Page 25 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

separates the two islands). But the Majapahit kingdom wanted more, and in 1343

an army under Gajah Mada was sent by ruler Hayam Wuruk to subjugate the
Balinese. His success was short-lived and the Balinese retaliated on several
occasions, trying to impose their rule on the territories at the easternmost end of
Java.
Following the adoption of Islam and subsequent breakup of the Majapahit
empire in the late 15th century, many Javanese fled to Bali, taking their books,
culture and customs with them. There they remained isolated until 1908, when
the Dutch subjugated the island. This accident of history means that Balinese
healing frequently mirrors that of Java 400 years ago, and here, Javanese healing
traditions have remained largely intact.

Written Records
Gaining access to surviving records is very difficult: many are in the hands of
healers or their families who are reluctant to let anyone see them, let alone scan
their contents. Indeed when, in the course of researching this book, it came to the

manuscripts at Yogyakarta Palace, the librarian was not at liberty to show them
to anybody unless that person had received permission from a higher authority.
Because of their religious content, palm manuscripts are considered sacred and
are only handed down to a chosen few. (Balinese healing knowledge was
inscribed on lontar leaves, dried fronds of a type of palm.) In Java, important
information was also recorded on paper manuscripts, but surviving examples are
in bad condition: inks have faded; pages are torn, missing or covered in dust; and
whole sections have been attacked by mould or insects which have transformed
them into delicate but unreadable pieces of lace.

Dating the written material is also complex. In the absence of modern

printing presses, hand-copying texts was the only way to make them available to
a wider audience and dates were included at the whim of the scribe. The paper