Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 26th February 2024, 11:13 PM

I cannot give a definitive response to this question Gustav.

See below:-

Javanese -- jamprah -- long & luxuriant
banci -- an effeminate man, an asexual person

Balinese -- jamprah -- long, trailing, luxuriant
bancih -- an hermaphrodite

Indonesian -- jamprah -- not found
banci -- effeminate, transvestite, homosexual, powerless,
hermaphrodite, as well as two other unrelated
meanings

Old Javanese -- banci, bancih, bhanci -- not found
jamprah -- not found

Neither "banci" nor "jamprah" appear in Malay, Wilkinson gives "banchi" as Javanese with the meaning of "hermaphrodite".

The dominant Balinese name of "jamprahan" is appropriate to the form.

To my knowledge "jamprah" is not used for this form in Central Jawa, it could be used in other places in Jawa.

For me, the sticking point is that I cannot find either word in Old Javanese or Kawi, & I would have expected at least "jamprah" in Old Javanese.

We know that some people do not use the word "banci" or "bancih" to refer to this wrongko form, but rather, they avoid the issue by using "bancean/bincihan", I do not know, cannot find, either of these spellings in any related language.

However, the crux of the matter is this:-

what is the place & purpose, or more correctly, what was the place & purpose of this form in Bali & in Jawa?

We know that in Bali the jamprahan form was the prerogative of religious leaders.

We know that in Jawa the bancihan wrongko forms are used by dalangs, ie the wayang puppet masters.

We know that some anthropologists have placed the wayang as the foundation stone of Javanese religious philosophy & the director of Javanese social mores.

I personally do not see the bancihan/jemprahan form as being equivalent in societal terms in Jawa & Bali, I see it rather as a marker that identifies a leader in the field of applied social philosophy.

Equally, I see the term "bancihan" as colloquial misuse, probably generated by Islamic societal influence, and the word "jamprahan" as an appropriate descriptive name.

26th February 2024, 11:13 PM	#39
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,718	I cannot give a definitive response to this question Gustav. See below:- Javanese -- jamprah -- long & luxuriant banci -- an effeminate man, an asexual person Balinese -- jamprah -- long, trailing, luxuriant bancih -- an hermaphrodite Indonesian -- jamprah -- not found banci -- effeminate, transvestite, homosexual, powerless, hermaphrodite, as well as two other unrelated meanings Old Javanese -- banci, bancih, bhanci -- not found jamprah -- not found Neither "banci" nor "jamprah" appear in Malay, Wilkinson gives "banchi" as Javanese with the meaning of "hermaphrodite". The dominant Balinese name of "jamprahan" is appropriate to the form. To my knowledge "jamprah" is not used for this form in Central Jawa, it could be used in other places in Jawa. For me, the sticking point is that I cannot find either word in Old Javanese or Kawi, & I would have expected at least "jamprah" in Old Javanese. We know that some people do not use the word "banci" or "bancih" to refer to this wrongko form, but rather, they avoid the issue by using "bancean/bincihan", I do not know, cannot find, either of these spellings in any related language. However, the crux of the matter is this:- what is the place & purpose, or more correctly, what was the place & purpose of this form in Bali & in Jawa? We know that in Bali the jamprahan form was the prerogative of religious leaders. We know that in Jawa the bancihan wrongko forms are used by dalangs, ie the wayang puppet masters. We know that some anthropologists have placed the wayang as the foundation stone of Javanese religious philosophy & the director of Javanese social mores. I personally do not see the bancihan/jemprahan form as being equivalent in societal terms in Jawa & Bali, I see it rather as a marker that identifies a leader in the field of applied social philosophy. Equally, I see the term "bancihan" as colloquial misuse, probably generated by Islamic societal influence, and the word "jamprahan" as an appropriate descriptive name.