The oldest and most extensive written language of Southeast Asia is Old Javanese, or Kawi. It is the oldest language in terms of written records, and the most extensive in the number and variety of its texts. Javanese literature has taken many forms. At various times, prose stories, sung poetry or other metrical types, chronicles, scientific, legal, and philosophical treatises, prayers, chants, songs, and folklore were all written down. Yet relatively few texts are available in English. The unstudied texts remaining are an unexplored record of Javanese culture as well as a language still alive as a literary medium in Bali. Introduction to Old Javanese Language and Literature represents a first step toward remedying the dearth of Old Javanese texts available to English-speaking students. The ideal teaching companion, this anthology offers transliterated original texts with facing-page English translations. Theanthology focuses on prose selections, since their straightforward style and syntax offer the beginning student the most rewarding experience. Four sections make up the collection. Part I offers several short readings as the most accessible entry point into Old Javanese. Part II contains two moralistic fables from an Old Javanese retelling of the Hindu Pañcatantra cycle. Part III takes up the epic, providing excerpts from one of the books of the Old Javanese retelling of the Mahabharata. Part IV offers excerpts from two chronicles, the generic conventions of which challenge received notions of history writing because of their supernaturalism and folkloric elements. Includes introduction, glossary, and notes.

The oldest and most extensive written language of Southeast Asia is Old Javanese, or Kawi. It is the oldest language in terms of written records, and the most extensive in the number and variety of its texts. Javanese literature has taken many forms. At various times, prose stories, sung poetry or other metrical types, chronicles, scientific, legal, and philosophical treatises, prayers, chants, songs, and folklore were all written down. Yet relatively few texts are available in English. The unstudied texts remaining are an unexplored record of Javanese culture as well as a language still alive as a literary medium in Bali. Introduction to Old Javanese Language and Literature represents a first step toward remedying the dearth of Old Javanese texts available to English-speaking students. The ideal teaching companion, this anthology offers transliterated original texts with facing-page English translations. Theanthology focuses on prose selections, since their straightforward style and syntax offer the beginning student the most rewarding experience. Four sections make up the collection. Part I offers several short readings as the most accessible entry point into Old Javanese. Part II contains two moralistic fables from an Old Javanese retelling of the Hindu Pañcatantra cycle. Part III takes up the epic, providing excerpts from one of the books of the Old Javanese retelling of the Mahābhārata. Part IV offers excerpts from two chronicles, the generic conventions of which challenge received notions of history writing because of their supernaturalism and folkloric elements. Includes introduction, glossary, and notes.

The present "Literature Qf Java, Catalogue Raisonne Qf Javanese Manuscripts" is a publicatiQn of the Library Qf the University Qf Leiden. It is no. IX Qf the series "CQdices Manuscripti" published by this Library, and it is made available tOo the public by the RQyal Institute Qf Linguistics and AnthropQoIDgy. Originally the wQrk was Qnly meant to be a sequel tOo Dr H.H. Juynboll's "Supplement Dp "den CatalQgus van de J avaansche en Madoereesche Handschriften der Leidsche "Universiteits-BibliQtheek" in two volumes. The second volume appeared in 1911. It soon became clear, hQwever, that this was the Dpportunity tOo publish an English Catalogue which could be used as an introductiDn to the study Qf Javanese literature mOore easily than the previQus Dutch catalQgues eQuId. It is a matter Qf fact that Dr Juynboll and his predecessors wrQte their catalogues with the intentiDn of prQviding infDrmatiDn on Javanese literature in general, and fDr several decades their books did render excellent services tOo students Qf Javanese civilizatiQn. The differences in structure between the older catalogues and the present bDOk will be explained in the introduction to the second vQlume. In two vDlumes the contents of the previDus catalQgues, increased by an equal quantity Qof new material, has been rearranged according tOo a new system. The third volume, cDntaining illustrations, facsimiles Df manuscripts, maps and a general index Df names and subjects, is entirely new.