New Javanese encyclopedia launched

New Javanese encyclopedia launched

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Most people understand kyai to mean a Muslim
scholar, a Muslim leader or a teacher of Islam. But how about
Kyai Slamet?

Kyai Slamet is a white buffalo belonging to the Surakarta
Palace which is believed to have magic or supernatural powers. In
fact, the title of kyai can be applied to sacred objects, such as
the gamelan, or a kris, or even animals.

A definition for Kyai Slamet might not be available in your
dictionary, but it is included in Ensiklopedi Kebudayaan Jawa
(The Encyclopedia of Javanese Culture), which was launched on
Oct. 21 at the opening of the Museum of Javanese Culture by the
Yogyakarta Institute of Javanese Studies.

Other books that are often mentioned as the encyclopedia of
Javanese culture are Geillustreerde Encyclopedia van
Nederlandsch-Indie published in 1934 and Serat Centini (the
Letter of Centini).

However, unlike those two books, the newly launched
encyclopedia is considered more comprehensive because it covers
seven -- and not just one -- aspects of Javanese culture. The
seven subject areas are the arts, technology, language, customs
and traditions, social organizations, income generating systems
and knowledge systems.

"These aspects make our encyclopedia different from other
existing encyclopedia of Javanese culture," director of the
institute Fadzar Vyaktatomo told The Jakarta Post.

The 349-page encyclopedia currently consists of 1,128 entries
with 146 illustrations. The institute initially printed 3,000
copies with a production cost of about Rp 40,000 per copy. All
are distributed for free to institutions or individuals with a
special interest in Javanese culture.

Vyaktatomo said the encyclopedia was only the first of a
series of editions that the institute was preparing. In order to
make it a complete edition, the institute plans to supply the
published serial with supplements consisting of both new entries
and additional information about published entries.

"We plan to make about 25 series of complete editions in the
next five years. Then, a complete edition with entries put in an
alphabetical order will be published in the end," Vyaktatomo
said.

Vyaktatomo said that validation of entries was the main
problem in preparing the encyclopedia. Many of the terms or
entries that it has received lack a valid source or reference.
Sometimes, the definition it received even differs from other
existing definitions. That explains why only 1,128 entries were
printed in the first edition, even though the institute has so
far collected 3,383 entries for the book.

The first edition starts with the term Abah-abah, a set of
horse-riding equipment consisting of reins, saddle, pedals,
stomach wrapping cloths, the rope connecting the horse's tail and
the saddle and blinkers for the horse's eyes.

The last entry is Tembung Yogyaswara, i.e. words consisting of
two words with a similar pronunciation, such as dewa-dewi (gods
and goddess), batara-batari (gods and goddess) and raseksa-
raseksi (male and female giants).

The encyclopedia also describes various names or terms related
to anything about Javanese culture. Just a sampling of these
entries include debeg (traditional art performances),bulusan
(traditional food),megengan (religious rituals) and Reksapustaka
(the name of a library belonging to the Pura Mangkunegaran
Palace).

Edited by Marsono and Waridi Hendrosaputro, the encyclopedia
also provides information about prominent figures related to
Javanese culture. They include the Javanese poet Yasadipura, the
Javanese singer of keroncong stambul and langgam Waljinah, the
legendary shadow puppet master Ki Nartosabdo and former vice
president and Yogyakarta ruler, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX.

"We hope that the encyclopedia will make it easier for people
to understand various terminology and figures related to Javanese
culture," Vyaktatomo said. (swa)