ABSTRACT
The Balinese tend to agree in saying that the shadow theatre, wayang kulit, has a three-fold significance in the society. It is instructive, entertaining and religious in intent. Thereby they establish the dominant frame from which I wish to proceed and examine this genre of theatre. However, throughout the book I have taken the position that the indigenous interpretations are part of the data to be explained. By adopting such an approach wayang kulit, together with its mythological system, is set within its wider cultural and social context, and not just viewed in isolation. In this chapter we further see how wayang kulit acquires its meaning as an active force and organizing principle in the daily life of the people. It has also profoundly affected the other arts, particularly the other popular genres of dance-drama given in the village to the community at large.
