Ni Bawang

Ni Bawang

Title	Ni Bawang - Mahabharata
Artist	Unknown
Date	1955
Size	59 cm
Material	Sonokeling wood
Remarks
Signature
Published
Collection	Private Collection

Ni Bawang - Mahabharata

"Ni Bawang" refers to a well-known Balinese folk tale ("Ni Bawang Merah dan Ni Bawang Putih" ) about two sisters (red and white) of whom one (Ni Bawang) is diligent and the other ( Ni Kesuna ) is lazy, which leads to jealousy and expulsion. It is also a popular subject for Balinese art, such as wood carvings which often depict Ni Bawang, sometimes with birds.

Art & Culture : The story is so well known that Ni Bawang has become an iconic figure in Balinese visual arts, with many wood carvings and other artworks depicting her.

The Story : It is a classic Balinese fairy tale about a diligent sister (Ni Bawang) who is wrongly punished by her lazy sister (Ni Kesuna), and is eventually rewarded, with the lazy sister getting what she deserved.

There are many versions of the story of Ni Bawang and Ni Kesuna (Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih). Here are a few of them:

Ni Bawang and Ni Kesuna

Once upon a time, in a small village in Bali island there lived a family with their two daughters named Ni Bawang and Ni Kesuna. Ni Bawang is older than Ni Kesuna. Ni Bawang is diligent, kind and honest. However, Ni Kesuna is lazy, greedy and she liked to defame.

Every day, Kesuna asked Ni Bawang to do the housework. "Bawang, mop the floor! Don't be lazy! Quickly!!!!". Ni Bawang then moped the floor. Later on Ni Kesuna shouted again, "Bawang… clean my bedroom! It's dirty and smelly". Ni Bawang then went to the room and cleaned it. That was a daily routine of Ni Bawang, she is almost never at rest.

One morning, "Bawang, Kesuna.... come here!! Meme will go to the market, bring the paddy form the barn, dry in the sun and mash it!!". After I Meme left, “Bawang, Bawang… the sun is shining, take the paddy now!!! You take the paddy, and I will dry it”. Ni Bawang then took the paddy alone. “Kesuna, Kesuna… the paddy is here, help me to dry it!!" "Just dry the paddy, I will mash it later". Shortly, the paddy was dry. "Kesuna, Kesuna, mash the paddy now, it's already dry". "Arrghhh, just mash it, I am too busy, I have a lot of things to do". Without complaining Ni Bawang mashed the paddy until it was ready to cook. Then, she went to the river to take a bath.

A few minutes later, Ni Kesuna pretended to sweep the yard. I Meme came and only saw Ni Kesuna. "Meme…Meme, Bawang is lazy, she didn't help me to do the housework. She just laid down and did nothing". "Really? Where is Ni Bawang Now??" "Ni Bawang went to the river, she's only good in taking care of herself". I Meme believed Ni Kesuna and was mad at Ni Bawang.
When Ni Bawang arrived home, Ehhhh… Bawang… where have you been? Why you don't help your sister? Kesuna do all the house work. And you? What did you do?". "She's lying!, I did the housework… not her". "Arrghhhhh, you!, you are a liar! You are lazy, I knew that!" I Meme then took a wood stick and hit Ni Bawang many times. "Aaaaaa... No Meme, stop! Help me! It hurts!!" Ni Bawang was bleeding, she cried over and over. "Now, get out from here, don't be back. You are not my daughter anymore." With the bleeding head, Ni Bawang walked alone while crying. "Sorry Meme, I'm not wrong. Kesuna defamed me!"

Then, without realizing she arrived in the river. Suddenly, a yellow Cerucuk bird approached her and pecked her head. A gold diamond crown beautify her head. Secondly, the bird pecked her neck, appeared a gold diamond necklace. The bird pecked her ears, appeared a gold diamond earring. The bird pecked her wrist, appeared a gold diamond bracelet. The bird pecked her fingers, appeared a gold diamond ring. Ni Bawang then stayed at her grandmother's house and told the story.
The next day, Ni Kesuna went to the grandmother’s house and saw Ni Bawang with all the jewelries. "Wow, Bawang, what's that? Bawang, you are my beloved sister, where did you get all the jewelries, it looks beautiful. I want it too". Ni Bawang told the story, the river, the yellow cerucuk bird and how she got the jewelries. After heard the story, Ni Kesuna went back home and told I Meme. "Meme, Meme, Ni Bawang had a lot of jewelries, now take the wood stick and hit my head. I will go to the river to meet the bird”. I Meme then hit Ni Kesuna's head until it was bleeding, and she suddenly went to the river.
Arriving in the river, she met the bird and begged to peck her head. "Please peck me! I want to get jewelleries too". The bird pecked her head, appeared a poison snake. The bird pecked her neck, appeared a poison spider. The bird pecked her wrist, appeared a poison scorpion. The bird pecked her fingers, appeared a poison centipede. The venomed animals bited her until she died.
The moral value of the story is, don't like defaming someone, love your siblings, love your family.

In another version it is told that Ni Kesuna betrayed her sister Ni Bawang, causing her to flee from her home. Ni Bawang ran into the forest, where in her sadness she prayed to God for mercy and protection.
After hearing birds singing, she sang to them as if to God, and in response the birds perched upon her wrists, neck, and hands, giving her gold jewelry and a crown.
After Ni Bawang returned home, Ni Kesuna became envious of her and tried to recreate the scene herself. However, she ended up with snakes instead of birds.

---

More info:
Ni Bawang Merah and Ni Bawang Putih