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of epic heroes were told, with the actions of the panakawans, the astute semi-divine mentors and wizards, which in the pre- Islamic period belonged to the sphere of sacral and secret exorcist rites. In Javanese literature the Universal His tories produced by the Pasisir culture of Central Java generally are called Sërat Kanda, Books of Tales. Sometimes the name is amplified into Sërat Kanda niij Ritjgit Purwa, Book of Tales of the Wayaij, Purwa Theatre. By this name is expressed the con nection existing between universal history and wayaij theatre plays. Parts of the con tents of Pasisir Sërat Kandas and wayaij theatre plays are identical or at least com parable. Probably the Sërat Kanda authors and the wayatj play performers used the same fund of traditions pertaining to mythic and epic history. Sërat Kanda and wayatj play literature seem to have acted one upon the other in the following manner. The Sërat Kanda authors, while incorporating mythic and epic tales into their Universal Histories, adopted characters which the theatrical performers of old had introduced, especially the pana kawans ) the wizards who act as mentors of the heroes. No doubt the panakawans, Sërnar and his fellows, belong to ancient indigenous Javanese mythology. Their appearance in wayatj plays is a consequence of the wayatj’s original sacral function of exorcizing evil influences. Originally Sërnar and his fellows were supernatural exorcists. By adopting panakawan characters, Muslim Sërat Kanda authors introduced an element of ancient indigenous religion into their books. In 30.080 the introduction of panakawans into Old Javanese epical kakawins will be dis

cussed. In the pre-Islamic period this intro duction marked the beginning of the Java- nization of imported Indian culture. In its turn, wayaij play literature was enriched by the epic tales of Indian origin told in a concise form by Sërat Kanda authors. In the course of time wayaij, plays were arranged in a chronological order as if they were descriptions of episodes of a history. In the flourishing renaissance period of Surakarta literature, in the nine teenth century, the tendency of associating mythic and epic wayatj play literature with history grew particularly strong (see 31.080). Its beginning was already visible in the Pasisir period. In the introduction to his admirable Para raten edition Dr Brandes drew attention to the above-mentioned connection of Universal Histories and wayaij theatre plays in Java nese literature. In Part Three, Belles-Let tres, of the present Synopsis the wayaij plays will be discussed at some length. Beside mythic and epic tales, Sërat Kandas of the Pasisir period contain legend ary history and tales of their own times, or shortly before, which are not associated with wayaij play literature. The decline and fall of Majapahit and the rise of Muslim king doms on the North Coast are described at great length. Probably in several cases Sërat Kanda information on historical facts is reliable, because it is founded on old local tradition. Dr de Graaf has reconstructed part of the history of those turbulent times by comparing several texts, some Javanese, some eighteenth century Dutch translations of Javanese books. At the end of the sixteenth century politi cal power in Central Java shifted from the