RATU KIDUL AND THE SULTANS OF MATARAM

Not much is left of Taman Sari, the ancient water castle comprising ornamental buildings, artificial lakes and tropical gardens built by the First Sultan of Jogjakarta, Hamengku Buwana I, in mid-eighteen century. Yet the ruins are still attracting a host of visitors and tourists. It is said that an invisible underground tunnel connects this castle with the Southern Sea. 

The legend of Ratu Kidul, the queen of the Southern Sea and the Sultans of Mataram is still alive in Jogjakarta and Surakarta. It is immortalized in the venerated ancient Bedaya Dance performed only at very special court festivities such as at the commemoration of the throne or at royal weddings. This legend says that once when Sultan Agung, the mighty Sultan of Mataram was at the southern shore of his realm, he met the beautiful Ratu Kidul who was inspecting the boundaries of her kingdom. They were attracted to each other and the young Sultan then followed the queen to her palace at the bottom of the sea.

They lived together until the arrival of the holy Sunan Kalijaga who advised the Sultan that his bride actually was not an ordinary human being, for her eternal beauty was like the moon, culminating at full moon as a young maiden and declining afterwards as an old woman. There was a full moon when Ratu Kidul met the young Sultan and stole his heart. Sunan Kalijaga also pointed out to the Sultan his duty towards his people and kingdom which he had been neglecting. So Sultan Agung left Ratu Kidul with and his descendant anytime the Mataram kingdom was in danger.  

This curious story has been immortalized by the Jogja Sultan Hamengku Buwana II in the Bedaya Semang, created at the end of the eighteen century. It is danced by nine virgins costumed in gorgeous royal bridal attire. Up to this day this sacred dance has never been performed outside the Jogja Kraton walls, while the last performance was many years ago. Very elaborate sajens, sacral offerings, have to made before and during the performance. Although one or two of the nine dancers collapse during the dance, due to the lenghty dress preparation and performance, yet it is said that the number of dancers seems always to be the same. For Ratu Kidul attends the dancing and her retinue make the necessary replacements. This so called Bedaya Semang is accompanied by the Gendhing Semang, a very complicated gendhing-gedhe or big melody.

This story is a legend, but the fact that it is used as a theme in the court dance suggests that it is in the official chronicles of the Babad Kraton Mataram.

The Surakarta Kraton too boasts a similar sacred Bedaya, the Bedaya Ketawang, more ancient even than the Bedaya Semang. For it is said to have been created by the great Sultan Agung himself. This dance has been staged most recently in the Surakarta Kraton at the commemoration of the throne of the Sunan Paku Buwana XII in 1966. Unlike ordinary Bedaya Dances this particular one is accompanied by an incomplete gamelan orchestra. Only some rhythmic instruments as the kendang, kethuk, kenong, kemanak and gong and a monotonous chanting of the female pesinden choir enlive this dance.

The nine dancers are costumed like royal brides, clothed in Dodot Banguntulak Alas-Alasan, a giant sized plaid kain-cloth with blue background and patterns of animals, mountains and sea-figures. As befits the theme of the dance, movements depicting the sea and its waves are clearly seen.

There are several versions of the story. Most works of Western scholars as Van Lelyveld in "De Javaanse Danskunst" and Jaap Kunst in "Music in Java" mention that the meeting of Ratu Kidul was with Sultan Agung. This is based on information obtained from Kraton circles. However, according to recent sources of the Surakarta Kraton the Bedaya Ketawang composed by Sultan Agung depicted the meeting of Ratu Kidul with Panembahan Senopati, his ancestor and the founder of the Mataram dynasty. This is actually not confusing, since according to legend the Sunans of Surakarta. The yearly Labuhan ceremony is still observed in which offering of the Sultan are thrown into the southern sea. 

Besides the name Ratu Kidul, the name Nyai Roro Kidul is also well known. These are considered by some to be two names for the same person. However according to the Jogja court sources, these are actually different names. Her Majesty Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, or Ratu Kidul for short, is the queen, a former princess of one of the kingdoms in Java. Nyai Roro Kidul on the other hand is the patih or prime minister who was the former nymph Nawangwulan, the ex-wife of Jaka Tarub who, after getting back her stolen nymph-attire from under the rice paddies flew back to the nymph realm but was refused admittance. The pitiful nymph was then taken under the protection of Ratu Kidul who made her patih later on. Interesting to note that Jaka Tarub and his nymph wife Nawangwulan are also ancestors of the Sultan of Mataram.