The History of Java, v. 1-2

[122] Vol. IV. Book 2, Chap 1.

[123] See comparative vocabulary of the Malayu, Javan, Madurese, Báli, and Lampung languages. Appendix E.

[124] The term Káwi seems to have been borrowed from the Sanscrit Káwi, meaning, in that language, poetry or poetical.

[125] See Appendix E. No. 2.

[126] Appendix E, No. IV.

[127] Appendix E. No. II.

[128] See Appendix E. No. III.

[129] Marsden's Malayan Grammar.

[130] See Historical Chapter, for an account of the introduction of the alphabet by Aji Saka.

[131] See Appendix E. No. III.

[132] "The style of the address in Mexican is varied according to the rank of the persons with whom, or about whom, conversation is held, by adding to the nouns, verbs, prepositions, and adverbs, certain particles expressive of respect. This variety, which gives so much refinement to the language, does not however make it difficult to be spoken, because it is subjected to rules, which are fixed and easy; nor do we know any language that is more regular and methodical."​—History of Mexico, by Clavigero, vol. 1.

[133] See Appendix F.

[134] The centaurs.

[135] See Appendix.

[136] Who is represented as the Páteh, or minister, of Sáng yáng Gúru.

[137] See Astronomy.

[138] From rah, blood, and wána, wood, forest.

[139] A narrow white cloth, usually thrown over the shoulders, still worn by the Bramanas of Báli, and called sámpa álang álang.

[140] Sekár literally means flowers, and is the usual term for poetry, flowers (of the language.)

[141] "The tegála verse is only regulated by the rhythm of the syllables, and the similarity of the vowels in the close. This similarity of the terminating vowels does not amount to regular rhyme, for the consonants may be totally different though the vowels are similar, as in the Spanish rhymes termed Asonantes. Thus laglag and taltal, sut and cahug, silip and bukkir, however imperfect as rhymes, are all that is required in the termination of the tegála verse."​—Leyden on the Indo-Chinese. Asiatic Researches.

[142] Priest.

[143] This and the following stanza are from the poem of Joarsa, being the history of two brothers of the country of Sahalsa.

[144] Under this impression, the city of Astina (Hastina pura) is believed to have been situated near the modern Pakalong'an; Gendara Désa, the country of Sanghoni, near Wiradesa; Amerta, the country of Derma Wangsa and the Pandawa, near Japara; Talkanda, the country of Bisma, and Banjar jung'ut, the country of Dursa Sána, in Lurung Teng'ha; Awang'ga, either near Kendal, or the modern Yug'ga-kerta; Pring'gadani, the country of Bima, near Pamálang; Purabáya, the country of Gatot Kacha, near Surabáya; Mandura, the country of Bála dewa, or Kákrá Sáná, the western provinces of the island Madúra, and Mandaráka, the country of Salia, the eastern provinces of that island, towards Sumenap; Diára Wati, or Indoro Wati, Krisna's country, the modern Pati. In the same spirit, the modern capital of the sultan of Matarem, called by the Dutch Djocjo carta, but more correctly Ayog'ya Kerta, was so named by its founder, about sixty years ago, after Ayudya the celebrated capital of Rama.

There are three peaks in different parts of the Island, which still retain the name of Indra Kíla, the mountain on which Arjúna performed tapa; one on the mountain Arjúna, near Surabáya, one on Morea at Japara, and another on the Ung'arang mountain, near Semárang.

At the foot of Semiru, the name of one of the highest mountains on the eastern part of the island, is supposed to have been situated the country of Newata, better known as the residence of Detia Kewacha, who reigned before the war of the Bráta Yudha.

On Gunung Práhu, a range of lofty mountains inland between Pakalungan and Semárang, are the remains of nearly four hundred temples, or buildings, with the traces of an extensive city. This is supposed to have been the burying-place of the ancestors of the Pandáwa, as well as of Arjúna. The site of the temples was formerly called Rah tawu, the place whence blood was washed, from a tradition, that when Pula Sara was born, his mother immediately died, on which the Déwa came and received the infant on its coming into the world.

In the performance of the wáyang, in which the heroes of these historical romances are exhibited, the common people of Jawana never exhibit that part of the history which relates to the juvenile days of Krésna, from a superstitious apprehension, that the alligators would, in such event, overrun the country, these animals being supposed to be the transformed followers of Kángsa. At Pamalang, also, there is a similar prohibition with regard to representing Arímba, the brother-in-law of Bíma, under a dread, that if the Dálang should, by accident, not represent the story with exactness, he would inevitably fall sick on the first mistake.

The country of Parakisit, after the Brata Yudha, is supposed to have been near Semárang, and on that account the Dálang will not perform that part of the history which relates to his reign, although it forms a very principal portion in the performances elsewhere.

To these superstitions may be added, that although with these local exceptions the wáyang may represent any portion of the Bráta Yudha, or of the preceding or subsequent histories of the same class, there is a prevalent superstition, that a great war will be the inevitable consequence of performing, at one sitting, the whole of this poem. It is gravely asserted, that a chief of Kendal tried this experiment about fifty years ago, but that the performance was no sooner completed, than his country was laid waste and destroyed: and also that, previous to the Javan war, the grandfather of the present Susunan, Sida Langkungang, ordered the whole of the Bráta Yúdha to be performed at once; the consequence of which was the dreadful war which ensued, and the dismemberment of the empire.

These impressions and superstitions may seem to evince, how deeply rooted is the belief that the scene of this poem was in Java.

The scene of the Rámayan, on the contrary, is not believed to have been on Java; but there is an impression, that after the death of Rawána, Hánuman fled to Java, and took refuge in the district of Ambaráwa, near Semárang, on a hill called Kandali Sáda, the place named in the Ramayan where Hanuman performed tapa (penance). There is still a post or pillar preserved to distinguish this spot at the summit of the hill; and such is the superstition of the neighbourhood, that they never perform the wáyang representing any part of the history of Ráma, lest Hanuman should pelt them with stones.

The annexed plate shews the situation of the principal places mentioned in the Bráta Yúdha, according to the prevailing notions of the Javans.

[145] The Padawa, or five Sons of Pándu.