<![CDATA[This study examines meaning-making in the legend of Batu Ampar/Dampu Awang in Palembang through the lens of literary reception theory. It employs a descriptive qualitative approach based on library research. Data were collected from books, journals, scholarly articles, and previous studies related to the Dampu Awang legend, meaning-making, and Hans Robert Jauss’s literary reception theory. The findings indicate that the Legend of Batu Ampar is understood not only as a folktale conveying a moral lesson about children’s disobedience to their parents but also as an expression of local beliefs about the origins of the stones along the banks of the Musi River. From the perspective of literary reception, interpretations of the character Dampu Awang change in accordance with shifts in readers’ horizons of expectations. Modern readers increasingly interpret Dampu Awang in more rational and human-centered ways by considering the character’s social and psychological circumstances. Therefore, meaning in oral literature is dynamic, shaped by readers’ interpretations, social experiences, and changing historical contexts.]]>
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