'Barongan' in the mystical life of Blora

'Barongan' in the mystical life of Blora

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Karanganyar, Central Java

Two huge tiger masks are placed in the two corners of the front
of the stage.

Right at the center, a man, sitting cross-legged, burns
incense while saying prayers and incantations before finally
standing up and cracking his whip.

That is the way the man, or pawang (a person endowed with
magical powers), opens a barongan performance. Two men, each
wearing a tiger mask, then go to the stage, dance freely and
dynamically, as though attacking each other.

"This is an improved version of the original barongan
performance," Slamet, a barongan researcher of the Indonesian
Arts College (STSI) in Surakarta told The Jakarta Post while
watching the performance of Bimo Kurdo Barongan Group of Blora,
Central Java, during a traditional arts festival held here
recently.

According to Slamet, the main difference between the original
and improved versions lay in the plot. An original barongan
performance, performed as part of a ritual in the Central Java
town of Blora, does not tell a story, while the improved version
does.

The only character in the original version is the tiger-headed
one. The improved version, on the other hand, has more characters
in it.

Among the additional characters are Singabarong, Singalodra
(or Jaka Lodra), which takes the form of a tiger, Pujangga Anom
(or Bujangganong), and other clown-like figures including
Nayantaka and Untub, and the pet dog Bondhet. All wear masks
during the performance.

"The story is adapted from the Panji story, which tells of a
love story between Dewi Sekartaji and Panji Asmarabangun,"
Gembong Setyo Pujiyono of Blora's tourism and culture office
explained.

The story begins when Prabu Klana Sewandana, King of the
Bantarangin Kingdom, falls in love with Dewi Sekartaji, or Dewi
Candra Kirana, of the Kediri Kingdom and sends Pujangga Anom to
propose to the princess for him but fails. He then goes to
propose for himself.

Arriving in Kediri, he meets Raden Panji, who has also gone to
the kingdom for the same reason; both get involved in a deadly
fight. King Klana dies and Raden Panji marries Dewi Sekartaji.

It is the legend of the love story between Raden Panji and
Sewi Sekartaji, which is believed to be an example of perfect
love, which later inspired the creation of barongan performances
that are mainly performed at traditional wedding rituals in
Blora.

According to Gembong, no fewer than 500 groups of barongan
performers exist in Blora presently as a result of rapid growth
during the last 15 years. They are spread across the villages of
the regency that borders the East Java towns of Ngawi and
Bojonegoro.

"The rapid growth is due to the local government's aim to make
barongan the cultural icon of Blora, just like reog is for
Ponorogo," said Gembong, referring the renowned traditional
performance of the East Java town, Ponorogo.

Thanks to the move, the price of tiger masks used for
performances that previously cost only about Rp 50,000 each in
1996 now cost up to Rp 1.5 million.

Barongan is believed to have come into existence in about
1830, during the war between Prince Diponegoro and the Dutch
colonists. Barongan of this particular era is believed to be the
original type.

At that time, barongan was regarded as an essential element of
rituals like weddings and circumcisions. Barongan, too, was
always performed during the ritual held before harvest time and
when a prolonged drought or an epidemic attacked.

"Barongan became a medium of communication with God,
especially in asking for help and safety," Slamet explained.

The reason why the figure of a tiger is used in the
performance, according to Slamet, has something to do with the
belief of traditional Javanese communities that regard the tiger
as a guardian.

"The title, Kyai, that Javanese people use to refer to the
tiger is a way of showing respect," Slamet said.

Regarding the magical power that a barongan mask is believed
to possess, Blora people still hold the annual ritual, Lamporan.
The word lamporan itself comes from the Javanese word lampor, the
marching of spirits.

Lamporan in Blora tradition is the marching of people wearing
barongan masks held annually at the beginning and end of the
month of Sura, according to the Javanese calendar. The ritual is
a form of prayer for protection from bad luck and disaster. The
parade usually marches around the village where the ritual is
held.

For a personal ruwatan (exorcism ritual), barongan is
performed on the same date and in the same way as lamporan, but
the venue is the house of the person organizing it. Beside
barongan, the host also prepares ngaroh offerings comprising
yellow rice and coins. The ritual is held by parading the
barongan around the house in an anticlockwise fashion.

As a ritual to prevent bad luck, according to Slamet, barongan
is also often used as a healing medium. It is usually done by
burning the hair of a Barongan mask and mixing the ash with water
to drink as a medicine.

Due to the magical powers that a barongan mask is believed to
possess, some, especially those that are already more than 100
years old, are often treated as sacred objects.

"Some barongan performing groups even keep their Barongan mask
in a pundhen (sacred grave) and only take it when they are going
to perform. They are returned to the pundhen when the performance
is over," Gembong added.