The Symbol of Garuda as A Cultural Media and Ideology: A Case Study in Bali-Indonesia

Abstract

Garuda is a mythological creature originated from Vedic literature, depicted as a combination of human and bird. The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning of the Garuda symbol as a cultural and ideological medium from the perspective of postmodernist thought, which is a very interesting topic to discuss. Until now, the Garuda symbol in cultural and ideological media has rarely been discussed the meaning behind the use of the Garuda symbol in aspects of contemporary Indonesian society. The Garuda symbol in contemporary life in Indonesia, especially on the island of Bali, contains certain meanings. The meanings contained in the symbolization of the Garuda as a cultural and ideological medium certainly have various interpretations, depending on the subject of society who interprets this Garuda symbol. This is related to the culture of the use of bird symbols as ideological symbols. The approach used to answer several problems in understanding the meaning of the Garuda symbol as a cultural and ideological medium in the perspective of postmodernist thought is the hermeneutic approach associated with postmodernist thought to provide an interpretation of the Garuda symbol as a cultural and ideological medium. The hermeneutic approach in this paper is borrowed in providing interpretation and critically analyzed from postmodern thought to understand the meaning of the Garuda symbol as a cultural and ideological medium. For this reason, it is still felt necessary to examine more deeply so that the meaning behind the meaning of the Garuda symbol can be understood more deeply from the perspective of cultural studies. Based on the above description, understanding the Garuda symbol as a cultural and ideological medium from a postmodern perspective is quite compelling. This interest stems from the specific meaning each postmodernist perspective possesses, allowing for a deeper analysis of the meaning behind the Garuda symbol.