NARRATING THE DIVINE: LITERARY EXPRESSIONS OF HINDU FAITH IN BALINESE ORAL TRADITIONS

Abstract

This article explores the intersections between faith, narrative, and aesthetics in Balinese oral literature as a living expression of Hindu theology. Rooted in the island’s syncretic spiritual landscape, oral traditions such as kidung, geguritan, kakawin, and satua function not only as artistic works but also as vehicles for transmitting sacred values, cosmological order, and theological insight. By analyzing their structure, performance, and communal function, this study reveals how Balinese Hindu narratives preserve, reinterpret, and embody the divine through voice and story. Drawing on ethnographic insights and literary hermeneutics, the article argues that Balinese oral traditions constitute a narrative theology that sustains Hindu religiosity in the rhythm of everyday life.