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)