150

24.500 Sacred legends and genealogies of Muslim Saints.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Islam was introduced in Java by Muslim traders and scholars of Further Indian origin. Surabaya, Gresi'k and Giri in the eastern districts, and Cërbon in the West were their first footholds, In the religious communities developing as a consequence of their missionary activities, historical and legendary genealogies and biographies of the venerated apostles of the Faith were com posed by their descendants and pupils, and transmitted as edifying reading-matter to the pious. The graves of the founders of Islam in Java soon became sacred spots and places of pilgrimage. The guardians’ families (in Javanese called juru kuncis, key-keepers), as a rule relatives of the venerated defunct, became officiants of rites. Introducing pil grims into the sacred precincts, they recieved fees for performing ritual worship (in Java nese called salawat, Arabic plural of salat) as substitutes of the pious visitors, and for saying prayers on the occasion, of religious community meals (Javanese slamëtan). In the circles of guardians of sacred graves the composition of biographies and genealogies of their sainted ancestors, masters and kins men probably became a standing occupation. In Javanese literature the apostles of Islam are called walls (Arabic for saints). In the Pasisir period the wall cult occupied an important place in Muslim religious practice in conservative pious circles. This remained so up to the twentieth century. Mythology took possession of biographies and genealogies. In accordance with the strong sense of history in Islam, relationship with the Prophet, the source of all wisdom,

was established for many Javanese walls, and undeniable historical facts were dis regarded and forgotten. Beside the group of great walls many minor saints have sacred graves, sometimes centres of local cults, in most districts of Java. Features of pre- Islamic, perhaps ancient indigenous, religious practice survived in the worship at sacred graves and the wall cult of the Muslim period of Javanese civilization. Probably it was already in the seventeenth century that the number of great Javanese walls was fixed at eight or nine. Henceforth they were considered as being contempo raries, a kind of Round Table of Saints. The number of eight or nine great walls has its counterpart in the number of eight deities, with a ninth one in the centre, for ming the octonary group of divine custodians of cosmic Order. In Javanese-Balinese reli gious literature the deities are called the Déwata Nawa Sarpi, the Nine Gods. Some fundamental relation with the Indian reli gious concept of the Lokapalas, the Pro tectors of the World, is evident (see 14.000 and 14.600). In historical books of the Pasisir period tales of saints occupy an important place. They are incorporated in the local Pasisir histories which have been discussed under the preceding heads (22.200—24.100). Ref erences to saints, their genealogies and legends are to be found in the General Index under the catchwords wall and genealogy, and under the names of their residences (after which they are always called) : X] a mpèl Dënta (i.e. Surabaya), Girl, Bonan,. Tuban, Kudus, Murya, Kali Jaga (residence