The Greatest Siliwangi

The Greatest Siliwangi

The name Siliwangi is alive both in the folklore of the Sundanese and in the classical literary texts of Javanese (East Javanese). The people in West Java and East Java make no difference between fact and fiction, it is due to the text, the folklore and the history having been specific needly of each other (Danandjaja 1984; Koentjaraningrat 1984).

The old historical notes from East Java tells that Siliwangi has been expressed as a character along the tales and play of Kenthrung or Dhalang Kenthrung accompanied by terbang. Siliwangi in that epic story play is presented as Jaka Wanara (Siyung Wanara) and Surya Kembar in the occasion of the family rites or ceremonial events (Hutomo 1975; 1979; 1981; Rosidi 1960;1961)

The Surya Kember Epic stages Siliwangi, the king from Pajajaran, with two wives. His first wife has delivered twin babies but his second one stolen the babies and replaced them with dogs. It is the helping of Batara Guru who save the babies and rising them alone in Candradimuka crater. They were grown up and named as Kembar and Arya Kembar. They then went to Pajajaran palace. Their stepmother (the second wife of their father) was killed and then they live happily ever after (Olthof 1941; Jayasubrata 1917).

Another historical notes about Siliwangi appears in Carita Ludruk or Ludruk play. It is Siliwangi from Pajajaran who begin the story telling the chronicle Ratu Sagara Kidul, Nay Kanjeng Roro Kidul Mantu and Siyung Wanara. The summary of the story is as follows:

It is Ki Anjar Wilis, who have great influence to the royal family of Pajajaran kingdom, and that makes King Siliwangi (who is named as Cilihawan) feared because Ki Anjar Willis has the royal vein and a sacred greatest monk of the times. So Cilihawan ordered Patih Mangku Praja to take the monk to the palace, testifying him by simulate. It is a Queen named Dewi Sumekar who was pretending pregnant. Ki Anjar Willis knows that he is being cheated by the king, at the same times he also know that in the next future the pregnancy would come true, so he said truthfully. It makes the king furiously angry and killed the monk. At once the monk vanished but still saying in condemn that 'the baby who will be born will take revenge for his death". Then the baby boy is born. On panic, the king and his wife throw away the baby into Krawang river, but luckily the baby still alive and being picked up by Ki Krawang. He adopts and rises the baby in the forest sphere accompanied by animals. Ki Krawang named the baby boy Ciung Wanara (Pleyte 1911; 1913; Poerbatjaraka 1952; Pigeaud 1967-1980).

Then, the baby grown up, he goes fighting for the crown by the pseudonym of the Harya Banyak Wide. He forged the discrowned king's of Pajajaran with bare hand, locked up the king into the iron cage, burned him till death (Pleyte 1914; 1923)

The whole stories above is in resemblance especially with the texts, as follows:

1. Poenika Serat Babad Tanah Jawi Saking Nabi Adam Doemoegi Ing Taoen 1647 (Olthof, 1941)
2. Lalampahan Ciung Wanara (Balai Pustaka 1939)

Another expression of Siliwangi and Pajajaran from the East Javanese historical notes appear in Ketoprak stage (or play), also in the popular dance based on Carita Babad (Olthof 1941), as follows:

1. Lahire Jaka Susuruh
2. Siyung Wanara
3. Siyung Wanara Mbalelo
4. Siyung wanara Dadhi Ratu Pajajaran
5. Jaka Suruh Ngadegage Majapahit
6. Siyung Nglurung Menyang Pajajaran
7. Ajar Samara Tunggal (Puteri Pajajaran Dadhi Pandita)
8. Nyai Rara Kidul (Puteri Pajajaran Dadhi Ratu Dhemit)

Siliwangi also told in the performance in Dhalang Klithik or Wayang Krucil which is firstly created by Sunan Kudus. The play narrated especially King Banjaransari of Pajajaran up to King Brawijaya of Majapahit. There is also Wayang Gedhang or Wayang Antara which is still popular among the commoners, the story is evoking the relation between Janggala kingdom and Pajajaran kingdom. It is said that Brawijaya "the founder of the Majapahit Kingdom'" is not Raden Wijaya but actually is Raden Jaka Susuruh of the Pajajaran' (Winter en Roorda 1912; Widjaja Kusuma 1961).

The antonished sources is in Arabic script which are very familiar among the Pesisiran dwellers, such as Babad Demak Pesisiran, Babad Tuban. Those Babad is told that the founders of Majapahit is Raden Jaka Susuruh of Pajajaran Kingdom.

From all the folklore and literary texts, we come to a conclusion that Siliwangi is the same as Raden Jaka Susuruh or Prabu Banjaransari or Ciung Wanara. He is the great-great grandfather of Arya Bangah (Yogaswara, et al., 1976).