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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
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G'day Bram. Can I call you Bram, or Pak Bram, or Pak Kiai? Which would you prefer?
Howabout if I just call you Bram, and you can call me Alan? Lets drop the formalities.
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If you like, Alan... I am interested in commenting on the mention of Ajisaka. Who was and why Ajisaka? My intuition is that Ajisaka is the personification of "the knowledge of the pillar(s)" similar to current Freemasonry, and is concerned with creating a just and peacful society.
Sorry to wander off the thread.
As for the greneng representing a map, well, old Jawa kings didn't seem to like or need maps much. They often did not have borders on the ground, and they considered owning people more important than territory.
One thing we must consider when thinking about how things became widely used, is the influence of charisma. If a God-King wants a greneng, all his subjects might want one too. When Panembahan Senapati died at his funeral cigarettes were served and from that day Jawa men smoked, court poets noted. So the use of greneng might be like that too, one day a King used it and the next day everyone wanted one. Why? Because of charisma.
Just my opinion...
Salam hangat,
Bram