Balinese mythology

Balinese mythology is the system of myths, cosmological ideas, divine beings, and symbolic narratives that underpin Balinese Hinduism, the predominant religion of the island of Bali, Indonesia. It represents a syncretic tradition shaped by Indian Hindu and Buddhist influences, Javanese folklore and mythology, and older indigenous Balinese beliefs based on animism and ancestor worship. It is expressed primarily through ritual practice, architecture, performance, and visual art, although it is underpinned by scripture including Sanskrit epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabhrata.

Balinese mythology functions as a living cosmology, structuring religious life, social organisation, and spatial orientation on the island. Balinese mythology differs from Indian Hindu mythology in both emphasis and structure. While drawing heavily on stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Balinese traditions reinterpret these narratives within a local framework that prioritises ritual balance, communal harmony, and the management of unseen forces.

Myth is not treated as distant or purely symbolic; instead, mythological beings are considered actively present in temples, sacred objects, performances, and natural features of the landscape.