Freud reminded us that while we require a dreamer's associations to uncover the latent meaning of a dream, we can also glean significant information from symbols, which have a fixed meaning, independent of the dreamer's associative links. The unconscious similarities between dreams, myths, and folklore have been set forth since the inception of psychoanalytic thought. In this paper, the author examines a Javanese shadow-play from a psychoanalytic perspective. Water, wind, light, and fire are significant symbols in the story. Their meaning is integrated with the dynamics of the tale of Dewa Ruci, involving preoedipal and oedipal conflict. In addition, traditional beliefs and proverbs are cited to support literary evidence. De-Bouzek