Tapestries
Description: The **Barong** is a mythical, lion-like or panther-like creature and a sacred figure in Balinese mythology, representing the force of **goodness (Dharma)**. He is known as the **King of Spirits** and the benevolent protector of the villages, constantly engaged in an eternal, cyclical battle with his arch-enemy, the demon queen **Rangda** (who represents evil). The Barong's appearance is an ornate, brightly decorated costume, typically covered in thick fur (often white or red), gilded ornaments, and operated by two dancers. He is a central character in Balinese ritual dances that symbolize the essential and ongoing balance between good and evil in the universe.
Description: The **Leak (Léyak)** is a terrifying figure in Balinese mythology, an embodiment of black magic. In the daytime, the Leak appears as an ordinary human, but at night, its spirit separates from its body and transforms into a **flying head with its internal organs and entrails trailing behind it.** These demonic entities are feared for haunting graveyards, feeding on corpses, and particularly for seeking out pregnant women and newborn babies to suck their blood for magical power. They are often associated with **Rangda**, the demon queen and symbol of evil in Balinese drama.
Description: The **Naga Banda** is a highly sacred and elaborate serpentine (dragon) effigy used exclusively in the cremation ceremonies (*Ngaben* or *Pelebon*) for Balinese royalty and high-status priests. It is a large symbolic vehicle, or binding, that is believed to escort the deceased's soul, particularly a king's, to the realm of the ancestors or heaven (*Nirvana*). The name itself means "serpent bond" ($naga$ - serpent, $banda$ - bond/shackle), symbolizing the strong worldly ties (e.g., to the people and material power) that the soul of a king must be released from before its final journey. The climax of the ritual involves a priest ritually shooting an arrow at the Naga Banda to symbolically sever these earthly bonds.
Description: **Rangda** is the terrifying **Demon Queen** and leader of the evil witches (*Leyaks*) in Balinese mythology, representing the destructive, negative forces in the cosmos. She is depicted with a horrific mask featuring bulging eyes, long fangs, matted hair, and a long, protruding tongue. She is the eternal foe of the benevolent spirit **Barong**, and their legendary battle, seen in the famous Barong dance, symbolizes the core Balinese concept of *Rwa Bhineda*—the necessary and continuous balance between good and evil, creation and destruction. The name Rangda literally means "widow" in Old Javanese.
Description: The Balinese **Garuda** is a powerful, mythical, half-human, half-eagle creature from Hindu mythology, revered as the king of birds and the divine ***vahana* (mount) of Lord Vishnu**, one of the principal deities. In Balinese culture, he symbolizes **courage, loyalty, devotion, and the quest for freedom** (from the story of him seeking the elixir of life, *Amerta*, to free his enslaved mother, Winata). The most striking representation in Bali is the colossal **Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) statue** in the south of the island, depicting Vishnu riding Garuda. The figure is also a common motif in Balinese art, temple carvings, and ceremonies, embodying spiritual protection and strength.
