Seni Reog: An Epic Battle and a Cultural Dispute

Traditions such as Reog embody the fluidity of culture that moved freely across the Nusantara archipelago long before the advent of the modern nation state.

Singa Barong. Courtesy of PUSAKA, Photo by Ahmad Fikri Anwar.

In Indonesia’s kabupaten (regency) of Ponorogo, people tell the story of the mythical battle between their king, Kelono Sewandono and the magical lion-like creature called Singa Barong. King Kelono reigned the Bantarangin, a kingdom believed to be part of the ancient Ponorogo.In the vast repertory of Javanese epic dance masks, the king is depicted as red-skinned with prominent eyes, wearing a gold-coloured crown and carrying pecut samandiman, a decorated whip in his hand.

King Kelono set out on a journey to the kingdom of Kediri, reigned over by a beautiful princess named Puteri Songgo Langit, admired by Javanese kings and nobles throughout the land. On his journey to seek the hand of the princess, he was attacked by Singa Barong, a guardian of the forest that surrounds the Kediri kingdom. An arduous battle ensues between the black-clad warok warriors of King Kelono and the lion and peacock army of Singa Barong.

King Kelono’s troops eventually tame the Singa Barong, and he finally encounters Puteri Songgo Langit. Puteri Songgo Langit agrees to marry him but on one condition: he must present her with a new dance performance that has never been showcased to the public before. King Kelono impressed the princess with the Reog dance, which enacts the battle and his journey to reach her.

Many versions of the origins of the Reog dance exist. Different Reog groups and masters have their own interpretation of the story, contextualised and appropriated according to their sensibility and social climate. Today, the dance continues to be performed on festive days, for weddings and coming of age ceremonies. Driving into the kabupaten, one is greeted by the statues of the virile warok and his alluring boy-lover gemblak, two characters prominent in the Reog dance.

Reog has become an iconic cultural identity of the people of Ponorogo, and registered as one of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage traditions. In January 2022, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, supported the proposal for the art to be recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

But this episode sparked another cultural dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, the home of many Javanese migrants and several Reog groups.

A Majestic Dance

King Kelono Sewandono created the Reog dance based on his journey to Kediri. In another version of the story, Reog became a central element in the struggle of Ki Ageng Kutu, a servant who fought against the ruler of the kingdom of Kertabhumi in the 15th century. Living in exile, Ki Ageng, used the Reog dance as the medium to spread his political message against the corrupt king.

*This is an excerpt. Read the full article in Penang Monthly, August 2022 issue (free with registration).