Professor Dr I Made Bandem
College of Information, Technology, and Communication
“STIKOM Bali” in Denpasar, Indonesia
The Panji story was established by the 14th century during the Majapahit times in East Java in the form of the literary kidung. From there it is possible that it spread out to Malaya, Cambodia, Thailand, Bali, Central Java, West Java and other islands of Indonesia. Panji is an ideal and noble prince of Kauripan (Jenggala) who is invincible in battle and irresistible to women. His goal is always to reunite with his bride, Candrakirana, known as the Radiant Rays of the Moon. She was the princess of Daha (Kediri) and was forever eluding him.
There are innumerable versions of the Panji story found in Indonesia, i.e., Panji Kuda Semirang, Kuda Narawangsa, Panji Malat Rasmin, Panji Wangbang Wedeya and others. The survival of Panji stories presently is because of the many popular forms of performing and visual arts found in Java and Bali, such wayang gedog, wayang topeng, gambuh dance drama, legong keraton.
Panji can be considered a superhero most importantly because he is a character, who, albeit born in the pre-Hindu times, has survived the Hindu, Islam and post-independence eras of Indonesia. The ways the character has influenced and been influenced by the values and norms of the different eras without compromising its core traits of righteousness and fidelity, to a large extent, mirrors the journey of this archipelagic nation, which for centuries has embraced foreign influences, transforming them into its own, a rich and diverse culture that stays faithful to its root values.
(Presented in the 2019 Chulalongkorn Asian Heritage Forum : Panji/Inao – Preserving and Reviving the Shared Heritage of Southeast Asia, 20 June 2019, W Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Department of Thai, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University)