Rangda revisited : pluralizing Euramerican stereotypes of Bali's Queen of the Witches
Date
2001
Authors
Fossey, Claire Ann
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Abstract
This thesis is intended to help remedy the characterization of the Balinese figure of Rangda, Queen of the Witches as a monolithic symbol of evil. Throughout the thesis I explore the notion that Rangda has not simply one, but many overlapping identities. In Chapter One I discuss Rangda as she has been constructed in the past by non-Balinese writers, both in the context of scholarly writing and that intended for a general Euramerican audience. Chapter Two consists of a description of the physical appearance of Rangda followed by an exploration of a variety of contexts in which she may be encountered and how her nature may change in accordance with each new context. In Chapter Three I argue that while undeniably a destructive force, Rangda should not be characterized as simply a force of evil . Chapter Four focuses on how the construction of Rangda as a terrible woman may reflect and affect Balinese social mores with regards to feminine behavior. Chapter Five looks at Rangda's relationship with tourism and the way in which her use in advertising threaten to propagate the image of the witch as a oneĀ dimensional symbol of evil.