KANJENG RATU KIDUL, THE ELUSIVE GODDESS OF JAVA Maria Friend LABUHAN: OFFERINGS FOR RATU KIDUL ARE CAST INTO THE INDIAN OCEAN AT PARANGKUSUMO IN 2005. PHOTO MARIA WRONSKA·FRIEND he southern coast ofJava offers a dramatic Opicture: steep cliffs fall into the depths of the Indian Ocean, while huge waves wash beaches of black sand. Violent currents and strong surf have claimed many victims. This is the realm of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, the Goddess of the Ocean and the spiritual consort of the rulers of Central Java. Ratu Kidul controls not only the sea but also the forces of the land. This beautiful, powerful goddess has a capricious nahue which must be reckoned with. She may be a saviour and benefactor of people, but she can also be a destroyer and a killer. The earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis which frequently oppress this part of the world are usually explained by Ratu Kidul's discontent with the status quo. ofYogyakarta, 'Hamengu Buwono', translates The close association between the sultans as 'the one who holds the Universe in His of Java and the Goddess of the Ocean dates Lap'. For Javanese rulers, whose royal power back to the first ruler of the second Mataram is legitimised by the reference to cosmological dynasty, Panembahan Senopati (1582-1601), concepts, the alliance with the spirits of the whose descendants - sultans of Surakarta and supernahlral world is vital to maintain conh'ol Yogyakarta until Indonesia's independence over the land they govern. The powerful, -- used to be the political leaders of the island feared and highly respected Goddess of the and still today are recognised as spirihlal Sea is their most important ally. leaders in Central Java. According to the 19th century chronicle Babad TanaiJ Jawi, Senopati Numerous images of female deities derived LABUHAN: PRAYERS AT THE BLACK ROCK WHICH MARKS meditated in a secluded place to gain spiritual from Hindu and Buddhist Tantric traditions THE PLACE WHERE SENOPATI EMERGED FROM THE UNDERWATER power before setting out on a major military (Tara, Durga, Prajnaparamita, the Nagas) PALACE OF RATU KIDUL. PHOTO MARIA WRONSKA.FRIEND 2005 campaign. His meditation released powerful testify that the concept of female energy energy which caused great turbulence in played an important role in the pre-Muslim ruling sultan with Ratu Kidul is reaffirmed nature. Disturbed, Ratu Kidul came to the culture of Java. Judith Schlehe, a German through the performance of the sacred Bedoyo earth and took Senopati away to her palace scholar who conducted a most exhaustive Ketawang dance. Each year on the anniversary at the bottom of the Ocean. The ruler spent shldy of Ratu Kidul's significance in Javanese of the coronation of Paku Buwono, nine young three days there, learning from her secrets of culture, claims however that the concept of unmarried women of noble birth perform a war, magic and love. Their union - of human the personification of the forces of nature dance which re-enacts the encounter of Ratu and spiritual beings -- assured a strong through the Goddess of the Ocean is of Kidul with Senopati. This very demanding foundation for the Mataram kingdom. Rahl indigenous, Javanese origins (Schlehe 1998). dance is performed in front of the ruling sultan Kidul became the patroness of the Javanese with extremely slow, constrained and highly rulers and their subjects, ensuring the well­ In spite of the great significance of Ratu controlled movements, creating a dreamlike being and protection of the kingdom. Kidul, Javanese art features no images of the impression. The dancers wear Javanese bridal Goddess, except for some modern devotional garments and they have to follow the same Still today Javanese sultans are recognised as paintings. This may result from the Islamic preparations as those about to marry. It is persons of divine powel~ whose responsibility reluctance to represent living beings - be believed that Rahl Kidul comes to observe the is to maintain the order of the cosmos. This they spirits or humans. Yet the highly revered dance and frequently joins in, appearing as a concept originates from the Hindu-Buddhist goddess is strongly represented in Javanese shimmering figure on the floor. tradition in which the ruler was known as performing arts, rituals and architecture. c1zakravartin - the 'wheel turner' - a universal In 2005 in Surakarta a bitter succession battle monarch, whose person forms the axis of the In the middle of the 18th century, when took place between the two sons of the late universe. The official names of the Javanese the kingdom of Mataram had split into the Pakubuwono XII. Followings several months sultans clearly express this concept: for two houses of Yogyakarta anp. Surakarta, of fierce disagreements, disputes and even instance, 'Paku Buwono', the name used by each of the courts developed separate rituals, violence, two coronations took place. Finally the