Symbolization in Javanese Culture

Javanese culture is hard to understand, even for Javanese itself. For them whose understand the nature of Javanese culture, they are including on the winasis or waskita (both of these words are mean ‘smart’ in English, but in Javanese language, they have different meaning. The man that called winasis is the man that smart in literary, but the man that called waskita is the man that can see the nature’s symbols or signs, about what will happen in the future, and they know how to change the symbols or signs into clues to face the future life).
Javanese people use symbolization to ease the understanding to the nature, environment, social life, and with the God. For example, for Javanese people, the good leader is a man that fills these criteria: (1) surya (sun), (2) kartika (stars), (3) candra (moon), (4) angkasa (sky), (5) samudra (ocean), (6) maruta (wind), (7) dahana (fire), and (8) bhumi (land). They use the nature elements to make some requirements for the good leader. To understand why they use surya, for example, to be criteria of a leader, it needs a ‘sense’ to understand what the meaning behind the sun is. Sun is the one of the stars in this galaxy. That is the meaning that we learn in school, but why it can be the requirements to choose a good leader?
To understand the hidden meaning of the sun, we have to know the function of the sun first. The sun light is used for plants to produce food. For human, the sun light can make the bone stronger. Nah, from the function, we know that a good leader is a man which is able to give the motivation to the people to live, and use their life to build their country or their region. That is the hidden meaning of the sun. Actually, it is not hidden, but we have to see it from the other view, and then think out of the box. Thus, in this case, the ancient Javanese people are smarter than Javanese people in this time. We can do the same thing to see the hidden meaning of the other criteria.
Other example, Wijayakusuma (kind of flower. It has white color, the size is same with adult hand, and smell only in night. When the sun is coming, this flower start to die) is use to symbolize a kind, charm, and low profile man. Why it can be?
It will be the next edition.

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Javanese Letter: The Great Twenty Letters

 Nora kurang wulang wuruk, tumrape wong tanah Jawi

Laku lakuning ngagesang, lamun gelem anglakoni

Tegese Aksara, iku guru kang sejati

The Macapat above talks about Aksara Jawa (Javanese Letter), a written language form that develop in Javanese society. Based on the legend, this letter made by Prabu Ajisaka of Medang Kamulan. He made this letter to give a reward for his servants that die in a duel. Javanese Letter has twenty letters that arranged into four lines. Every line consists of five letters.

Ha Na Ca Ra Ka

Da Ta Sa Wa La

Pa Da Ja Ya Nya

Ma Ga Ba Tha Nga

In fact, the Javanese language is from Sanskrit. The sequence is Dewanagari (used in India)—Sanskrit (appear in early 4^th century in Indonesia, by Salakanagara, the first Imperium in Indonesia) and Pallawa (the written language in that era, mostly used in ‘prasasti’)---Ancient Java (it may spoken language) and Kawi (written language, mostly used in literary works, such as Arjunawiwaha, Gatutkacasraya, and the younger Negarakertagama). In the development, Javanese language has many changes from the Ancient Java, but some people are sure that Banyumanese is close with Ancient Java.

Each of Javanese Letter has its own meaning. For example, the first line is consist of five letters, they are: Ha Na Ca Ra Ka. The letter “Ha” is meaning “Urip” (life), and the complete meaning is “Ana urip wening suci” (there is a pure life). The second is “Na”. This letter has meaning “Nur candra Gusti Ingkang Murbheng Dumadi” (the light of the God). Next is “Ca”, “Cipta wening” (pure). The next, “Ra”, “Rasaingsun handulusih” (the pure love is from the pure heart). And the last, “Ka”, “Karsaningsun hamemayu hayuning bawono” (the will to life harmony with the earth). That is the example of the meaning of Javanese Letter, in the first line.

Because of that fact, the song above tells that anyone who can understand about Javanese Letter (the meaning and the secret), they have found a real teacher to face this world. That reflects on the last line of the song, Tegese Aksara iku guru kang sejati.

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Macapat: Moral Values beneath the Songs

Macapat is Javanese songs that used by people (Javanese) to teach their child, their pupils or to symbolize the life. There are many kinds of Macapat, such as Dandanggula, Pangkur, Sinom, Megatruh, Gambuh, Kinanthi, Girisa, Durma, Asmaradana, etc. Some of them were made by Wali Songo, for example Dandanggula was made by Sunan Kalijogo.

Macapat is a good way to teach about life, how to be the best entity, human relationship with the nature, with other people, and the relationship with the God. Macapat also used to tell a story about the ancient history. For example, Babad Tanah Jawi (a book that tells about Javanese from Prophet Adam until Mataram), mostly use Dandanggula form.

