Old Javanese Understanding on Earthquake
The earthquake is happened under agreement between Nyi Roro Kidul and Eyang Merapi. This conclusion was come from Mbah Harjo (60). Although he said the comment with much laugh, joking, and looks not really serious, but the conclusion is really valuable. He himself didn’t really believe in what he just said, but he said that it is possibly true.
She gave the reason. Several weeks before the earthquake, Sengon people often watched lava that went down from the top of Merapi. He also often saw this phenomena while sitting in pos ronda. All people attention is pointed out to mount Merapi that was erupting; even all TV station broadcasted it. Many people who lived near Merapi have been evacuated to the more safety places. Perhaps, those who have family in Bantul also move to Bantul. Everyone waiting for Merapi explosion, therefore, when earthquake happened, every eye looked to mount Merapi. However, in fact the source of earthquake was not Merapi, but Hindia Ocean. “People have been tricked by Nyi Roro Kidul and Eyang Merapi” said mbah Harjo.
The interesting here is his believe to Nyi Roro Kidul and Eyang Merapi, two mystical powers behind two natural thing, volcano and ocean. Therefore, it’s kind of animism belief. Or, it is possibly influenced by Hindu teaching pre-Islamic era in Java.
When we asked why Nyi Roro Kidul and Eyang Merapi did it. He said that “perhaps they angry, because Yogyakarta people no longer respect them, become immoral, and underestimating culture. Even, if we compare previous Sultan and today’s Sultan, Sultan HB X is less respect to them than other previous Sultan.
In Javanese cosmology, especially in Yogyakarta, there is relationship between Hindia Ocean (laut selatan), Keraton, and Merapi, that is why Keraton is established in the center of those two points; Parangkusumo beach in the south and Merapi in the north point. Yogyakarta old people belief that there is annual mystical ceremony in Yogyakarta. That is a convoy of Nyi Roro Kidul and her mystical follower who move to Merapi through Boyong river. But only certain selected people who can see the convoy.
Earthquake and all disaster that take place in Java is just the way of god and goddesses to show that they are really existed. In the Serat Sabda Palon Naya Genggong, the “world is the son of gods”. Pra jawata means Gods or goddesses (in plural meaning), therefore in that text implied a belief to many gods, not only one God. The term jawata itself is really Hindu term that has same meaning with dewata. The relation between gods and world is yekti anak means “really the son (or the daughter) of”. It symbolizes that the relation between gods and nature is full of love, therefore all disaster just the way to make people in this world memorize the creator, or to show that the creators are really exist. In tembang number 8, Serat Sabda Palon Naya Genggong mentioned:
Bebaya ingkang tumeka,
Warata sa Tanah Jawi,
Ginawe kang paring gesang,
Tan kenging dipun singgahi,
Wit ing donya puniki,
Wonten ing sakwasanipun,
Sadaya pra Jawata,
Kinarya amertandhani,
Jagad iki yekti anak akng akarya
Meaning : All disaster that happened in Java is come from The Source of Life, it cannot be refused because this world is under gods control, to show that this world is really the son of the Creator.
The earthquake is the sign that human will face the era of multi-dimensional crises, not only natural crises but also moral, political, and economical crises. According to Jangka Jayabaya that written by Raden Ngabehi Ranggawarsito I, in the middle of the 19 century, the earthquake is one sign of jaman kolobendu (the period of multi-crises and all people lost their right orientation). Jaman Kolobendu will be fulfilled by many disasters, political tragedy, economic crisis, the degradation of morality.
That’s information is written in Serat Centhini volume III article 256 and volume IV article 257 and 258. In 256, Serat Centini divided calendar into four periods; jaman Kaliswara, Kaliyoga, Kalisi- ngareki. Each period is about seven hundreds years. Each period also divided into 33 part. By this way, the 21 century has been predicted as the end of the world that will be began with jaman kolobendu. Jaman kolobendu itself will be began with earthquake.
