The Night Ritual of Calon Arang

Witness the drama of Calon Arang, a Balinese ritual theatre performance in a special late-night set at the Balinese Temple Stage at the Esplanade Forecourt Garden. 

Barong, the protector and Rangda, the destroyer 

Two mythical figures are ever-present in Bali: the Barong, protector against evil forces and portrayed playfully as a creature with big eyes, clacking jaws and layers of fur; and Rangda, the much-feared though respected witch-widow queen of black magic, with aggressive bulging eyes, large tusks, matted hair, a long tongue and entrails dangling out.  

Both Barong and Rangda are imbued with a strong aura of magic: old and authentic masks that bear holy inscriptions are consecrated through a set of rituals, and kept in village temples where they are revered as patron spirits.  

The relationship and mythology of Barong and Rangda are complex: one destroys and the other protects; and neither one triumphs over the other permanently, but out of the chaos, balance and order is restored.

The Night Ritual of Calon Arang  

Barong and Rangda both feature in village drama performances, the best known of which is Calon Arang, based on an ancient East Javanese legend, named after the powerful widow-protagonist of the legend. To the Balinese, black magic is a living reality, and is practiced by some communities on the island. With the Calon Arang drama laden with such magic, it is performed in village temples, or ominous places such as cemeteries, to ward off an epidemic and restore order in the community. 

As the story goes, Calon Arang is a widow and practitioner of black magic, with the ability to communicate with the spirits. She owns two powerful books of black magic, and because of her power, nobody dares marry her beautiful daughter. Furious, she brings about an epidemic to destroy the kingdom. Directing her followers in a ritual, young maidens dressed in white perform a dance that is the antithesis of Balinese classical dance.  

The king, having heard of Calon Arang’s intentions, sends his minister to fight her. (In another version, the prime minister marries Calon Arang’s daughter and steals her black magic books. In a rage, she directs her followers to bring about destruction).  

When the minister approaches, Calon Arang appears as the incarnation of Rangda. The villagers try to attack Rangda but she casts a spell to turn them against themselves; and the performance culminates in the famous scene, where the villages stab themselves with their keris (asymmetrical daggers).  

Barong appears, and his magic protects the villagers from self-harm, eventually overcoming Rangda’s spell, bringing about peace and order. Throughout the ritual, the village priests control the proceedings, reviving entranced participants with holy water and incense.