Hikayat Seri Rama
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Hikayat Seri Rama is the
History
The
Its ideals of righteousness, love, loyalty and selfless devotion ensured that the Ramayana remained popular even after Islam's introduction into Asia. The epic was written in its present form some time between the 13th and 17th centuries under the title Hikayat Seri Rama (Chronicle Of The Great Rama) and is generally regarded as a manifestation of the cultural ideals of the ruling elite. It has survived in several recensions but all share the same plot. They are all believed to derive from the oral tradition of eastern and western India with the addition of motifs from the Javanese Panji romance. The name-forms show a distinct Dravidian influence, indicative of the role played by South Indians in disseminating the epic.
Despite the high esteem in which the story of Rama was once held, since the Islamic revival of the 1980s the Hikayat Seri Rama has drastically decreased in popularity. However, students of Malay literary history still consider it an integral part of Malay culture.
Hikayat Maharaja Wana
The wayang kulit performance differs distinctively from the original hikayat in that not only the elements of the performance are secularised, but the focus of the tale is also shifted instead towards the Maharaja Wana, or Rawana; who is depicted as being more sympathetic than Seri Rama, who is perceived as being arrogant and vain.[3]
Characters
Gods
In some versions, Allah is the only deity in the story.
- Siwa/Batara Guru - Personifies the dissolving and blissful aspect of divinity
- Mahabisnu - Personifies the maintaining aspect of divinity
- Berama Raja/Betara Berma/Adi Berma or Allah - Personifies the creative aspect of divinity
- Parwati - Siwa's consort
- Laksmi - Wisnu's consort
- Betara Indera - Leader of the lesser deities
- Suria - God of the sun; Sugriwa's father
- Raja Bayu - God of wind; Hanuman's father
Humans
- Seri Rama - Vishnu's reincarnation and eldest son of Raja Dasarata
- Siti Dewi - Seri Rama's wife; adoptive daughter of Maharisi Kali
- Laksmana/Latsamana and Citradan- Rama's half-brothers; the incarnations of Wisnu's possessions
- Dasarata Maharaja - Father of Seri Rama and his brothers and the great-son of Prophet Adam.
- Mandu Daki/Mandudari - Ravana's wife. Meghanada's (Indrajit) mother.
Allies of Seri Rama
In some versions such as the Kelantan version, Hanuman was Seri Rama's eldest son who happened to be born as a monkey.
- Hanoman- incarnation of lord Siwa
- Kiskindha)
- Sugriwa/Sugirwa - Balya's younger brother
- Seri Anggada - Balya's son
- Annila/Raja Tilam - leader of an army of monkeys.
- Bibusanam - Rawana's estranged brother
- Jambuwana - King of the bears
Enemies of Seri Rama
- raksasa (demons) on Langkapuri
- Indrajat/Indrajati - Son of Rawana
- Kumbakarna - Rawana's younger brother
References
- ^ Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1898. pp. 107–.
- ^ Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1898. pp. 143–.
- ^ Ding, Emily (1 August 2016). "A New Hope". Roads and Kingdoms. Retrieved 13 March 2017.