Gamelan selonding

Ritual music of Tenganan Pegringsingan

by Mark Lockett

 

Contents

Gamelan Selonding (1)

Tenganan Pegringsingan (2)

The instruments (3)

The music (4)

Seleh Notes Volume 2 Number 1 December 1994

© Tim Mark Lockett

Playing gamelan selonding

Playing gamelan selonding

 

It is said that when the voice of the iron selonding rises into the sky above Tenganan the world holds its breath.

This unique community of around 250 souls sees itself as a small replica of ancient Bali, which in turn saw itself as the whole world.

At its heart sits the god of holy music, Batara Bagus Salunding ('salu'= holy place, 'nding' = to cleanse or purify), within three sacred iron keys.

Their sounds were sent down from the heavens in ancient times when the voice of the god was first received as a great thundering wave of sound which filled the whole valley, and then broke into different tones.

These keys, measuring about 20, 50 and 60 centimetres in length, still exist but are never touched and are kept out of sight from all but their close guardians.

Tenganan Pegringsingan is a 'Bali Aga' village; the inhabitants are direct descendants of the pre-Hindu Balinese who became vastly outnumbered by Javanese immigrants with the rise and spread of Islam in the Middle Ages.

Despite now being firmly on the tourist map, their collective and traditional lifestyle is basically unchanged.

However the sale of ikat fabrics, lontar books (illustrated scenes of the Ramayana inscribed on palm leaves) and other artifacts to the daily influx of visitors provides a substantial part of the village income, enabling the people to spend their time in worship and ritual duties.

To be a member of the community you must fulfil certain criteria:

l) Husband and wife must be physically and mentally fit.

2) Husband and wife must be originally from Tenganan Pegringsingan.

3) Polygamy is forbidden.

4) Husband and wife must have been members of the village youth organisations: sekehe teruna for boys or sekehe daha for girls.

5) Marriage outside the community is punishable by exile and heavy fining of the parents.

All members of the village must share in the rights and responsibilities of the village and can benefit from the use of collective lands. The rights of women and men are the same.

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