sultans of Surakarta, means 'Nail/Spike validating the legitimacy of their rulers. At Prince Hangabehi, the eldest son of the late of the Universe'; while the name of the rulers the court of Surakarta, the alliance of the sultan, was recognised as Paku Buwono XIII: 14 TAASA REVIEW VOLUME 15 NO.4 THE SACRED DANCE BEDOYO KETAWANG PERFORMED AT THE SURAKARTA KRATON IN 19B2 . PHOTO MARIA WRONSKA·FRIEND anniversary of his coronation, the sultan constructing a shopping centre on the sultan's retires to the highest t100r of the tower where, ancestral grounds of Ambarrukmo. through the meeting with Ratu Kidul, he renews his divine powers. Unlike female expressions of divine powers in other Asian traditions, which have left a The rulers of Yogyakarta went much further tangible legacy of impressive sculphu·al and than those of Surakarta in acknowledging painted images, Rahl Kidul is a goddess of the Goddess in the design of the royal elusive presence. One of the court officials grounds. Sultan Hamengku Buwono 1, who compared her presence to the fragrance of broke away from the Mataram kingdom and incense: 'you do not see her, yet she permeates established the new court of Yogyakarta, everything; she is present in the most important required a strong, tangible expression of the moments of the life of Javanese people'. legitimacy of his power. His ambitious plans included not only the construction of a large Dr Maria Wronska-Friend is an Adjunct Senior h.,-atoll at Yogyakarta, but also a replica of Ratu Lecturer at Jomes Cook University. She is an Kidul's underwater palace. This complex, anthropologist and museum curator, specialiSing known as Taman Sari, 'Fragrant Garden', was in material culture and art af Southeast Asia and constructed between 1758 and 1769: it is a vast Papua New Guinea. architectural system composed of residential buildings situated on and around an artificial REFERENCES lake, pavilions and bathing pools, a mosque, a Dumon;oy, J. 1978: 'Le Toman Sari (etude orchitecturale), in system of underground tunnels, a meditation Bulletin de I'Ecole Fronr:;oise d'Extreme Orient, vol. 65. Paris. Fischer, J. 1994: The Folk Art of Java. Oxford University Press, the fact that the Bedoyo Ketawang dance was grotto and barge landings. According to some Kuala Lumpur. performed at his coronation meant that he traditions, an underground hmnel was to Hostetler, J.1982: 'Bedhaya Semang: the sacred dance of was the rightful successor to the throne. connect Taman Sari to Ratu Kidul's abode at Yogyakarta', in Archipel 24,127 -142. the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Jordaan, R.E. 1984: 'The Mystery of Nyai lora Kidul, Goddess of the Southern Ocean', in Archipel 28, 99-116. At the court of Yogyakarta the main act of Schlehe, J. 1998: Die Meereskonigin des Sudens, Ratu Kidul. reaffirming the union with Ratu Kidul is the The most important part of the complex Geisterpo/itik in iavanischen AUtag. Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin. annual ceremony of Labuhan, conducted at was Sumur Gemuling, 'Coiled Well', a type the Parangkusumo beach on the anniversary of sunken chamber with a small platform, of Hamengku Buwono's coronation. Among surrounded by three levels of vaulted the offerings are hair and nail clippings of galleries. In the past the bottom of the the sultan, which are buried near a black rock structure was filled with water. This was -- the place where Senopati emerged from the probably a meditational retreat, a place where Ratu Kidul's underwater palace. Gifts to Ratu each year the sultan of Yogyakarta would Kidul include a prescribed selection of fabrics renew his relation with Rahl KiduL (including garments in her favourite light green colour known as gadung melati) body Difficulties with the maintenance of the place, lotion, perfume and incense. Attached to particularly its complex system of waterways, bamboo rafts, the offerings are released onto resulted in its abandonment soon after the the stormy ocean waters by a group of court death of Hamengku Buwono I in 1792. A retainers. On the same day, similar offering devastating earthquake in 1867 turned this are sent to the peak of the sacred Mt Merapi, ambitious project into ruins, although recent to be thrown into the volcano's cone. restoration work has brought parts of the complex back to its former glory. The presence of the spirit of Ratu Kidul has New & old Books been expressed in the design of both kratol1s Belief in the supernatural powers of Ratu on ASIAN Art, Histor~J or residences of the Central-Javanese sultans. Kidul continues until today. The year 2006 For example, the kraton of Yogyakarta is was a particularly difficult time for the island: Culture & Travel positioned at the centre of the axis connecting in May a powerful earthquake distroyed the two most important places: Mt Merapi a large part of Yogyakarta and the nearby in the north and Parangkusumo beach in area, killing nearly 6,000 people.