Balinese

Balinese women

Balinese, people of the island of Bali, Indonesia. Unlike most Indonesians, who practice Islam, the Balinese adhere to Hinduism, though their interpretation of it has been heavily influenced by the neighbouring Javanese culture. The Balinese language belongs to the Austronesian language family. In the early 21st century the Balinese numbered roughly three million.

In the traditional Balinese village each extended family lives in its own compound, a cluster of buildings enclosed by an earthen or stone wall. The shady courtyard is usually divided into three sections, containing, respectively, the rice granaries and cattle sheds, the sleeping quarters and kitchen, and the house temple. The living quarters have walls of clay and roofs of thatch or palm leaves. Typical villages have temples and an assembly hall, usually centrally located on a public square, that also serves as a site for festivals, markets, and other community activities.

Balinese life generally centres on religion, which is Hindu Shaivism fused with Buddhism, ancestor cults, and local spiritual beliefs. The Balinese believe in reincarnation, and the dead are cremated in order to liberate their souls for the onward journey. Caste practices exist, but, because most of the population belong to the lowest caste, there is little formality among the villagers. As in Java, there are different modes of speech to reflect differences in social rank. High Balinese, for instance, would be used for courtly interaction, middle Balinese would be used between status equals, and low Balinese would be used for everyday communication within the village.

terraced rice fields

Each village is a self-contained community, venerating common ancestors and usually subdivided into cooperative societies whose members assist each other in temple maintenance, festivals, and family rites. Family relationships are reckoned through the male line. Marriage is often limited to members of the same dadia, or kinship organization. Rice is the main crop and is often grown on spectacular irrigated terraces; other crops include yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, and corn (maize).