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 which animates Barong. A protector spirit, he is often represented by a lion, and traditional performances of his struggles against Rangda are popular parts of Balinese culture.
The lion barong is one of five traditional Barong. In Bali each region of the island has its own protective spirit for its forests and lands. Each Barong for each region is modeled after a different animal. There is a boar, a tiger, a dragon (or serpent) and the traditional lion. The lion is the popular one as it comes from the Gianyar region where Ubud (the home of tourist viewed ritual) is located. Within the calonarong, the dance drama in which the Barong appears, the barong responds to Rangda's use of magic to control and kill her to restore balance.
[edit] Barong in other cultures
- Digimon has a character named Baromon (AKA Baronmon) who is named after him.
- Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne has Barong as a recruitable enemy. Having a "speaking" Barong in your party speak with a wild Rangda may lead to a "Special Conversation" that relates heavily to how the two relate to each other in the mythology, as well as grant an item to the player.
- Persona 3 also has Barong as a Persona.
- "Jūken Sentai Gekiranger" has a character named Master Bat Lee who wears Barong attire and teaches Retsu/GekiBlue Bat-Fist Style.
