230

30.820 Romances based on legendary history or pseudo-history.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries religious and political commotions stimulated interest in history. In Part Two of the pre sent Synopsis (22.200) the development of a historical literature in the Pasisir districts of Java has been discussed. Some poets of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries made belletristic historical romances set in the period of the East Javanese Kings of Kadiri, Sityisari and Majapahit, more than three hundred years before their time. The authors did not possess any real knowledge about the past. In many cases the plots contain borrowings from well-known mytho logical and legendary tales. The poetical romances which are regis tered under the present and the following heads (30.820—30.884) have in common the references to history as viewed by seven teenth and eighteenth century Javanese au thors. In this respect some of the texts are comparable with pre-Islamic historical bal lads (Raqga Lawé etc., 20.700) and with early historical literature of the Pasisir period (Kidutj Arok etc., 22.200). The fol lowing romances (Panji and Damar Wulan cycles) have been registered in the present Part Three, Belles-Lettres, because the belle tristic, fantastic and, sometimes, didactical features in them predominate over the his torical. It is clear that the poets did not intend in the first place to impart infor mation on history. Under the present head manuscripts of the Jaya L ë 13 k a r a romance, which is connected with the Panji tales, are collected. Poerbatjaraka (“Ind. HSS.”, 1950, p. 17- 25) has described an ancient Jaya Leqkara

of Sunya Wibawa text of Palémbait3 origin, another case of the wide spread of Pasisir literature. Poerbatjaraka’s notes on the old macapat metres used in this text are very interesting. Jaya Lëiykara and his companion Sujanma (or Sujalma) are wandering about, meeting many masters in religious and se cular lore and so increasing in wisdom. The text contains many didactic passages, i.a. on statecraft, and also amorous adventures of the heroes. In these respects it resanbles wandering students' romances of the Jati- swara kind. It concludes with the description of a war. It is called Jaya Larjkara Wulat) (i.e. didactic) in order to distinguish it from a real Panji romance, also called Jaya Lei)- kara (see 30.880) and a prose lawbook Jaya Lei)kara (47.420). Probably all Jaya Leqkara texts are of East Javanese origin. Kadiri and Sirjasari are mentioned in the tales. 30.821 Jaya Lërjkara Wulai}, romance: cod. 1799, 1801, 1850 (compendium = 10.565 = BCB prtf 64), 5767 a, 9029, NBS 232. 30.822 Jaya Let)kara Wulary selections : cod. 1861, 1864 (compendium). 30.830 Jaran Sari and Jaran Pur- n a m a, rival brothers, are the heroes of a pseudo historical romance which probably is of West Javanese origin, though Blam- ba^an and Majapahit are mentioned. In the flourishing period of the Pasisir culture, in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, com munication between the coastal districts of West, Central and East Java was easy. It is remarkable that Jaran Sari Jaran Purnama manuscripts of Central or East Javanese