The power of letters and the female body: Female literacy in Bali

Parker, Lynette

doi:10.1016/s0277-5395(02)00218-2

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…One possible way to get to the core of the myths associated with the Philippine Aswang may be to look at the Calonarang dance and musical performance. It is an exorcism of witches and demons in Bali, Indonesia (Bateson & Mead 1942, Belo 1949, Lansing 1995, Parker 2002. Indonesians still have ready access to their cultural treasures in the form of ancient religious texts and paintings as they continue to be danced out in music and song.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…She represents the unappeased, unfulfilled, and restless spirits who hover and cause havoc for the living. Parker (2002) reiterates the story of Rangda:…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He managed to resurrect the victims of the widow who had not yet decomposed, and he conquered the widow and then revived her, exorcizing and liberating her soul." Following Douglas's (1966) idea of pollution, Parker (2002) argues that women, through their bodily functions, have greater access to the means of sorcery. Women as daughters, wives, mothers, and widows are more likely than men to be rendered ritually impure, vulnerable to bewitchment, and wielding ambiguous power (Parker 2002).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following Douglas's (1966) idea of pollution, Parker (2002) argues that women, through their bodily functions, have greater access to the means of sorcery. Women as daughters, wives, mothers, and widows are more likely than men to be rendered ritually impure, vulnerable to bewitchment, and wielding ambiguous power (Parker 2002). Women have access to the placenta and after-effects of childbirth, which are the tools of sorcerers.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The conclusion is drawn that Southeast Asian witch tales connote a different set of gender relations and attitudes towards women and children than Western European origin. Lansing (1995) & Parker (2002 wrote extensively about the Balinese ritual battle between the forces of good and evil that occurred between the panther-like guardian called Barong and a witch-like creature called Rangda (Abrams & Ambrosino 1979). She had an elongated tongue and flew around at night to suck the blood of her victims.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dancing around the Cauldron with Rangda, the Balinese widow-witch: Exploring gender relations and attitudes toward women and children in Southeast Asia

Nadeau

2020

MKP

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By taking a cross-cultural approach based on library research, content analysis, and fieldwork in the Philippines, this paper compares Southeast Asian and European tales. The Southeast Asian tales are rooted in local philosophical and cultural traditions. Balinese literature is replete with descriptions of rituals to ward off vampires. The flying half-bodied Aswangs in the Philippines, like their Malaysian sisterlings, can be shown to bear some resemblance to Balinese witches who culminate in the Rangda, the queen of witches. The Balinese ritual battle between the troubled widow witch Rangda and the gentle Barong offers a circular view of history that arguably holds to a universal notion of good and evil. In contrast, European witch tales can be traced back to the hysterical witch hunts and persecution of female midwives and healers in Medieval times that were perceived as threatening the power and authority of male doctors, priests, and landed government officials. The conclusion is that Southeast Asian lore connotes a different set of gender relations and attitudes toward women and children than European origin.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…She represents the unappeased, unfulfilled, and restless spirits who hover and cause havoc for the living. Parker (2002) reiterates the story of Rangda:…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%