Balinese mythology


Balinese mythology is the traditional mythology of the people of the Indonesian island of Bali, before the majority adoption of Hinduism.
Balinese mythology is mainly a kind of animism with some widely known characters and deities. Many elements of Balinese mythology have been adapted and integrated into modern Balinese Hinduism. The mythology is also influenced by Javanese mythology, especially from the Hindu-Buddhist period of Majapahit.

Aspects of Balinese mythology

Creation myth

At the beginning of time, only Antaboga the world snake existed. Antaboga meditated and created the world turtle Bedawang. Two snakes lie on top of the world turtle, as does the Black Stone, which forms the lid of the underworld. The underworld is ruled by the goddess Setesuyara and the god Batara Kala, who created light and the earth. Above the earth lies a series of skies. Semara, god of love, lives in the floating sky, and above the sky lies the dark blue sky, home to the sun and moon. Next is the perfumed sky, which has many beautiful flowers and is inhabited by Tjak, a bird with a human face; the serpent Taksaka; and a group of snakes collectively known as the Awan, who appear as falling stars. The ancestors live in a flame-filled heaven above the perfumed heaven, and finally beyond that is the abode of the gods.