumed heaven, and finally beyond that is the abode of the gods.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of the people
Balinese people
The Balinese population of 3.0 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live...
of the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, before the majority adoption of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Balinese mythology is mainly a kind of animism
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
with some widely-known characters and deities. Many themes of Balinese mythology have been adapted and worked into current Balinese Hinduism.
Aspects of Balinese mythology
- AntabogaAntabogaAntaboga is the world serpent of traditional pre Islamic Javanese mythology . It is a derivative from Hindu Shiva with Javanese animism...
- Bedwang
- BarongBarong (mythology)Barong is a character in the mythology of Bali. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda in the mythological traditions of Bali. Banas Pati Rajah is the fourth "brother" or spirit child that accompanies a child throughout life. Banas Pati Rajah is the spirit...
- RangdaRangdaRangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong.- Description :...
- SetesuyaraSetesuyaraSetesuyara is the goddess of the underworld, along with Batara Kala, in traditional Balinese mythology....
- Batara KalaBatara KalaBatara Kala is the god of the underworld in traditional Javanese and Balinese mythology, ruling over it in a cave along with Setesuyara. Batara Kala is also named the creator of light and the earth. He is also the god of time and destruction, who devours unlucky people. He is related to Hindu...
- Semara
- Tjak
- TakshakaTakshakaTakshaka was one of the Nagas mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata. He lived in a city named Takshasila, which was the new territory of Takshaka after his race was banished by Pandavas lead by Arjuna from the Khandava Forest and Kurukshetra, where they built their new kingdom.- The king of...
- The Awan
- Perfumed Heaven
- GalunganGalunganGalungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means "When the Dharma is winning." During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan....
- Calon ArangCalon ArangCalon Arang is a character in Javanese and Balinese folklore from the 12th century. It is still unknown who composed this story. A very important Latin-alphabet copy of the text is in the Netherlands, namely in the Koninklijke Instituut Bijdragen.-Story:...
- LeyakLeyakIn the folklore of Bali, the Leyak is a mythological figure in the form of flying head with entrails still attached. Leyak is said to fly trying to find a pregnant woman in order to suck her baby's blood or a newborn child...
(or Leák)
Creation myth
At the beginning of time, only Antaboga the world snakeSnake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
existed. Antaboga meditated and created the world turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
Bedwang. Two snakes lie on top of the world turtle, as does the Black Stone
Black Stone
The Black Stone is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba, the ancient stone building towards which Muslims pray, in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic, which according to Muslim tradition dates back to the time of Adam and Eve.The...
, which forms the lid of the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. The underworld is ruled by the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Setesuyara and the god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
Batara Kala, who created light and the earth. Above the earth lies a series of skies. Semara, god of love, lives in the floating sky, and above the sky lies the dark blue sky (space), home to the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. Next is the perfumed sky, which is full of beautiful flowers and is inhabited by Tjak, a bird with a human face; the serpent Taksaka; and a group of snakes collectively known as the Awan, who appear as falling star
Falling star
Falling star or shooting star is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere to become a meteor. If a falling star survives impact with the Earth's surface, then it is called a meteorite.It may also refer to:...
s. The ancestors live in a flame-filled heaven above the perfumed heaven, and finally beyond that is the abode of the gods.
See also
- Agama Hindu Dharma (Balinese Hinduism)
- Balinese peopleBalinese peopleThe Balinese population of 3.0 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live...