Guardian Beast-King

Classed as 'deity' (a protective spirit-class being); not a Hindu dewa proper but a sacralized guardian. Sex male by convention as 'Beast-King'/Banaspati Raja.

Domains

• protective good forces
• village guardianship

Powers

• battles the witch-queen Rangda to restore cosmic balance
• shields entranced kris-dancers from self-wounding

Relations

• enemy: Witch-Queen

Sources

• Belo, Jane (1949). Bali: Rangda and Barong. Monographs of the American Ethnological Society 16. New York: J.J. Augustin.
• Eiseman, Fred B. (1990). Bali: Sekala and Niskala, Vol. I. Periplus.