JAVANESE CULTURAL

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is big state. The name Indonesia has its roots in two Greek words Indos
Meaning Indian and Nesos which means islands it is an appropriate description of the
archipelago. as there are estimated to be a total of 17.000 islands, five main islands and 30
smaller archipelagoes are home to the majority of the population. The main islands are Sumatra,
Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Irian Jaya and Java.
Indonesia is rich in art and culture which is intertwined with religion and age old
traditions from the time of the earliest migrants with western thoughts added in brought by
Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. In Indonesia though the legal system is based on the old
Dutch penal code social life as well as the rites of passage are founded on custom Mary or
Adat law which differs from area to area.
This paper will give you some information about culture of Javanese. I choose culture of
Javanese because all of my family is Javanese. In my opinion Javanese having unglue custom
starting from their history, language, clothes, ceremonial tradition, namely in family pattern, and
so on.
The purpose of this paper is to give the information about Javanese culture. As a Javanese
I must keep my culture and develop that

CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
Based on my families about everything of Javanese. I get information that Javanese is
rich in a culture and art. The Javanese compresses central java and Jogyakarta. Both the
province have similarity culture and tradition.
1. Religion
In the Javanese Moslem is the Majority of religion. But also there are other religion,
they are Christian, Catholic, Budist, Hindu and Faith in god spiritual. The Javanese usually
making a ceremonial meal that suitable with a sure event in their life. The Javanese mention
it Selametan. There are four ceremonial meals in their life, such as.
a. The ceremonial meal in the frame of some one life.
b. The ceremonial meal that related with village.
c. The ceremonial meal that related with month or Moslem special days.
d. The ceremonial meal that related with special event, like as a Ngruwat or refuse
emergency.
The ceremonial meal that related with death always give a big attention and must to
do we Practice the ceremonial meal to honor the soul has die.
Kind of ritual to help soul has die in eternity, as follow
a. Surtanah or Geblak is the ceremonial meal when some ones death.
b. Nelung dina is the ceremonial meal of the third days after some ones death.
c. Mitung dina is the ceremonial meal of the seventh days after some ones death.
d. Matang puluh dina is the ceremonial meal of forty day after some ones death.
e. Nyatus is the ceremonial meal of one hundred day after some ones death.
f. Mendak sepian is the ceremonial meal of the first year after some ones death.
g. Mendak pindo is the ceremonial meal of the second year after some ones death.

h. Nyewu is the ritual when the some ones death has one thousand days. Sometime his
ritual name is nguwis-nguwisi the meaning are last
Beside the selametan or ceremonial meal, the Javanese still use sesajen or offering of
flowers or food. this ritual was related with belief to supernatural creatures. Usually this
sesajen making on Monday kliwon night or Thursday kliwon night.
2. Live Hood
The Javanese majority work is farmer. they work in the field and garden. The product
of heir field and garden are rice plant, corn, soybean, coconut, cassava etc. but another
Javanese work at other sector such as civil servant, entrepreneur, officer man etc.
3. Family Pattern
Family pattern mean structure of family. In Javanese culture the family pattern pulled
from paternal and maternal so the family pattern base on bilateral.
By the bilateral or parental the child identify relation with families from mother and father.
From the first until the third generation named sanak sedulur or alur waris. Draft of family
tree level from great grandparent as follow:

Mr. Slamet

Mr. Slamet

Mr. Daud

Mr. Hadi

Mr. Yono

Mrs. Murni

Solihin

Nanto

Saras

Ria

Dimas

Dodi

Rita

Bagus Pandu

Wati

Mrs. Daud

Iyon

Endang

Budi

Nia

Desi

Rizal

Deni

Beti

Jeri

Santi

Inas

Abror

Nadia

Imron

There are names of the relation ship in family as follow:

a. father
(Bapak, romo)
b. Mother
(Simbok, biyung, mamak)
c. Old brother or brother in law
(mas, kakang, kang mas, kang)
d. Old sister or sister in law
(mbak yu, mbak, yu)
e. Young sister or sister in law
(Adhi, dhi ajeng, nduk, dhenok)
f. Young brother or brother in law
(Adj, dhimas, dik, le)
g. Old brother from mother or father
(pak de, siwo, uwo)
h. Old sister from mother or father
(budhe, mbok de, siwo)
i. Young brother from mother or father
(paman, pak lik)
j. Young sister from mother or sister
(bibi, bulik, mbok cilik)
k. Grand father and grand mother
(eyang, mbah,simbah, kakek, pak tua)
l. Grand son and grand daughter
(putu)
m. Great grand parent
(mbah buyut, eyang canggah)
n. Great grand child
(putu buyut)
o. Great-great grand parent
(mbah canggah, eyang canggah)
p. Great-great grand child
(putu canggah)
q. Cousin
(prunan)
r. Nephew
(keponakan)
The attitude of respectful from the youth to the old man can we look from the little song
Lima anak laki-laki bersaudara or Five brothers are siblings. The symbolized by five
fingers.
enthik-enthi, patenono si penunggul (The little finger, kill the middle finger please!!)
And than the ring finger answers
Ajo dhi, dulur tua malati (Dont do that , the old brother caused misfortune if we
treacherous him).
Next the thumb said,
Iyo bener iku That is true !!
That song give us information how the youth always and must respectful to old.

4. System of Administration
A village in java have one village head, he is Lurah. Beside that a lurah head have
assistant, he is carik or village secretary.
To keep and develop the village the pamong or village official and villager be work
assignment in gugur gunung or kerik desa thats job to keep beauty village and build or
repair village facilities.
In java we know about sambatan that is the work assignment to build some ones
home.
5. Table Manner
The Javanese when they are eating always sitting on he carpet. But sometime they are
using chair and table. They are eating only use their hand without spoon and fork. Their
favorite meals are vegetables and sauce mode by crushing spices in a mortar or sambel
ulek. Usually the Javanese food taste is sweet and salty. There are many traditional food of
java province such as : gudeg, lumpia, tiwul or (rice from cassava), tape, cendol etc.
6. Culture and Art
- Traditional clothes
The Javanese traditional clothes for female are kebaya, jarik or long fabric and
shawl. Usually a woman wearing a big hair or sanggul. And than the traditional clothes
for male are serban, jarik and blankon to cover their head.
The Javanese have special fabric, that is batik or batik clothes. The batik process of
waxing and dyeing originated in java centuries ago and classic design have been
modified with modern trends in both patterns and technology. We can wearing batik on
formal and informal situation. now batik is national uniform in Indonesia.

Traditional dance
- Reog dance

- Ngremo, dance

- Tatuban dance

- Gambyong dance

- Serimpi dance

- Kuda lumping dance

- Bambang cakil dance

- Lengger dance etc.
The traditional music of Javanese are gamelan. The gamelan set consist of
gamelan, boning, barang penerus, geder, slentem, sarom, peking, kenong, kempol and
gong.
The traditional show of Javanese are ketoprak, ludruk,kentrung and wayang kulits
show.
The wayang kulit of java is performed with leather puppets held by the
puppeteer, who narrates the story of one of the famous episodes of the Hindu epics, the
Mahabarata or the Ramayana. It is performed against a white screen lantern in the
background casts the shadows of the characters on the screen, visible from the other side
where the spectators are seated.
CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION
The java is one of island in Indonesia. In this island consist of west java, Jakarta, central
Java, Yogyakarta and east java. Javanese is ethic group who live in central Java and Yogyakarta.
Al thought Javanese live in other place, other island but they have similarity Javanese is the
majority ethic grouping Indonesia.
The Javanese have the unique culture we can see from their habitually and their culture
and art, such as traditional dance, traditional music, etc