The Mystical Javanese Primbon

A total solar eclipse crossed several provinces in Indonesia on March 9, 2016 which sparked enthusiasm among those who had been waiting for it. The event was also a perfect opportunity to attract tourists. For modern science, a solar eclipse is just a natural phenomenon, but it’s much more than that in Javanese primbon, Javanese compendia containing information and prediction for various affairs and actions in daily life.

In Javanese primbon, the occurrence of a solar eclipse warns people to be more careful in acting or doing something. Based on the Javanese-Islamic calendar, the total solar eclipse occurred in the month of Jumadil Awal in Islamic calendar. It cautions: “there will be many problems in society. This event is also a sign that rain accompanied by lightning will come and cause floods,” wrote the Kitab Primbon Jawa Serbaguna written by R. Gunasasmita, published in 2009.

You can believe it or not. What is certain is that the Javanese calendar isn't only important for determining the time of day, but also foreshadows things in their lives, such as sustenance, life partner, and fortune. The calculation system, which is called petungan and is included in primbon, is an ancestral legacy that has survived for generations.

“Within this rather convoluted system lies a fundamental Javanese metaphysical concept: tjotjog,” Clifford Geertz wrote in The Religion of Java. Geertz says that tjotjog, or cocog, means "to fit, as a key does in a lock, as an efficacious medicine does a disease, as a solution to an arithmetic problem, as a man does to the woman he married".

“It expresses indirectly a contrapuntal view of the universe in which what is important is what natural relationship the separate elements–space, time, and human motivation–have to one another, how they must be arranged in order to strike a chord and avoid dissonance.”

The petungan system is commonly used for choosing a mate, moving house, choosing a cure for an illness, determining an auspicious day for a wedding, and so on.

“If a friend wants to marry off his or her child, I'm always asked about the best day based on primbon. I have no choice but to calculate using the principles in primbon. Indeed, the most crucial thing is to determine the soul mate and then birth,” Prapto Yuwono, a lecturer in the Javanese Literature Study Program at the University of Indonesia, told Historia.

The Master Book

Since the 8th century, Javanese people have had a tradition of notetaking, especially about days (pancawara, sadwara, saptawara). According to Mohammad Damami in “Primbon”, published in Sastra Jawa Suatu Tinjauan Umum (Javanese Literature: An Overview) edited by Edi Sedyawati, those who pioneered the writing of primbon were the empu (master smith) of the Hindu royal era in Java, who worked under the protection and political authority of the kings. Primbon usually discusses about at least eight things: life cycle (birth-adolescence-marriage-death), character (baby-human-female-animal), signs, naga and naas (good and bad days), mantra-rajah-immunity, pranata mangsa (literally "season conditions", a calendar determining time for agricultural activities), daily life guidelines, and Islamic worship procedures.

The existence of many versions of primbon makes it difficult to identify which primbon was first written or at least copied. So far, Een Javaanse Primbon Uit de Zestiende Eeuw (16th Century Javanese Primbon) and Het Boek van Bonang (Book of Sunan Bonang) are considered to be the oldest primbon found. Both are believed to have been written by Sunan Bonang, one of the saints who spread Islam in Java. This manuscript was edited and translated several times into Dutch-by-Dutch scholars.  

It is no wonder that Simuh in Mistik Islam Kejawen Raden Ngabehi Ranggawarsita calls primbon “Kejawen Islamic literature” or Javanese literature that contains a combination of Javanese and Islamic teachings. Its main characteristics include the teachings of Sufism and virtue using Javanese language, while also conveying a bit about the Sharia.

Several primbon manuscripts are also kept in the Merapi-Merbabu manuscript collection. The contents vary from medicine, good days to do certain things, supernatural things, to mantras. According to Abimardha Kurniawan, a Merapi-Merbabu manuscript researcher, the manuscripts that were saved from the big eruption were written between the 17th and 18th centuries.

The tradition of writing primbon continues. Palace poets and carik or scribes were authorized to write primbon, thus increasing the amount of content, for example by including chapters on katuranggan (interpretation of body shape) and pawukon (calculation of wuku or 7-day part of a cycle in the Javanese and Balinese calendar). “The compiler was of course someone who really understood Javanese culture and spirituality, and obviously, a noble,” said Prapto.

Suluk Tambangraras or better known as Serat Centhini, written in the 19th century, also contains primbon. “Centhini volume I: stanza 44-45 about pawukon; stanza 55 about the character of dates; stanza 63 about medicine and baby birth. Then in Centhini volume II: stanza 7-10 about katuranggan; stanza 35-37 about earthquakes; stanza 48 about evacuating the sick,” Mohammad Damami wrote.

