198

30.225 Original Old Javanese and Javanese-Balinese belletristic literature, exorcist tales.

Under the preceding heads (30.000— 30.214) belletristic poetry of originally Indian inspiration, written in the Old Javanese poetic idiom, and put in Indian metres, has been discussed. It was the literature of Era A of Javanese cultural history. The texts which are registered in the following paragraphs (30.225—30.447) belong to 1 Era B, called in 00020 the Javanese-Balinese period. Their literary idiom is mainly Javanese-Bali nese (see 00030, group 2). The next para graphs (30.225—30.260) will deal with origi nal Javanese belletristic works in prose or in verse. They are distinguished from the kaka wins in three respects. Firstly, as far as they are written in verse, indigenous Javanese metres of the tei}ahan or macapat kind are used. The kakawins were written in origin ally Indian metres. Secondly, they contain Javanese tales which are connected with indigenous mythology and religious concepts. The kakawins, mainly belletristic, are based on Indian religion. Thirdly they probably belong to the literature of religious com munities spread over the country. The kaka wins were written by Court poets for the delectation of Kings and courtiers. The texts to be discussed under the next heads contain mainly tales referring to 1 exor cist rites connected with ancient myths. Therefore they have been called exorcist tales. Their relationship with wayai}-play literature is apparent: originally wayai} per formers were officiants of religious rites connected with exorcism of evil powers (see 31.190). Almost all tales contained in the present poetical or prose texts are also known

in the form of wayag plays. In Part One, Religion, of the present Synopsis (12.400) several texts on exorcist rites have been registered. Some of these religious texts are related to the present exorcist tales, e.g. the Calon Aral}. The literary character of the tales and poems is evident, though; there fore they are discussed separately in the present Part Three, Belles-Lettres. A few kakawins of relatively recent date are also related to wayai} plays, but the exorcist character of the poems doet not come out clearly. Therefore they have been discussed with the other kakawins under the preceding heads (see 30.080). The dates of the exorcist tales in prose and in verse are as difficult h> ascertain as the dates of the kakawins. Probably the tales, belonging to indigenous Javanese religious tradition, were for a long time transmitted only orally. Originally they may have be longed to the sacred and secret lore of a group of exorcists, related to the wayai} play performers of later times. Some of the present tales in prose and in verse seem to be the products of fifteenth or sixteenth century Javanese authors, others were written in East Java and in Bali in a later period. The Calon Aral} contains the tale of the exorcism of a witch, Calon Arai}, by a wizard, mpu Bharada, who was believed to have been a contemporary of the eleventh century East Javanese King Erlat}ga. The prose text of the Calon Arat} is the oldest. It has been edited and translated into Dutch by Poerbatjaraka (BKI vol. 82, 1926). The mythic background is discussed in the present