Happy Halloween!

Balinese take pride of their culture and are quite superstitious. Ghost stories are part of their daily lives and has nothing to with Halloween, which is not celebrated by the locals.

Even if Bali is surrounded by water, this precious resource is feared by Balinese. They believe it is where the evil spirits live while the good ones would hide in the mountains. This is why the highest point of the island, the volcano Gurung Agung, is considered the holiest mountain in Bali. Everything in their daily life focuses on maintaining a spiritual harmony between the good and the bad forces.

The occult side of Bali
I was reading the column Greenspeak the other day by the author Ibu Kat (Cat Wheeler) in the Bali Advertiser. I was completely fascinated to learn that Balinese believe there are many forms of evil spirits on the island. Beliefs range from the appearance of ghostly faces and moving objects, houses and trees on fire, black magic used to turn into strange creatures at night, spirits taking traits of Human during the day, spells, medicines …

The kind of stories that I try not to think about when I go home alone at night in the greatest darkness trying hard to ignore pack of stray dogs – I had to turn around once because they were blocking me the road.

I started to read a magnificent piece of work called Island of Bali by Miguel Covarrubias, written in 1937. He wrote: “Such dogs were undoubtedly provided by the gods to keep Bali from perfection.”

Inconvenient Growth
But beyond those spooky stories, it’s some of the explanation behind these apparitions that really caught my attention. Bali is facing a boundless expansion – especially in the south of the island and in the Ubud area. I read in the same newspaper that more than 1,000 hectares of farmland are destroyed each year to build villas, hotels, shops and roads to meet the ever growing influx of tourism on the island. This growth is disturbing. Posters “NOT FOR SALE” start to appear in the rice fields but the ones with “Land for rent” are still on the rise. I saw someone wearing a t-shirt “Bali not for sale” the other day. When I looked at his t-shirt he looked at me and said: It’s already too late! It’s a vicious circle. Farmers accept to sell their fields of rice for the money because of the high demand, but also because their children are not interested in taking over anymore. They prefer earning money as a taxi driver.

The villas and hotels that belong to the foreigners are not always built taking into account local beliefs. According to the customs, a ceremony needs to be held before the construction begins to ask the spirits who live there to kindly move away. Other ceremonies must also take place before the opening to ensure that the spirits will not come to bother the new owners and the guests.

2 calendars and a lot of lucky days
The dates of these ceremonies are determined by a priest through various ancestral rites. Balinese consult their priest to know what are the “lucky days” to hold any of their ceremony such as a wedding, a cremation, the opening of a new house or hotel. Two calendars are used simultaneously in Bali. The main one is the Balinese Hindu calendar that has 210 days divided into ten weeks and the second one is the lunar Hindu calendar, similar to ours, divided into twelve moons (months). It means that Balinese celebrate their birthday twice a year!

So, because some construction is done disregarding customs to the ancestors of the land, it would create an imbalance in the spiritual world. The spirits are crowded and dislodged. Millennia trees are cut down, the rivers are polluted with waste … We are taking their space. Balinese say that they can feel a certain change in the energy, on a spiritual level.

Captivating dances
These stories of good and evil spirits are not only told in newspapers or by the locals. It is an integral part of the Balinese legends perpetuated through various forms of arts which Ubud is the cultural center. Painting, engraving, sculpture, dance and music once reserved for rituals in the temples are now widely designed for tourists.

There are several types of traditional dance. Most of them are presented every week in the courtyard of a temple in Ubud. Here are three of the most famous dances:

• Kecak: Imagine a choir of 50 to 70 men and boys singing a cappella “cak-cak” in a state of trance for over an hour. Kecak is also known as the dance of the monkeys. Here’s a great excerpt shot in the Borobudur temple (Java Island) from the beautiful documentary Baraka.

Studies conducted between 2007 to 2013 lead to djpaulkom.tv buy cialis in australia the cheating or separation. Penis enlargement pills in India are such an herbal remedy called as Gynecure capsule can provide great relief from erection disorders and offer viagra uk sale pleasurable way to make love in the bed. And lastly you must be committed to working through the issues you are having. viagra properien viagra properien article All are vying with every other products for their http://djpaulkom.tv/video-dj-paul-and-gangsta-boo-talk-new-mixtape-the-devil-and-more-with-power-105s-the-breakfast-club/ cialis 40 mg superiority.

• Legong: This is the most graceful dance performed by young girls, all dressed like little  princess. They move every part of their body, including their eyes, to the rhythm of the drums. Here’s a beautiful excerpt from the documentary Samsara (same director as Baraka). The music in the movie though is not the one that goes along with the Legong dance.

• Barong: One of the most sacred, the barong dance recounts the battle between the forces of the good and the bad. The barong is the king of the good spirits and enemy of the witch Randga. The barong is a strange creature half lion played by two men who lift and move the Barong from the inside and snap its jaws to the sound of drums.

Even today, the barong is considered as a magical protector of Balinese villages. On specific days, the strange beast wanders from door to door cleansing the territory of evil influences.

All masks are considered sacred. The barong mask has over 40 layers of natural paints (especially made from the plant pigment) along with gold leaf, jewelry, mirrors and coins. Sculptor take about a month to make it then entrust it to a priest who will purify it by organizing a ritual invoking the spirits to give full power to the mask.

Mythology, superstition and tradition are all part of the magic of Bali… or I would rather summarize it as harmony, balance and respect.

PS: Next article: What do we eat in Bali?! A preview with this weird but delicious dessert that looks like a Halloween treat!

Happiness and serenity,

Nathalie