The Lives of Processions in Bali and Lombok, Indonesia

Processions serve myriad purposes in Indonesia and beyond and may stand alone or be one public part of a larger event, such as a festival (see Peterson 2007 and Harnish 2006 for examples). Most processions can be considered a moving theater as actors, ritual attendants, clowns, musicians, and others traverse through selected space (Dibia 1985), often wearing varied and colorful costumes and working to promote or to subvert the social order. The sound element—marching or other loud processional music to activate political or spiritual indices―moves groups forward, defines their missions, and announces their significance; in fact, a general rule