Widjojo Koesoemo Between Tradition and Science, 1830-1939

In the present Javanese society, the sacred flower Widjojo Koesoemo is considered to be a myth with no reference on the once-existed court tradition to obtain the flower for Javanese king. In this research, I demonstrate the role of Widjojo Koesoemo flower and the ritual mission to obtain the flower in the court of Surakarta during the Dutch colonial period. Based on Javanese manuscripts, the mission to obtain Widjojo Koesoemo flower was an important tradition and could be traced back from Javanese mythology as early as 12th century. In the 19th century, both the flower and the mission were needed to build the legitimacy of the king of Surakarta. After coronation, a new king of the court of Surakarta would send a mission to obtain Widjojo Koesoemo. Due to the spiritual matters of this mission, Juru suranata, the court ritual leader, and kyai, the court’s religious leader from Masjid Agung of Surakarta were the key members of this mission. Certain challenges to the flower and the...Show moreIn the present Javanese society, the sacred flower Widjojo Koesoemo is considered to be a myth with no reference on the once-existed court tradition to obtain the flower for Javanese king. In this research, I demonstrate the role of Widjojo Koesoemo flower and the ritual mission to obtain the flower in the court of Surakarta during the Dutch colonial period. Based on Javanese manuscripts, the mission to obtain Widjojo Koesoemo flower was an important tradition and could be traced back from Javanese mythology as early as 12th century. In the 19th century, both the flower and the mission were needed to build the legitimacy of the king of Surakarta. After coronation, a new king of the court of Surakarta would send a mission to obtain Widjojo Koesoemo. Due to the spiritual matters of this mission, Juru suranata, the court ritual leader, and kyai, the court’s religious leader from Masjid Agung of Surakarta were the key members of this mission. Certain challenges to the flower and the mission appeared when the Dutch scientists in the 19th century tried to demystify the sacred foundation of this flower by looking for it and then classified it into Linnaean taxonomy. I argue that the “silent” rejection of the Dutch finding by the court of Surakarta and continual missions to obtain the flower from 1830 - 1939 are evidenced of Javanese cultural persistence. From this tradition, the king’s rightful cultural authority over the entire kingdom of Surakarta remained unchanged even in the period of its political subjugation to the Dutch colonial government.Show less

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Widjojo Koesoemo Between Tradition and Science, 1830-1939