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Indonesia's Secret World
Referring to numbers instead of words probably dates back to the 6th century, according to cultural historian Ismail Lutfi
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eferring to numbers instead of words probably dates back to the 6th century, according to cultural historian Ismail Lutfi.
'Long ago an ancient form of Javanese was used, mainly known to royalty,' he said. 'It was based on Sanskrit and is no longer heard.
'Words had many meanings, including numbers. These were used to represent the object. Javanese people like to use symbols, and these became the language.
'Although it seemed to disappear in the 16th century with the increasing spread of Islam and the arrival of the Dutch, the knowledge remains in some parts of East Java. Gambling is illegal, but still continues. A person might, for example, dream of two dogs in his house. He can construct a number on the objects and use that to lay a bet.
'This is the secret world of Indonesia. It's a kind of numerology known as candra sangkala ' a chronogram [arrangement of letters to indicate numbers and reveal a date] based on the waxing and waning of the moon.'
Ismail, a senior lecturer in history at the Malang State University, said the system wasn't taught. Although it was difficult to get information, the code was understood in villages and kampung.
'It's part of our cultural memory known as getok tular ' meaning it's handed down by word of mouth,' he said. 'For many this is a more effective way of acquiring knowledge than reading books or listening to government announcements.'
