Tejakula, Spiritual
Dance Bali’s Drama
Sacred Art
of Migrants
This means that the people of Tejakula are not descended from the Javanese
who invaded Bali when the kingdom of Majapahit began to fall in the 15th
century, as are most area, the Bali Aga people dominated the local population
until the end of the 16th century. It is believed that Balinese from Blahbatuh,
Karangasem and even Bangli migrated to this area in large numbers durig the
17th century. Tejakula was favored, it seems, for its volcanic, fertile earth which
acommodated cultivation of rice and oranges alike, although it is difficult to know
for certain why such migration took place. There is a legend, well known among
Tejakula locals, concerning this period of migration of Hinduism when masks
were used as a tool with which to communicate with the ancestors. The masks
used to communicate with the ancestors could only be shown in public on certain
days, or at religious rituals. In former times, the dancers would adorn themselves
with bark and their dance was a way of thanking the ancestors for protecting
thern from plague. Wayang wong is believed to have emerged around the time
of the Waturenggong regime, between 1460-1550. The language used in
wayang wong is Balinese or Kawi (a form of old Javanese) noble characters use
Kawi and the clowns use Balinese. The Balinese have been acquainted with the
Ramayana,the Indian epic which is the source of the wayang wong stories, for
centuries. But the version of the Ramayana with which the Balinese are most
intimate is the Kekawin Ramayana which came to the island via Java. "Although
Balinese have access to other, more authentically Indian versions, the Kekawin
Ramayana is the version most Balinese identify with the epic", asserted Bandem.
SACRED MASKS
There are 72 sacred masks in the Tejakula troupe. The three main characters'
masks Wibisana, Rama and Laksamana were donated by the king of Bangli
sometime this at Batur temple. Apparently, eager to test Hanoman's magical
powers, the king built a two meter high hurdle and ordered Hanoman to jump, it.
Extraordinarily, Hanoman succeeded in the task. The king was so impressed that
he donated the three masks to the troupe. The troupe's other masks date back
to the 18th century, and remain in pristine condition. This is believed to be due
to both the excellent quality of the wood from which they are made and the fact
that the masks regularly undergo ritual cleansing, and have so for centuries.
Special rituals accompany the use of the
masks at every performance. In the morning, the performers pray in the temple
to ask God to protect them while they arc performing. The masks are taken out,
offerings are spread around, and the performers are ritually cleansed. The masks
are sprinkled with water, and distributed to the performers. Then the performers
hang the masks from an orange tree. At first glance, the masks
In wayang wong parwa, all actors, except for the clowns, do not wear masks. In
wayang wong Ramayana, all the actors are masked. Wayang wong Ramayana is
generally known just as wayang wong, hereas the wayang wong parwa is usually
referred to as parwa. According to the Rector of the Yogyakarta-based
Indonesian Arts Institute, Prof. Dr Made Bandem, the Balinese wayang wong
enveloped out of masked performances which existed in Bali prior to the arrival
look like oranges. Indeed, the performance is in essence a form of prayer,
requesting that God make the earth fertile and resistant to plagues. There are
many mystical stories that surround these sacred masks. One of these stories
concerns the mask of Kumbakarna, and almost ended in fatality. Due to a
mistake in the ritual, the mask went missing and a child went into a coma. The
community was quick to react: they cut the pole that usually carried that
particular mask.
Believe it or not, at that point the child emerged from his coma. And that's not
all. Apparently, the Kumbakarna mask doesn't like to be made fun of, and those
who do so must be prepared to receive Kumbakarna's wrath. One local child's
crooked teeth arc believed to result from his parents' having insulted
Kumbakarna. Kumbakarna is the representative of the army of giants who go to
war against Rama, and the mask of Kumbakarna is believed to be the most
sacred of all. So sacred is the mask, in fact, that it receives a special ritual before
each performance, to avoid fatality. Prior to 4 each performance, the troupe
distributes offerings. A black chicken is sacrificed prior to the entry of
Kumbakarna' The blood of the chicken is believed to neutralize the giant's
strength and power over his surrounds. Another story relates the experience of
the mask maker responsible for the mask of Rangda (the symbol of evil). One
day, the mask he was working on suddenly split into two. The mask maker then
put the two pieces under his bed, and when he went to sleep he felt Rangda
tempting him. The strange thing was that on awaking, he flounder the mask to
be whole again.
SECULAR WAYANG
The wayang wong Tejakula is not only performed in the temple, however. Due to
the abundance of requests for thern to perform in secular setting,in 1975 the
trouve decided to establish a secular wayang wong, for performances outside the
temple. In these secular performances, duplicates are substituted for the sacred
masks. "The main aim of the secular wayang wong is as a tool for introducing
our culture to outsiders. Moreover, with the secular performances, the
performers have become more diligent about rehearsing. As a result, the quality
of the dances performed at the temple has improved, " said Nyoman Tusan.
Since the establishment of the secular wayang wong, the troupe has received
many invitations to perform - in Sweden and Japan as well as all over Bali and in
Jakarta.