Reading the Ancestors Message: Semiotics of the Bajang Ratu Temple Ornaments in Mapping Local Wisdom and Majapahit Women
Main Article Content
Ayub Muktiono*
Candi Bajang Ratu, a stepped gateway in Trowulan, Mojokerto, is a significant architectural relic from the Majapahit Kingdom (13th-15th centuries CE). The ambiguous gendered name “Bajang Ratu” combining “bajang” (young/small) and “ratu” (a title for women) has prompted interpretations linking the site to influential female figures such as Gayatri Rajapatni. This article aims to uncover the representation of feminine values and local wisdom in the ornamental motifs of Candi Bajang Ratu through a semiotic approach. Employing a qualitative interpretive methodology, the study applies Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework (denotation, connotation, myth) and Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic signs (icon, index, symbol), integrated within a hermeneutic case study design. Data were collected from secondary sources, including archaeological documentation and academic literature, and analyzed thematically and contextually. The findings reveal that the temple’s ornamental elements, such as hand-like profiles resembling prayer gestures, spiritually sacred spatial symbols, makara reliefs with flowing vines, vegetal motifs, symmetrical arches, fragments of Apsara figures, and the stepped gateway structure, symbolically embody feminine principles: fertility, wisdom, protection, cosmic harmony, flexibility, and adaptability. The curved, flowing architectural forms contrast sharply with masculine aesthetics characterized by rigidity and verticality, affirming the reverence for women not merely as individuals, but as cosmological and moral forces underpinning the kingdom’s continuity. Thus, Candi Bajang Ratu functions as a symbolic monument institutionalizing the recognition of feminine values within Majapahit culture. Far more than a stone structure, it is a symbolic archive of gentle yet enduring power, encapsulating sustainable values that mirror the character of Nusantara women.
Anggraeni, S. (2018). Semiotik & Dinamika Sosial Budaya: Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes, Julia Kristeva, Jacques Derrida, Charles Sanders Peirce, Marcel Danesi & Paul Perron, dll. Metalingua: Jurnal Penelitian Bahasa, 15(1), 127–130.
Barthes, R., & Rifat, S. (1998). Roland Barthes. Yapı Kredi Yayınları.
Betts, S. (2023). The Windsor Consorts: Matriarchy and Modernisation. In Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty (pp. 255–276). Springer.
Costain, A. (2004). Utama, Madyà, Nista: Javanese Cosmology and the Traditional Vernacular Architecture of Indonesia. National Library of Canada= Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, Ottawa.
Davison, J. (2014). Balinese Architecture: Imperfection and Transcendence-Bilingual English and Japanese Texts with Free Online Audio Recordings. Tuttle Publishing.
Eni, S. P., & Tsabit, A. H. (2017). Arsitektur Kuno Kerajaan-Kerajaan Kediri, Singasari, dan Majapahit di Jawa Timur Indonesia. PT RajaGrafindo Persada, Jakarta.
Hall, K. (1996). Ritual networks and royal power in Majapahit Java. Archipel, 52(1), 95–118.
Lestari, S., Winarni, R., & Sumarwati, M. P. (2025). Historiografi Perempuan Mataram. Selat Media.
Maer, B. W., & Hariyanto, A. D. (2025). Morfologi Struktur: Bentuk, Struktur, Material. In Morfologi Struktur: Bentuk, Struktur, Material. Rajawali Pers.
Maulidita, N., & Jati, R. P. (2025). From Lyric to Meaning: Self-Healing in Tulus’ “Diri” Through Barthes’ Semiotics. REVIEW OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION, CULTURE AND PEDAGOGY, 4(3), 141–151. https://doi.org/10.55047/romeo.v4i3.1767
Paramita, D. M. (2024). Doa dalam Tradisi Hindu Bali: Fungsi, Struktur, dan Makna Teologisnya. ŚRUTI: Jurnal Agama Hindu, 5(1), 73–83.
Patria, A., & Kristiana, N. (2017). Protraction of Javanese philosophy in Djarum 76 advertisement video series. Social Sciences, Humanities and Economics Conference (SoSHEC 2017), 70–74.
Patt, J. A. (1979). The use and symbolism of water in ancient Indonesian art and architecture. University of California, Berkeley.
Ramawangsa, P. A., & Prihatiningrum, A. (2024). Buku Ajar Pengantar Sejarah Arsitektur Nusantara. Uwais Inspirasi Indonesia.
Ries, C. (2024). Regimes of Femininity: Representations of Javanese Women in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture. University of California, Santa Cruz.
Romdhoni, A. (2019). Semiotik Metodologi Penelitian. Literatur Nusantara.
Rozaq, M. (2025). Praktik Ruwatan Dalam Membentuk Akhlak Remaja Karang Taruna Di Desa Somoroto Kecamatan Kauman Kabupaten Ponorogo. IAIN Ponorogo.
Sani, R. A. (2017). Arsitektur rumah di kawasan cagar budaya Trowulan (Studi pemukiman Majapahit abad ke-14 M). AVATARA: Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah, 5(3).
Soekmono, R. (1973). Pengantar sejarah kebudayaan Indonesia. Kanisius.
Wijayanti, L. (2019). Perempuan Sasak Dalam Ekspresi Visual (perempuan sebagai penyangga keluarga, Penjaga tradisi, dan pelaku seni). ISI Yogyakarta.
Winaya, A., & Munandar, A. A. (2021). Ancient Javanese Women during the Majapahit period (14th–15th centuries CE): An Iconographic Study based on the Temple Reliefs| Perempuan Jawa Kuno periode Majapahit (Abad ke-14–15 Masehi): Suatu tinjauan Ikonografi terhadap Relief Candi. SPAFA Journal, 5. https://doi.org/10.26721/spafajournal.2021.v5.658
