Stories from the Serat Centhini: Understanding the Javanese Journey of Life

When their father Sultan Sunan Giri Parapen went to war with Sultan Agung of the Mataram kingdom, Prince Jayengresmi finds himself separated from his younger siblings, Prince Jayengsari and Princess Rancangkapti. In seeking to be reunited, the three royal children have to overcome trials and tribulations in a journey that becomes a journey of life. Told within their travel stories are legends, traditions and teachings that encompass music, dance, ceremonies, divination, magic, eroticism, the human life cycle, religion, spiritualism, mysticism and reincarnation—all of which give an incredible insight into the Javanese way of life and beliefs.

This book is based on The Centhini Story, the condensed, English-language translation of the original 12-volume Serat Centhini, one of Indonesia’s oldest surviving manuscripts. Stories of place origins like How the Progo River got its name, of moral lessons like The case of the diamond beads and The three evil monarchs, and stories that teach the Javanese art of love like Secrets of sex play, Secrets to the heart of a woman, and Three things that can make a marriage fail are threaded into this rich tapestry of Javanese culture, legends and mysticism.