Example:

Nadyan sira pinunjul                                         (even if you are great)

Nanging aja sira njur keladuk                            (don’t you be a

Ngelingono wong urip anggendong lali   (remember that human is the place of ‘forget’)

Tansah eling urip iku                                         (still remember that life)

Prayoga ingkang prasaja                                   (better if we low profile)

The song above is Macapat (Gambuh). From the example above, people will remember that human is always forget, and human is feel strongest if they have power, smart, or authority. The advice appears in second until the last line. Nanging aja sira njur keladuk, this sentence start to remain the readers that as a human, we do not feel the greatest, because the strongest, the greatest is just God. That is the example that Macapat used to teach about how to be a good man.

The other example will show when this song used to teach about religious views:

Example:

Parentahira Hyang Widi, kang dhawuh mring Nabiyollah

Ing dalil kadis anggone

Ojo ono ingkang sambrono, rasakno den karoso

Dalil kadis rasanipun, dadi padhanging tyas hira

This song (Macapat Asmaradana) tells to the reader that human must believe with the two, Dalil and Kadis (Al-Qur’an and Hadist) to get the lights from God. If people can feel this two, and then use in daily life, he/she will get padhanging tyas hira, a true happiness, Heaven.

The other example that used to tell about ancient history:

Nabi Khidir angandika ris

gedhe endhi sira lawan jagad

kabeh iki sak isine

alas samudra gunung

nora sesak ing garba mami

tan sesak lumebewa

ing jro garba ningsun

Syeh Melaya duk miarsa

langkung ajrih kumel sandika tur neki

ningleng ma’bitingrat

This Macapat (Dandanggula) actually made by Sunan Kalijogo, include on Suluk Ling-Lung (a book made by Sunan Kalijogo. This book tells about the ancient history). This song talks about Prophet Khidir, when he ask to Syeh Melaya about which is the greatest, this universe or you (Syeh Melaya). By this song, human can think about what is the function of humans’ life in this world. Human is just little spot in this universe, so human must protect this universe. When human is compared with the universe, human is nothing, so human have to remember that above the universe, there is the greatest, i.e. God.

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The Legend of Ki Ageng Mangir Wanabaya: The Complete

Ki Ageng Mangir, also called Ki Ageng Wanabaya, is a person who can be separated with the Mataram. He is the one of few persons that braves to against Mataram and Panembahan Senopati. But how it can be?

The history of Ki Ageng Mangir starts from Brawijaya V, the last king in Majapahit. He has a son, named Radyan Alembumisani. In the further, Radyan Alembumisani goes to Gunung Kidul (it may run away from the Demak’s aggression). In Gunung Kidul, Radyan Alembumisani has a son, called Radyan Wanabaya. From this part, the history of Ki Ageng Mangir started. Radian Wanabaya, also called Ki Ageng Wanabaya II, has the other son from his second wife, named Bagus Baru Klinthing (the legend told that Bagus Baru Klinthing is a dragon). One day, Bagus Baru Klinthing wants to show to Ki Ageng Wanabaya II, that he is his son. Ki Ageng Wanabaya receives Bagus Baru Klinthing as his son, but with a requirement. The requirement is, Bagus Baru Klinthing have to hold Merapi with his body. In the further, Bagus Baru Klinthing cannot fill the requirement, but he uses his tongue to fill up the part. Finally, Ki Ageng Wanabaya cut his tongue, and the tongue became a weapon called Tombak Baru Klinthing.

Ki Ageng Wanabaya II’s son lives in Mangir, a place near Progo River and Bedog River. Thus, it is why Ki Ageng Wanabaya III well known as Ki Ageng Mangir. Why Panembahan Senopati is never attack Mangir? Ki Ageng Mangir or Ki Ageng Wanabaya III has a weapon called Tombak Baru Klinthing that made from his brother in law’s tongue. The weapon is very powerful, even can give a sign when Ki Ageng Mangir is in danger.

Panembahan Senopati uses his daughter to kill Ki Ageng Mangir. He sent his daughter named Pembayun to be Ki Ageng Mangir’s wife. And the plan is success. Finally Pembayun become the Ki Ageng’s wife and she covered Tombak Baru Klinthing with her clothes. One day, Ki Ageng Mangir goes to Mataram (he have to do it, because Panembahan Senopati is his father now), but in Kraton, Panembahan Senopati kill him in one punch. Without Tombak Baru Klinthing, Panembahan Senopati can defeat him.

Finally, the bride of Ki Ageng Mangir brought to Kotagede, and his grave is half outside, and half inside, the sign that Ki Ageng Mangir or Ki Ageng Wanabaya III is an enemy and a family in the same time.

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