Spirituality through the art of 'macapat'

By Muhamad Achadi

YOGYAKARTA (JP): To the Javanese, traditional songs, or tembang, are not simply a means of comfort. If they are accompanied by rhythmical gamelan music and bodily movement in dances, these traditional songs may become magic spells of sorts to bring an individual to a mystical level.

Further, traditional Javanese songs known as macapat (literally, a six-line Javanese verse form) or macapatan, or reciting a macapat may serve as a spiritual medium through which ordinary people send their prayers to God. In its social dimension, macapat encourages ordinary people to maintain clear thinking in their lives. In other words, the spirit of macapat is linked with spiritual and historical reform.

It is this spirit that has later been seized by Javanese cultural activists to straighten out the Javanese socio-political order which, during the New Order regime, had undergone degeneration.

Javanese cultural activists in Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java have since early 1990 begun to undertake the reform of Javanese culture by introducing macapat to the public. This art, as part of Javanese literature, is known to the Javanese community from generation to generation. It is even taught at elementary schools.

Toward 1992, a number of macapat communities were set up and started to seriously study the macapat used in traditional Javanese songs in several areas in East Java, like Tretes, Malang and Kediri. Macapat communities have also been set up in villages in Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.

To popularize Macapat in secondary schools, several macapat communities have performed macapat in a number of hotels in Surabaya, Surakarta and Semarang. In 1995, macapat began to be performed in Yogyakarta, namely in Sahid Hotel, where the performance was also highlighted by dancing as a medium of expression. Since then macapat has been performed in various places: in the evening before a Kliwon Tuesday - Kliwon is the fifth day in a five-day week in Javanese calendar - or a Kliwon Friday at Natour Garuda Hotel and on every full moon night at the yard of Boko Temple.

"At first we thought that macapat could be performed only in villages. The management of a number of hotels, however, have also shown their enthusiasm about macapat and have made it a regular arts and performance package," said Ki Yoyok Hadiwinoto, coordinator of Darma Sri Winahya Macapat Troupe here.

Those taking part in a macapat performance here are generally people above 40 years of age from around the palace and also from village. Taking their family members, they will enjoy macapat or perform it themselves in the lobby of Garuda Natour Hotel or at Borobudur Plaza.

"The singing of macapat brings peace of mind to me. Although I don't understand kejawen (things related to the Javanese culture and beliefs), I can feel the spiritual element of a macapat performance," said Ki Sumantri, 77, a resident of Pakem, Sleman, who regularly joins a macapat event along with his wife.

In simple terms, macapat is the act of singing using the standards prevailing in a Javanese tembang like Pangkur, Sinom, Maskumambang, Dandang Gula, Pucung and so forth. A macapat program usually begins at 10 p.m. and will last until early dawn or even later if the material for discussion is very interesting.

The participants sit in a circle in a relaxed manner. One of them will get a turn to do macapat. Then there is a break to discuss the meaning of certain phrases or words, or what a part having been sung means.

Exactly at midnight the participants will perform meditation. Then there is tumpengan, a ceremonial meal, in which traditional Javanese gamelan musing is played. Macapat is often held every selapanan, a Javanese period covering five times seven days.

A macapatan usually begins with an introduction, to be followed by the reading of macapat mantra, a focus on macapat, an interpretation of macapat, Javanese traditional gamelan music as interlude (usually tembang gojekan and campur sari) and to be concluded by bawa rasa, i.e. an internal discussion.

"To make the content of macapat easy to digest to laymen, after the tembang we will translate difficult words originating in the Kawi or Old Javanese language to Indonesian. Then we will proceed with a discussion on the meaning, intention and background of the creation of this tembang. It is interesting to know that Macapat verses are still relevant to the present condition," said KRT Suryanto, a Javanese culture activist and expert often requested to interpret the macapat songs.

The text usually sung in a macapat program are, among others, Babad Dipanegara and an edifying work such as Serat Wedatama. The verses in these works are still considered to be of high value. They are even thought to be very beautiful and noble in addition to having its philosophical profundity. These texts are therefore often considered as classic works.

According to KRT Suryanto, these tembang were created hundreds of years ago by famous literati in Java. Pakubuwono V (1824) was one from the then Surakarta royal house, or kasunanan. He created the famous Serat Centini, Wedatama and Mulang Reh.

The verses in Serat Centini dwells on the ups and downs of human life: ethics, love and sex, architecture as well as economic and political matters.

The late 18th century saw the birth of a great writer in Javanese literature, Ranggawarsita. In one of his 78 works, Serat Kalatida he predicted a number of political events leading to the arrival of jaman edan, a mad period, in this century. Politicians have often quoted his prediction.

"Many people think Ranggawarsita is a fortune teller or a political shaman. If we read his works, however, political matters make up only part of what Ranggawarsita was interested in. Obviously, he was interested in many other aspects of human life," said KRT Suryanto.

In fact, Ranggawarsita's works deal with social, cultural, educational, historical and anthropological matters. His works were inspired by the entry of foreign capital in politics, such as the industrialization of sugar mills and railway stations in Java. Therefore, he criticized the pattern of the then Dutch- Indies industrialization, which, in his opinion, caused losses to the indigenous people.

According to KRT Suryango, Ranggawarsita also published Bromartani (1860) and Retno Dumilah (1870) newspapers along with Western scientist CF Winter Jr. and Western cultural observer Hin Loppen Labberton, a member of the United States Association of Theosophy.

Javanese literature, including macapat, is a source of information about the behavior, values and aspirations unique to the Javanese society. "We have the obligation to dig up Javanese spirituality and seize the spirit of past glory to develop this country now and in future. The noble teaching of Kejawen must never again be used to legitimize power. Instead, this teaching, which is imbued with historical and spiritual wisdom, must be made a good lesson with which we build a just society," KRT Suryanto said.