LITERATURE IN RITUAL: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF SCRIPTS AND PERFORMANCES IN WAYANG KULIT

Abstract

This research explores the intersection between literature and ritual through an anthropological lens, focusing on the traditional Javanese shadow puppet theater known as Wayang Kulit. The study examines how literary elements—such as narrative structures, dialogues, and poetic language—are embedded within ritualistic performances and serve to convey cultural values, spiritual beliefs, and collective memory. Using ethnographic methods including participant observation, interviews with dalang (puppet masters), and textual analysis of lakon (scripts), this research highlights the dynamic role of Wayang Kulit as both a literary and a ritual form. The findings reveal that Wayang Kulit functions not merely as entertainment, but as a cultural medium that bridges the sacred and the profane, reinforcing social norms, transmitting local wisdom, and preserving the oral tradition within the community. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how literature can operate within ritual contexts, offering insights into the performative and symbolic dimensions of traditional arts in Indonesian society.