98

cod. 2293, 4710, 6718, 7497, CB 31, AdKIT 572/3. 16.250 Waslyatu ’1-NabI, eschatology: cod. 2187, 8579. 16.400 Edifying Muslim texts in verse and in prose (still group D, 14.000). Probably Javanese communities, on their conversion to Islam in the sixteenth century, became at the same time acquainted with Muslim mysticism (see 14.00—15.300), theology and religious law (see 15.500— 16.200) and edifying, didactic and moralistic literature (16.400—16.500). The source ma terial was always in Arabic, and in many cases Malay treatises were intermediary between Arabic and Javanese texts. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, however, religious literature in Javanese developed a style of its own, parallel with secular literature, preferring lengthy books in verse to prose treatises. The same de velopment is apparent in belletristic litera ture based on Islamic (Persian) cycles of tales, e.g. the Amir Hamza epic. In Java this epic was adapted and amplified till it was considerably larger in size than the original tale. In Part Three, Belles-Lettres, of the present Synopsis the development of eighteenth and nineteenth century Javanese narrative poetry will be discussed (30.460). In consequence of the preference shown to later poetic versions, earlier prose ver sions of edifying and moralistic Muslim texts scarcely survived. Perhaps in some cases poetical versions were written by Java nese authors, residents of Pasisir districts, who were practically bilingual. They could use a Malay text or even the original Arabic book to make their Javanese amplified poetic

versions. A Javanese prose text was not needed. Under the present head some compen diums of edifying tales, mostly in verse, are listed. The most popular collection refers to the life of the celebrated twelfth century Muslim saint ‘AbduTKadir al-GUanl (or: al-Gailanl). The book was translated into Dutch and discussed (but not edited) by Drewes and Poerbatjaraka in their “Mira kelen van Abdoelkadir Djaelani” (KBG, Bibliotheca Javanica vol. 8, 1938). The text has been published by local printers in Java. It is extremely popular reading-matter in West Java, where orthodox Muslim piety is more commonly found than in Central Java. A Sundanese version is in evidence. The Malay prose version is known under the name Hikayat Sèh. In West Java chapters of the Javanese text are occasionally sung in meetings of religiously minded people. Other compendiums of edifying tales are based on books written by Arabic authors who borrowed their material from the huge mass of Muslim religious Tradition, in Arabic called Hadith. Therefore Javanese edifying tales of this find are often called Kadis. Arabic Hadith was intermediary in making Javanese and other South-East Asian Muslims acquainted with ancient tales and myths originally belonging to the Medi terranean and Near Eastern civilizations. In consequence of the long way they had to travel, Old Testament tales in Javanese garb sometimes show considerable differen ces from the Hebrew Bible prototypes. Of course Javanese biographies of Muhammad and histories of his exploits mostly are exact reflections of Arabic tradition. In the Second Part, History, of the present Synop-