Gotong Royong: Reflection of Togetherness

Gotong royong (kind of activity, where there are many people doing something, like clean the environment, or build neighbors’ house, etc.) is a habit among Javanese people that still exist from long years ago. With this activity, there is no more something called social class. All is fade become one, and they have one same purpose.

Nowadays, this activity slowly moves to countdown to extinction, mostly in the big cities. In the writers’ village, this activity still exists, because this activity is very important to erase the differences between one and another. We can find the togetherness, harmonic relationship, and also jokes among them.

When young people gathered in the same place with older people, and they are in hardworking to help other, it is the beautiful situation you can made. The writer hope that this tradition can still alive, especially in Java, commonly in Nusantara (read: Indonesia).

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The Legend of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul

It is said before that Javanese people are like to something related to the myths or legends, thus it is one of the factors why legends and myths still exist in this land. One of the famous legends is, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (The Queen of the South Sea). Her existence is still in a shadow, among real and legend. Real, because Panembahan Senopati (the founder of Mataram), have ever met her in Parangkusumo, a place near Parangtritis Beach, in south side of Kraton Yogyakarta. The story continued by the marriage between them. Legend, because people are often trapped by other entities that has similar name with her (actually, they are the guardians). There are three wardens in the south sea, they are: (1) Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (highest queen), (2) Nyai Riyo Kidul (patih dalam – patih in English means minister. So, it is same with deep govenor), (3) Nyai Rara Kidul (outside govenor). Every year, Kraton Yogyakarta has one special ceremony for them, and it calls Upacara Labuhan (throw the Kraton’s stuffs to the sea).

Some people are believe that Kanjeng Ratu Kidul like green. Because of that, there is an unwritten law that everyone who wants to go to Parangtritis or Parangkusumo, may not wear or bring something that has green color. It is why, in Yogyakarta, especially the place near Kratons’ area, the houses or other building has green color. Why? The first is, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul like green, it is for respect her. And the second is to make environment looks calm.

In the further, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX has ever met her, and he said, “Kanjeng Ratu Kidul is very beautiful woman when the moonlight washed her, but when the moon is gone, she slowly turns into an old woman” (book: Tahta Untuk Rakyat).

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Java, Where the Myths and Legends Still Exist

When we talk about Java Island, it seems like talk something around an ancient society. In the past, there was a great kingdom in east Java, Majapahit, which became the biggest kingdom in Nusantara (read: Indonesia). For a long time Majapahit rules the huge area, bigger than Indonesian area in this time. Something to know, when we are talking about Java (society, legends, myths, and other legacies), it must be started from Majapahit (and several kingdoms before Majapahit era), and then it can spread into other kingdom, like Pajajaran in the west side of Java Island.

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