BALINESE NAMES

Traditional Politeness

Various tradition of Balinese there is one needed to be informed to the non Bali whose numbers are increasing to visit the island. The basic concept of conduct of Balinese is based on social layers called "kasta", in English "castes". In every day communication and conduct is very complex and expressed in language and body gesture. Yet some basic attitudes that can be found at all levels are the same especially concerning what is polite and what is not. Here are some important conducts that would be suggested to everyone who meet Balinese :

Openness ( frankliness) or egalitarian is not considered polite, there are so many words to shaw the inconsistency of one's attitude or misfortune, disagreement or negation.
Call or address one's bare name who is older or not known is not common. It is suggested to put " Pak " for man and " Bu " for woman of adult unknown person. Once it is known call Pak / Bu followed by number of birth name would be the most refine accost.
Shake hand, point something by left hand is not considered polite. Basically using left hand to indicate object or someone is to be avoided
Point something by foot is totally unacceptable and is considered humiliation
Touch one's head unless you are older and have been aquintant with the person is considered not polite
Reffering characteristics, actions, ownerships of Satria and Brahmana need to speak what is called "refine up" words (Bali : alus singgih)
Conduct during visiting a temple and during a ritual in the temple can be asked to your tour guide or any staff that met at the place to avoid any conduct that is considered humiliation.

Personal Title and Name

It is no doubt that Balinese started to know the caste layer on the society after 1343 AD. This is the start of Bali entering the great empire of Indonesia, named Majapahit kingdom. The first indication that the king called I Dewa ( his divinity higher then his majesty ) was started when the capital city of Bali relocated from Gelgel to Klungkung ( now the city of Klungkung or Semarapura ) in 1710, for example the king Dewa Agung Jambe, Dewa Agung Di Made, and other small kingdoms ( vassals ) of Bali. Since the rule of Kepakisan dynasty (1343 AD) until Klungkung the two castes had been strongly advocated themselvesas the caste of Brahmana and the caste of royal palace. There are two designations for royal palace caste title since then, those royal palace who traced back heir nobility to Javanese dignitaries called themselves as group of Arya with designation of I Gusti, since 1929 mostly using title Anak Agung and those who traced back their origin to Kresna Kepakisan dynasty called themselves as I Dewa or Cokorda.

Collectively Balinese lowland social layers can be summed as Catur Wangsa ( 4 castes ) yet in current society discussion there are an effort to clasify this into triwangsa ( 3 bloods ) plus Sudra (common people). Triwangsa is the nobility consist of three groups, the Brahmana, Satria and Wesia (waisya). While the 4th group the Sudra which forms 95% of Balinese people are the common people. Each group of caste showing different name initial that shwos their identification, who belong to which caste. Yet in fact still many title could not be classified into which group they belong. Just to give an idea that the initial names of each case can be summed as follows:

Brahmana Caste	Ida Bagus (in short IB) for man, Ida Ayu or Dayu (in short IDA)for woman + personal name
Satria Caste	I Dewa Putu (in short IDP) + personal name, I Dewa Gede (in short IDG) + personal name, Cokorda + personal name, etc - descendant of Kepakisan dynasty I Gusti + personal name for man (in short IG) and Gusti Ayu (in short IGA) + personal name for woman, since Statblad No.226 dated 1 Juli 1929 given by Dutch diplomat used the title Anak Agung for man and Anak Agung Ayu for woman. - They are from Arya or Rakryan group descendant
Wesia Caste	This group is not clear from names as it is mostly depending on king treatment to certain people because of their influence in the society such as rich man from whatever castes, trader and other economically and knowledgably prominent were given some previlages. The most preponderant names are shown by number of birth : First child is named I Wayan or Gede or Putu for man, Ni Wayan for women then followed by personal name Second child is I Made or Nengah for man and Ni Made or Ni Nengah for woman then followed by personal name Third child is I Nyoman for man and Ni Nyoman for woman then followed by personal name Fouth child is I Ketut for man and Ni Ketut for woman then followed by personal name
Sudra Caste	Consist of various families of Pasek, Dukuh and Pande forming the largest number of Bali population. Their tradition of naming is exactly the same as Waisya caste.

