| Miguel Covarrubias, the famous Mexican amateur | | | | kingdom of Majapahit sent an army led by the |
| anthropologist and intrepid traveller, wrote in 1937 | | | | revered general Gajah Mada to colonize Bali. |
| in his classic work Island of Bali that "it seems | | | | Different versions of the tale of Majapahit's |
| difficult to reconcile the soft-mannered, | | | | conquest exist, but the basic story goes |
| peace-loving Balinese we know with the intrigue | | | | something like this: At that time, Bali was ruled by |
| and violence of their turbulent past." And indeed | | | | a cruel and greedy king named Bedaulu. Although |
| the historians of Bali's past thousand years tell | | | | he possessed great magical powers, he angered |
| tales that would put any modern soap opera to | | | | the gods by forbidding his subjects to worship |
| shame: stories of the rise and fall of kingdoms, of | | | | them, requiring instead that they make their |
| bloody battles waged and beautiful maidens won, | | | | offerings to him. Bedaulu was so arrogant that he |
| of princes gifted with magical powers warding off | | | | once removed his head and sent it up to heaven |
| evil demons disguised as fierce, fanged monkeys | | | | to show the gods what awesome spiritual skills he |
| and vicious, razor-beaked birds. | | | | commanded. Annoyed by this boastful display, the |
| Bali's written history begins in the 8th century, | | | | god Siwa replaced Bedaulu's head with that of a |
| when Java's Indianized kingdoms turned an eye | | | | pig. Embarrassed by his new animal appearance, |
| toward the island's bounty. The Javanese, who | | | | the king ordered that none of his courtiers was to |
| had already been introduced to the Buddhist and | | | | look at him, and he had them build a high tower |
| Hindu religions by South Asian traders, spread | | | | where he would sit, presiding over his subjects |
| these teachings to Bali, along with the knowledge | | | | free from their curious stares. But Bedaulu still had |
| of writing in the Old Javanese language - known in | | | | not learned his lesson. His evil grew to the point |
| Bali as Kawi - which soon became the medium of | | | | where he demanded that all his food be spiced |
| communication for Bali's elites. By the 10th | | | | with human blood. Finally, his desperate people |
| century, Balinese art, religion and culture had taken | | | | sent word to Java, asking for aid from Majapahit. |
| on a decidedly Indian appearance. One important | | | | Gajah Mada promised to help if the king did indeed |
| relic of this era can be found today in the midst | | | | have a pig's head, and he sent one of his soldiers |
| of modern Sanur: the Prasasti Belanjong, an | | | | to investigate. In order to catch a glimpse of |
| inscribed monument dated 913 A.D. - making it | | | | Bedaulu, the cunning Javanese tricked the king by |
| Bali's earliest dated artifact - that tells the tale of | | | | requesting the food known as paku, a long, |
| a Javanese king and his journey to Bali. | | | | stringy green that is eaten by lowering it from |
| The 11th century saw the birth of one of Bali's | | | | above into one's mouth. Facing upwards toward |
| most influential historical figures: Airlangga, son of | | | | the tasty morsel, he was able to verify Bedaulu's |
| the Balinese Prince Udayana and the Javanese | | | | beastly countenance, and called for Gajah Mada |
| Princess Mahendratta. Airlangga journeyed to | | | | and his troops, who conquered Bali and set in |
| Java, where he ascended the throne of a | | | | place a new king who ruled from Samprangan, |
| dynasty that would rule on that island for the | | | | near Klungkung. |
| next 300 years. During Airlangga's lifetime, | | | | With the arrival of the Majapahit empire came |
| contacts between Java and Bali grew increasingly | | | | vast changes in the cultural, religious and political |
| close. Out of this cross-fertilization of cultures | | | | landscape of Bali. Only the people known as the |
| came a number of social features that would | | | | Bali Aga, who kept themselves distant by |
| mark the face of Bali for centuries to come: | | | | retreating to their isolated mountain villages, |
| rituals presided over by Hindu priests chanting holy | | | | escaped encompassment by the new social order. |
| mantras, temples devoted to the worship of gods | | | | As the Javanese installed their own nobles to |
| and divine ancestors, and the means to effect | | | | preside over Bali, the island's population became |
| magic, both good and evil, to harm one's enemies | | | | drawn into a hierarchical system controlled by |
| or heal one's friends. | | | | warrior kings and learned priests and divided into |
| This period of Bali's history also gave rise to the | | | | castes. Today, Balinese speak of history in terms |
| mythic tale of good and evil that continues to | | | | of the pre-Majapahit and post-Majapahit eras, and |
| enthrall visitors with its fearsome power: the | | | | those who can trace their genealogies back to the |
| story of Rangda and Barong. Legend has it that | | | | mighty rules and sages of that time still claim high |
| Airlangga's mother, Mahendratta, possessed | | | | social status in the present. When the Hindu |
| among her many queenly accomplishments a | | | | Majapahit empire finally fell in the 16th century, |
| command of the dark forces of transformation | | | | brought down by the rise of Islam across the |
| that enabled her to change from a beautiful | | | | Indonesian archipelago, a new wave of priests, |
| woman into a horrific witch able to rain disease | | | | scholars, nobles and artists sought refuge on Bali, |
| and death upon her enemies. When her husband | | | | which would remain the last Hindu island in the |
| found her dabbling in these dangerous arts, he | | | | land. |
| banished her to the forest, where she remained, | | | | Over the next four hundred years Balinese culture |
| nurturing her evil powers, until her daughter | | | | flourished around the royal courts. Elaborate rituals |
| reached the age of marriage. Fearing | | | | were staged, and Bali's famous cremation |
| Mahendratta's black magic, no one dared to marry | | | | ceremonies came into existence as a means of |
| the young princess, despite her esteemed status | | | | showing honor and loyalty to the ruling lords. Art, |
| and her lovely looks. Wild with anger and driven to | | | | dance and music prospered, not as purely |
| revenge, Mahendratta shifted her shape into that | | | | aesthetic activities but as service on behalf of |
| of a hideous witch, armed with spiked teeth, a | | | | gods and kings. This era saw the rise of what |
| tongue of fire and heavy, hanging breasts, to | | | | later anthropologists would describe as the |
| spread plague and pestilence across the land. | | | | Balinese "theater state": a complex combination of |
| Today the story is reenacted in the drama of | | | | extravagant art and ceremony designed to |
| Calonarang, where a mythological beast, the | | | | celebrate the power and majesty of the royal |
| lion-like Barong, protects the suffering villagers | | | | families and to express the humble deference of |
| from the demonic powers of the witch, known as | | | | their followers. But this period was hardly a |
| Rangda. In the performance, traditionally held in | | | | peaceful one. The seat of the kingdom of Bali |
| the dead of night in the village graveyard, the | | | | moved to Gelgel, and the king who presided over |
| followers of the Barong attack Rangda, who uses | | | | it was given the title of Dewa Agung, or "Great |
| her magic to send them into trance and make | | | | Lord," a reference to both his worldly and spiritual |
| them turn their daggers against themselves. The | | | | powers. One of these kings even managed to |
| Barong's power protects them from the blades | | | | bring parts of neighboring East Java and Lombok |
| and helps them push the witch back into the | | | | under Balinese control. But the kingdom soon |
| cemetery, restoring the balance between good | | | | became fragmented by family feuds, and Gelgel |
| and evil until the next encounter. | | | | splintered off into a number of smaller |
| The most critical turning point in Bali's history | | | | principalities, which remained in a state of constant |
| came in the 14th century, when the Javanese | | | | war and intrigue until the turn of the 20th century. |