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his descendants the later Kings participated in the glory of the great man, but in the estimation of the Javanese people there was nobody who ever equalled him. Perhaps even during Sultan Ague’s life, or shortly after his death, myth began to crystallize. The region where he lived and died, the present district of Yogyakarta, was probably where the story-telling started. At first orally transmitted, the miraculous tales were collected and put in writing in the eighteenth century. Belonging to' popular literature, sometimes verging on folk-tales, Sultan Aguij legends were never prized highly by scholars, least of all by Court scholars of Surakarta who lived outside the region where the myth originated. The col lection was called Panitik (abbreviated Nitik), Scrutiny, a name intimating know ledge of esoteric secrets pertaining to the great man’s life and exploits, not mentioned In common babads. On the one hand, the Nitik Sultan Agurjan tales are comparable with wall legends (see 24.500). Islam and popular concepts of Mecca and the Prophet occupy an important Place. On the other hand, indigenous Java nese mythical concepts also* are in evidence. Juru Taman, the Master of Lands, seems to be related to the panakawans, wizard-like mentors, cunning servants and tutelary spirits of ancient Java, appearing in wayai} mythology. In Javanese cultural history, especially in the pre-Islamic period (Erlai}ga of Kahuri- P an , Jaya Baya of Kadiri), myths crystalli- z 'ng around historical personages are not scarce. The Nitik Sultan Agurjan tales are remarkable examples of myths developing ln a popular Muslim sphere. In that respect

they are comparable with some popular Banten tales about succession troubles in the Sultan’s family (see 24.150, Sajarah haji Mansur). The Banten tales did not crystal lize into a well-known literary work, how ever. Another comparable cycle of pseudo- historical tales with a mythic foundation is found in the Baron Sakèndèr (Alexander) book, which refers to the appearance of Dutch traders in Java. It will be discussed under the next head. Under a separate head in Part One, Reli gion (15.200) a kind of narrative didactic tales (Cabolèk etc.) has been registered, which show some interrelationship with the Nitik tales. Probably both kinds were writ ten and read in circles of popular men of religion, not held in high esteem at Court. Sometimes the name Nitik or Panitik, Scrutiny of secrets, was also given to texts not referring to political history but to per sonages belonging to epic or romantic litera ture, the Panda was, Panji etc. The esoteric significance of these personages in the frame of religious speculation or in another frame is expounded in the texts in question. Though in a way also comparable with the Nitik Sultan Aguqan and Baron Sakèndèr tales, they have been listed in the present Synopsis in Part One, Religion. Manuscripts containing information on the subject have been registered in the Gen eral Index under the catchwords Nitik, Sultan Agutr, and Juru Taman. 26.010 Nitik Sultan Aguqan, with Mur Jai3kut3, Batavia, tales: cod, 6476, 8559. 26.020 Sultan Agui} tales, compendium, notes: cod. 8609 a, b, c; 8990 no. 1.