TITLE: Rarung
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Indonesia
SUBREGION: Bali
ETHNICITY: Balinese
DESCRIPTION: Rarung Mask
CATALOG ID: ASID002
MAKER: Ida Made Sutiarka, Singapadu (1974- )
CEREMONY: Calonarang
AGE: 2017
MAIN MATERIAL: pule wood
OTHER MATERIALS: leather; cotton; felt; rubber straps; oil-based paint; gilded silver jewelry; rhinestones; mirrors; gold leaf
Rarung is a witch-demon and one of the primary apprentices of Calonarang, the child-eating demon and queen of the evil witches (leyak). She leads her army against the forces of good, represented by the protective Barong and his allies. Calonarang has many affinities to the destructive Hindu god Kali, worshiped in parts of India, but she also seems to be associated with the Javanese mythical witch by the same name. Rarung appears in the Iyeg Rarung episode of the Calonarang, in which the eponymous character disputes with Minister Madri of Daha. Other apprentices include Lenda, Lendi, Gandi, Weksirsa, Jaran Guyang, and Mahesa Wedan.
For more on Balinese masks, see Judy Slattum, Masks of Bali: Spirits of an Ancient Drama (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1992).