According to a manuscript written during Klungkung royal palace, during the enthronement of Kepakisan as king of Bali under Majapahit, some staffs of army chief under the great cheaf of Gajah Mada were so influential and were given the title of minister or in ancient word Rakrian Apatih in the palace. The soldiers of Java known as the group of " Arya " which was later known to used title I Gusti, or I Gusti Agung for those who in power. After making some areas independence from Klungkung in 1651 onward. The ksatria caste trace their origin of three soldiers brought by Gajah Mada the Tan Mundur, Tan Kaur, and Tan Kober. The dscendant of Kepakisan is considered having the highest status with the title of Satria Dalem. Kresna Kepakisan who was the first king of Bali under Majapahit.

Brahmana and The Myth

Within the Brahmana caste itself there are some groups each claims their origin to certain famous priest from Java. The Priest of Paksa Buda (Buddhist school), Budakeling and Batuan trace back their origin from Javanese priest of Dang Hyang Astapaka. The priest of paksa Siwa trace their origin to the younger brother of Astapaka, Dang Hyang Dwijendra or Dang Hyang Nirartha while both figures were Indian and no proof that they ever come to Indonesia, who were said to come to Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa for a legendary missionary ( dharma yatra ) in 15th to 16th century, written on the purana of Dang Hyang Dwijendra called Dwijendra Tatwa. From this ritual mediator were descended some level of ritual mediator in Bali. His first wife, a princess of Daha kingdom east Java is said to have descended the Brahmana of Kemenuh, a village now also known to name Kemenuh where also exist the family of Brahmana. Second wife was daughter of king of Pasuruan, also a kingdom in East Java who descended the Brahmana Manuaba, the third wife was a daughter of priest from Blambangan also descended Brahama Keniten. When the priest visited the village of Mas, he married the daughter of Bendesa Mas, and descended the Brahmana Mas, and the 5th wife was a servant of the Bendesa Mas called Ni Brit descended the lowest Brahmana called Antapan Mas. A story of reduction the value of Bali ritual mediator as only a poligamy figure.

While aside from the story there is no other historical fact that can be used to study the origin of above four Brahmana. Another ritual mediator in Bali is the Sengguhu, mentioned on the manuscript of Pasek family, that this ritual mediator originated from the assistant of Dang Hyang Dwijaksara who came to Bali by stealing his name so the people thought he was the priest and treated him and trusted him to conduct a ritual. This assistant was called I Guto who also studied the script and mantras. Later he was caught up by Dwijaksara but due to his knowledge he was given the authority to conduct human life circle rites. Up to this era the highest ritual mediator in Bali is to be appointed from Brahmana cast who is called Pedanda which probably came from the word of Pandit a ritual mediator in India nothing to do with those figures in ancient Java called empu, rsi, and bhagawan, because Pedanda in Bali does not uses the manual of priesthood titled Siwa Sasana written in Java in titinawamikrsnapakshachetramasa 1557.

During sectarianism worship in Bali those who venerated Wishnu as supreme god also had ritual mediator with the name Senggu, see from the attributes he uses during the conduct of a ritual, it is no doubt about it. In case Senggu is the ritual mediator of Wishnu sect, that putting them as lowest ritual mediator as mentioned on above manuscript was only the personal interest of the writer of the manuscript. Historical facts suggest that Bali ever had 9 sects of religions which were no doubt that each of them also had their ritual mediator such as Shivaitic sect, Wishnuistic sect, Brahmanic sect, Ganesha sect, and many others. Yet in the course of time only Brahmana ritual mediator that appear to control all the sects and called themselves the highest ritual mediator called pedanda, while the fact in Bali is mostly Shivaitic not worship of Brahma.

Among the people of Bali there are discussion about castes, some opinions say that it should be based on function (varna) not hereditary just as mentioned on ancient book of India called Manusmriti (law of Manu) which was further elaboration of rigveda sukta 5-15 known as purusa sukta. Sanskrit experts including prominent veda master Prof. Max Muller consider this chapter is controversial, so it must be corrupted part, some one inserted it recently or even during modern time . As the castes in Bali has been a wrong concept of thinking for example, a family of Pande which means blacksmith yet who does not even know blacksmith works, that is the case, a person does not know about religious mantras or rites can we say he/she is a ritualistic priest? That happened also within the ruling class. Today among younger generation the characteristics and social conduct relateing to the castes seems to be fading, even inter caste marriage is very common, and daily discussion tends to be egalitarian if not speak Indonesian.