“THE EMPRESS IS BACK ON THE STAGE“ : WOMAN LEADERSHIP IN MINANGKABAU FOLKLORE

This paper aims to do a critical analysis on power and gender constructions from selected Minangkabau folklore which has been transcribed into Minangkabau manuscripts: Kaba Cinduo Mato, Kaba Anggun nan Tongga, Kaba Malin Deman, Kaba Malin Kundang and Kaba Sabai nan Aluih. The main argument of this paper is that Minangkabau folklore strongly presents matrifocality. As a result, these kabas represent woman leadership either in private or public areas. The analysis is conducted within the frame of literary sociology, and feminist literary criticism. Based on the analysis, it can be said that to some extent, representations of woman leadership in the texts have competed against patriarchal conventional assumptions on gender.