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Course description:
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Old-Javanese appears in texts dating from as far back as + 800 A.D. up to the 20th century. This long documented history makes Old Javanese a unique source for linguistic studies. Moreover, it is also of great cultural importance: numerous texts that have been handed down to us tell the tale of a rich literary tradition. The Old Javanese literature and the narrative stelae on contemporary religious monuments are closely related. After 1500 A.D., when Old Javanese has all but disappeared on Java, the influence of the Old Javanese literature remains, and is clearly visible in the works of 18th and 19th century writers. On Bali, which used to be closely connected to Java, both politically and culturally, Old Javanese texts are produced and read up to this very day. In the first semester, after a brief introduction (several weeks) to the morphology and syntax of Old Javanese, students will read texts from the Adiparwa and other literary prose written around 1000 A.D.; the focus will be on the development of their knowledge of the grammar and extension of the vocabulary. In the second semester, students will get acquainted with the ultimate form of Old Javanese poetry: the kakawin. Participants will read pieces of kakawins from several periods. Those who successfully complete this course will be able to translate and interpret Old Javanese texts with the help of a grammar and a dictionary. |
