“To Be Human is to Sing”

To many Balinese, Saraswati is worshipped as the goddess of knowledge, beauty and the arts. Those realms come together most vividly in Topeng performances and reflect Balinese beliefs about the sacred power of letters (aksara) that make up literature and the arts. Through exploring how Topeng actors interpret the meaning of aksara, I examine how Balinese rituals including Topeng performances, are concrete manifestations of sacred knowledge transformed into action.