Jero Gede

Barong Landung performance mask portraying Jero Gede.
Indonesia has a varied repertoire of dancing and masked theaters resulting from the influence of different cultures and religions practiced in the archipelago. The diversity and beauty of indonesian masks document the fusion of the different beliefs. They are used in religious rituals and in different theatrical genres such as Barong Landung and Barong Dance (in Bali) and Wayang Topeng (in Java and Bali).
Jero Gede and Jero Luh are the oldest couple of balinese ancestors, to whom various legends of origin and various functions are associated. As masks they represent are worn during an exorcist performance called Barong Landung, performed over the course of the year to ward off evil spirits and protect the community. Jero Gede is also identified as a demonic spirit that can torment balinese if not appeased. During the ceremony, two people wearing a costume of two and a half meters long, wear and carry the masks in a procession to the place where after they will burnt.