The myth about the existence of a barong in Bali was told by the lontar Barong Swari. In the lontar, it is told when life on earth is hit by a disaster, Dewa Tri Murti comes down to earth and transforms into various figures. Lord Brahma descends into the Bang Mask. Lord Vishnu descended into the Telek Mask. Meanwhile, Dewa Iswara descended into Barong.
The mythology of the barong is lived religiously in the ngelawang ritual.Ngelawang is a tradition that has been around for a long time and is a cultural heritage of today’s Balinese people.
However, ngelawang has a broader meaning, namely as a repellent for reinforcements, because ngelawang performs a barong dance which is the embodiment of an animal such as wild boar (bangkal / bangkung), elephants, oxen, tigers and so on which are managed by the community as a manifestation or manifestation of Gods. Shiva who became the soul of the barong.
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In fact, the Ngelawang tradition is a tradition that contains ethical teachings and contains many magical values. The word ngelawang comes from the word lawang which means door, house to house or it could be from village to village which usually uses barong bangkung as the main medium and is accompanied by gamelan bebarongan or gamelan batel.
It is said that the performance of ngelawang not believing can bring blessings, safety, inner peace and peace to Hindus
As a mythological figure, barong also reflects the socio-cultural transformation of the Balinese people. Society has essentially experienced changes in cultural practices, and always needs a set of symbols that can help understand the depth of experience that surrounds the world at scale.
In line with that, mythology develops to reach a new interpretation that is contextual to the present, and often implies hope for the future. In other words, mythology is not merely a description of something or values that have been past, allocated in relation to things Now and Later.