ABSTRACT
In what sense the Balinese may be said to have a caste system is a definitional question (see the debate in de Reuck & Knight 1967), which cannot be dealt with here. Various different views have been advanced;14 but relatively little attention has been devoted, however, in the published literature to the ideology of relations between the constituent title, or descent, groups which are classified with some dispute into the ranked categories of Brahmana, (K)satriya, Wèsya and Sudra, or commoners (cf. Geertz & Geertz 1975). For instance, marriage and sexual relations between members of different castes (except sometimes unions between commoners) are subject to formal regulations which prohibit hypogamy, nyerod bangsa, traditionally punishable by death (Lekkerkerker 1926:70). Similarly, food offered to ancestors or descent group deities might be given away to lower castes, but not the reverse. Breach of these rules constitutes an offence which results in the permanent pollution of the higher ranking caste member and demotion to the level of the party responsible. In another interesting example, the Balinese language contains vocabularies of respect, the proper level, or at the least the key terms, being obligatory in communication between castes. Infringement requires the payment of purificatory offerings, perascita, to neutralise the pollution so caused. Underlying these institutions is the fundamental principle that castes are graded by differences in innate purity, so that contact between them must be regulated accordingly.
