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THE BEDHÅYÅ KETAWANG

The most beautiful dance
I have ever seen is the secret and
mysterious Beksan Bedhåyå Ketawang.
This fabulous dance gets performed on the very
special festive day the coronation-day of the Tingalan
Jumenengan Dalam when the King/ Susuhunan is getting married
with the divine Spirit-Queen Of The Southern Ocean
...Dèwi Ratu Kidul...

... and when it is full Moon it is even more special Sultan Hamengkubuwana X explained once.

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photos: the famous Sembah at the Surakarta Hadiningrat Kraton/Palace
+ Ramayana-dance in front of the Prambanan-Temple + the very sacral Bedhaya Ketawang, Solo
+ legendary cross-legged Silå-sit
+ 2x the Bedhaya-dance at Yogyakarta, Middle of Java
+ an original black-and-white photograph of the world-famous Cephas out of 1890


At the sacrificial Tuesday/Selåså Kliwon, the Western "intercalary day"on February 29th 2000,
I got the special permission to see the rehearsal of the Beksan Bedhåyå Ketawang...
and visit these Sites special about the Bedhåyå Ketawang...

Such an opportunity used to be worldwide well-known as a Hieros Gamos!
An event of a very sacral character to celebrate the union of the highest
person on earth with the most highest of the kosmos! In specific this person
did not used to be a king or an emperor, that is what the very ancient and
native myths tell.  Those myths and legends are going back in time that far
away, so a genealogy that goes with it always does has a mythical and le-
gendary origin. In these prehistoric sagas and traditions one can meet the
"dance of the elements" every time. On the island of Java people go back
to the elements of FIRE (with the tellings of Manek Moijo about the kris, a ri-
tual weapon), AIR/WIND (like the worldwide known sound of the gamelan)
EARTH/WOOD, also worldwide famous for the wooden Wayang arts like the
puppets.  Even the intercourse between animals and humans (!) has been
"kept" within the Javanese myths and legends. Though one does not like to
tell about and looks the other way, when the legends of the Orang Kalang
/Kalang-people grow to be told; the Lutung
Kasarung-myth is the sacred liaison between
an ape and a royal princess, the asu- or dog-
myths,the celeng-/pig-myths and the Naga-
or snake-myths. Ofcourse the Prima Materia,
the WATER-element, does know her own his-
tory and in particular symbolizes the liaison
between everything and everyone,
we know that...
when not closing our eyes nor ears...
Culture and Nature belong together...indissoluble...it is an own privat Hieros Gamos!!!


See the original-Western, striking, blond BARBIE,
all dressed up as the Oriental, restrained, Javanese dancer...
©"royjawa"     ©"royjawa"
Did you recognize them???
      
On the cover Her Royal Highness Gusti Raden Ayu Koes Murtiyah
"The Secret Dances of Karaton Surakarta Hadiningrat"
Yayasan Pawiyatan Kabudayan Karaton Surakarta
Published By: Pt. Global Citra Media Nusantara
together with CEMPAKA Kosmetika Indonesia
Updated: 09 - 06 - 2024