German studies ‘Panji’ stories
September 10th, 2007
SURABAYA: Lydia Kleven, an archaeologist from Koln University, Germany, said Tuesday at a seminar in Surabaya she was doing her thesis on the Panji stories of East Java.
The stories date back to the Majapahit kingdom era.
“I’m very much interested in the Panji stories because the characters have uniquely East Javanese traits and are not influenced by either the West Javanese or Indian styles. In fact, in those days, Indonesian culture was heavily influenced by Indian culture,” she said.
Kleven said she first got to know the Panji stories in 1996, while on a visit to Kendalisodo Temple, which is situated on the slopes of Mount Penanggungan. She saw in the reliefs of the temple that the main character, Panji, was wearing headgear. This depiction, she added, had also been found in a number of other temples in East Java.
“It seems that during the times of the Majapahit kingdom wearing headgear was the prevailing trend, not only among the nobility but also among commoners. The same is true of the accessories worn by a number of characters in these stories. They are unique and cannot be found in other temples outside East Java,” she said.
The Panji stories of love and heroism spread following the expansion of the kingdom’s power to other countries in Southeast Asia. –JP/Indra Harsaputra
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/
Entry Filed under: East Java News
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