Disertasi ini membahas pemaknaan Rangda di dalam teks Calon Arang (CA) dan Novel Janda dari Jirah (JDJ). Rangda merupakan mitos yang paling penting di dalam tradisi Bali. Teks CA memperlihatkan sosok Rangda yang memiliki karakter negatif. Hal ini sesuai dengan fungsinya di dalam praktik budaya Bali. Di dalam novel JDJ, pengarang diduga melakukan dekonstruksi dengan memberi citra baru Rangda. Rangda digambarkan memiliki karakter positif.Disertasi ini menerapkan pendekatan hermeneutika Ricoeur yang menekankan dialektika antara penjelasan dan pemahaman. Ada tiga langkah penting, yakni distansiasi, interpretasi, dan apropriasi. Tahap distansiasi meliputi analisis struktur teks (sintaksis dan semantik). Interpretasi dilakukan berdasarkan struktur yang telah dibuat. Struktur yang telah dianalisis berfungsi sebagai lintasan yang mengarahkan penafsiran agar tidak sewenang-wenang. Tahap apropriasi merupakan peleburan cakrawala teks dan cakrawala penafsir. Penafsir memahami dirinya lebih baik.Studi ini menghasilkan beberapa temuan penting. Pertama, pengarang novel JDJ tidak melakukan dekonstruksi terhadap teks CA. Ia hanya menampilkan sisi santa dari Dewi Durga. Kedua, analisis interteks memperlihatkan adanya kontradiksi muatan keagamaan. Teks CA menekankan ajaran Siwa, sedangkan novel JDJ menekankan ajaran Buddha. Ketiga, analisis interaksi tokoh menunjukkan perbedaan dalam memandang persoalan kepatuhan. Teks CA mengungkapkan pesan utama tentang kepatuhan kepada Dewa (bersifat vertikal), sedangkan novel JDJ mempersoalkan kepatuhan kepada aturan yang dibuat manusia (bersifat horisontal). Keempat, melalui tinjauan kritis terhadap kedua teks dipertajam persoalan relasi kuasa antara raja dan pendeta. Di dalam teks CA, kedudukan raja dan pendeta dimuliakan, sedangkan novel JDJ mempersoalkan krisis kekuasaan raja dan pendeta.

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This dissertation examines the meaning of Rangda, an important character of both the text of Calon Arang (CA) and of Janda dari Jirah (JDJ). As a matter of fact Rangda stands significantly in the Balinese traditional myths. The text of CA shows the figure of Rangda with a negative quality, and this is in accordance with its function in the practice of Balinese culture. However, through the novel JDJ, the character has been allegedly deconstructed by uplifting a new image of Rangda due to its positive quality character.Here, Ricoeur's hermeneutic approach is applied since it emphasizes the dialectic between explanation and understanding. There are three steps. First, distanciation that analyzes structure consisting mainly of syntax and semantics. This structure functions as the trajectory in order to avoid an arbitrary interpretation. The second is about interpretation which is made based on the structure. Finally, the third is appropriation which is the fusion of horizon between the text and of the reader. As a result, readers themselves understand the text better.There are several important conclusions by this study. First, the author of JDJ didn't deconstruct the text of CA. She just displayed the aspect of saint found in Durga. Second, the intertextual analysis identified the contradiction of religious content. The text of CA emphasized the doctrine of Siwa, while, the novel of JDJ the thought of Buddha. Third, the interaction analysis shows the different obedience issues. Text CA reveals an obedience to the rule of God, which is vertical, and the novel JDJ represents an obedience to the human rules, which is horizontal. Fourth, through a critical review towards those two texts the question of power relations between the king and the priest is strongly sharpened. Text CA legitimates the position of the king and the priest, while the novel JDJ shows the crisis of power of both.