Serat Centhini was written by three Surakarta palace poets, Ranggasutrasna (Yasadipura II), Sastranagara, and Sastradipura. They received orders from Pangeran Adipati Anom, the crown prince of the Surakarta palace who later became king with the title Sunan Pakubuwana V, to collect all the inner and outer knowledge of the Javanese people. Simuh calls Serat Centhini a big primbon, which contains various things that happened and will happen in Javanese society.

The main content of primbon is usually divided into four categories: community life (selametan or celebration, medicine, etc.), timing (good and bad days), personality or astrology (character, luck, and matchmaking), as well as land and buildings (facing direction, building and moving house).

“Primbon is the Javanese people's rich store of their mystical traditions from the highest to the lowest. Primbon is also a representation of the true mystical practices of the Javanese people. In that practice, there is a concept of belief and a supporting community. Then there is a process, even revealing what you will get if you do this,” said Prapto.

Calculating and Fortune-Telling

Once upon a time, Danureja VI or Tjakraningrat, a patih (state administrator) of the Yogyakarta sultanate during the time of Sultan Hamengkubuwana VI, took the initiative to compile the knowledge in primbon into a book, which was realized around 1939.  

The name Soemodidjojo, Tjakraningrat's grandson, was taken to be the name of the publisher, Soemodidjojojo Mahadewa. The publishing house, which was managed by Tjakraningrat's descendants, was the first publisher of the book Betaljemur Adammakna in 1939. The primbon book published by Soemodidjojo has a distinctive feature: it includes the photo and signature of Siti Woerjan Soemadijah Noeradyo, Tjakraningrat's great-granddaughter.

Judging from the name, Betaljemur Adammmakna contains Islamic influences. Betaljemur comes from 'baitul jumhur' or the house of deliberation. Influenced by the local accent, 'bait' becomes 'bet', 'ul' becomes 'al', 'jumhur' becomes 'jemur'. Meanwhile, Adammakna comes from the word 'makna adamiyah' which means 'everyday meaning',” said Herman Sinung Janutama, a Javanese manuscript expert, in a recording of the Radiobuku collection. “Betal Jemur is intended to protect the small people who aren't in school.”

Other information about the name Betaljemur is found in the manuscript collection of the University of Indonesia library entitled Cariyos Ki Betal Jemur, coded CI 65/NR 278. The story goes that Betal Jemur went to Pandhita Lukman. Because of his above-average intelligence, he was given a book called Kadammakna. From this book, he learned that his father, Bekti Jamal, was killed by Alkas Tajir. Thanks to his mastery of the Kadammakna book, Betal Jemur was able to see what had not yet happened and predict the future.  

Until the 51st print in the 1990s, Betaljemur Adammakna contained hundreds of chapters on everyday issues, from matchmaking to agriculture.

“The cumulation of this set was added continuously from its first printing in the 1940s. I once found an early one. Then in the period 1960 to 1970s it became completer and more covered all levels, from the palace to the village,” said Prapto.  

One of the simple things discussed in the book is about agriculture, which is usually done by villagers. In Betaljemur Adammakna, there is a table of seasonal calculations according to pecak or the length of the sole of the foot from the heel to the tip of the longest toe. The table contains 12 mangsa or seasons, starting from Kasa to Sada. Then there is also a pecak count, the age of a season in days, the day a season starts, and ends with the characteristics of each season. However, this calculation may be difficult to apply today because seasons are no longer predictable.  

What is important in primbon is called Neptu (see table). Neptu is the number of Javanese days, weeks, months and years. Each day, market day, month and year has a different value. Neptu is used by primbon users to predict and estimate the good and bad of an activity, such as planting, traveling, marriage, moving house, fighting, catching thieves, and even used by the thieves themselves. For example, a prospective husband is born on Friday Kliwon with Neptu 6+8=14. It was then subtracted by 9 resulting in 5. Meanwhile, the prospective wife is born on Wednesday pahing, Neptu 7+9=16; then subtract with 9 again which results in 7. The remaining numbers, 5 and 7, have a good meaning.

However, the above calculation is only from one primbon, Betaljemur Adammakna. There are still other series, and not to mention dozens of other primbon. Although it is no longer popular and some people prefer to ask shamans, a variety of primbon books are still on the market.  

“The books are in stock. Each book is Rp20,000. There are seven series: Betaljemur, Atassadur, Lukmanakim, Bektijamal, Shahdhatsaahtir, Qumarrulsyamsi, and Quraisyin. The shipping cost to Jakarta is Rp15,000,” a short message was sent by Abdi Malik, an online bookseller from Surabaya to Historia. According to Abdi Malik, primbon books are still sought after by people to this day.

Primbon transcends time. Its contents become a reference for Javanese people to carry out their mystical attitudes. However, a question remains: how long can this complex and complicated primbon survive?