Literature.
may afford some meaning. il]}*strative*;pf the fact the datqvof which is
recorded $ but- this is,pot always attended: to, or at least isjnpt alwayMo be
traced. ' The date [.ofsthg .destruction^ of, Majapdhiti (T4jQQ),f the. mqst> important
in the history of Java, is stated as follows,-the numbers -being
always reversed. ' V:u • • S U M !
, Sima Gang . kertdning Bum
Lost, and - gon^ .is th e . .work -(pride) r of . the ^laad.- . •
j 'jQ ; " 0 4 1
manner, "the date, of the long,grav.es,;at Qrdsik, near the tqmj>. # -
the Princess of Chermai (1313)^.is thus stated:|
•, ,jkdy.a.'- twdlan pdtri , Gat.
'. Like, unto the .rpom .was that Princess.
. 3 1 ^ rC r . • 1 ■
Other’ examples ml? ^e ' given/' in detailing some of the principal' evepte
of Javan history., ƒ ' f r ; , yjjgjHjj ■■■. ^ : ‘r
However 'imperfect" the . foregoing gener^ac^punt; p£ffhe languages, of
Java may he, it 'will havqserved'to ctevey to fe e jp ^ ^ gB n e
extent‘to which it has beep-indebted to J* co^ ousmss
and refinement,' and to prepare him for iffdu
literature, winchfs’ still /to be fouiM injjbe
Of’feese the.mosl important, and. indeed all that '
distinction, are found either in the Kawi or .in j a v an y ersion^fro m th at^d ^ |c
language.! On Java'fee establishment ofji Mahomet^ ^v ^ rn ip en ^ fen ^ a r^
four centuries, has tended in a,gr^at, measure/to ^li^er&te tha^gejie^alhnow-
ledge among the.-better e l a t e d , which', J i ^ e ^ e a j g n to belmve,
existed; but in Bag the* Hindu- faith,
cdstoms of the island, and howeVet. perverte.il;and:dis|oyted i | its^glrca-
tion by a semi-barbarous people, is'
country« Mahometapism has gained bpt ;ytt|e;,ground there, ap^ 50 part
of the island has yet submitted to-European authority. .Jtlj was inf.,tbis con-
venientiy situated island that the adherents,to that faith .took jefage,^h^p
the sword of Mahomet prevailed on Java, carrying with them such-^em-
nants_of the sciences .and literature- as they were able to rescue from, |f a
general wreck.
An account of the present state of the island of- Bali, of the religious
and political institutions, and of "sdtrte' of the peculiar eusjoms^and usages
Which subsist"there^, is essential to the ^lustration of Javan history; and
although
preset?J,;,yplnme will ppt admit of pur enlarging
so ^m u c h 'o n d h jg i^ ^ tin g .su b jp g tt^ ^ j^p u ld .w ish ^ l’ is hoped that a
ssharal.nqtion-mayjbte^prpged,- particulars ^ghiob w^U be^inserted
in the^ehapten on the; jeligifin .-apd., antiqpitlg^iof -Java. ,«In the following
accotmt of ,the litjerary.j.pqmBftsilM'j11^ i.°ioJava,, I (.shall avail .my^lfj.of the
more corrpeticopies,v.i»h|dh^ was .fortunate; jnough;,itpi, pbtain frotn Bdlu
confining myself, in thejexplanatipnooIyfl^mYto^thA-existing notions, of the
best informed o f .the Javans, -it; hgmg-^presenfe./state'pf .their literature,
r a th e r th a n o th a tio f .th a t -X,am jnow to-,describe.; to' L- | 1
The literature * of* Java, may be l'epnsid§fed;runderijthg, general heads of
ancient,and,modlerh,,the-former and more irnpprtant division insisting, qf
compositions in j t e Adtoi-language, which appear. connected. y ith ah e
mythology and f^ylo:us.hLstQCyT.qf vfcqntinentalcfedia^a .yV jjggg g gg| g
. Tfc.js .feptofe ‘regfetted>;i that :wlyhhiti-eats .mp§t, extensively of thp
^cienf.inythotegyi0f^the■;cauptr■y,i^ipf^he^a%U^period.s^of£^bulqus
history to which If be Javans .efu^be, (present -fday ^e%a .Is, not to be found in
the A d ^ .'.nT h e !Ja v an >W Q rk ,.te rm ed p ro b a b ly : a , trargjation from
the K dm ,i and, in |he. absencet«pfid>bo ^ojiginal; . claims our fetrj,.attention.
It is to- :this -'work, and the M d n eM M ^M whibh ancabstr,a:ct will be given
in th e , chapter om ijeligion, that, the modern Javans constantl'y-yrcfei. for
an explanatiqn.ofijtheir anqient-.jmytholog-y., ■ . J ......................
This compositionJs fRoqhentfy.called;P^^.. i^jcpntain? the,;nqtipns -i
ofomythology: whichrappear to .have heern„general. throughput ^thejji/astern
Islands, with - imperfec'fcp.Qttiqn^; their astrqnqtp'jpal divisions^gpd, .of
ancient; bis.tPlyfy?: It is to^bp; r^retted,. )how^^?s rth.at th^J.ayan, cp^jv from
which- the following account is taken, though otherwise .written in .a very
correct: style,: abounds in .passages,, upfit .for-a' chaste -par, andfltjpat it has
been almost impossible entirelyTo purify-it,- .■ ., , •.., ■ - -
i r paensmwith an account,-first oi/Sctogydpg.» most powerful)
Who-wa^ sixth in descent from? Burwdning J m ^ M
•Adam), and who had a son named S d n g .yd ^T ^ig lg a ,}-(the M M ahd pnly
E l the first, who-.(ttfi 1 inferred from-,the meaning .pf m name^nceiyed
that herwas;abpveta)h;je.nd; who, setting,^id&#^ways. of, father, e ?t%-
blishgdjthe. heavens,- with; all jhat.they contain, under th^narne-of; S u ^ d r a
MuanayQ^^ipMdyM. h h • - :.
Pluckingva-lpaf ff-pm the touiia-trge,r and payingv.ador^onitq'it, thp
.leaf assumed-the form of abeautiful woman, by whom he had four sops:^
■%,Ung yang Biigu; % Sdng yang P&ng’g m g ; 3, Sdngydng Samba}
4, Sang