Si Ginjai -- National Museum of Jakarta

A. G. Maisey · 21st November 2007, 09:45 PM

Thanks for clarifying that Pak Ganja.

In fact, if we use "attributed to", this does not mean that it was definitely made by Ki Nom, it means that a number of knowledgeable people have given the opinion that it could have been made by Ki Nom. We do not need factual proof to use "attributed to", only respected opinion.

Yeah, there are a number of stories surrounding Ki Nom.
They might all be true.
However, my personal opinion is that Ki Nom was not a single person, but two, or possibly even three people, who were either father and son, or teacher and pupil--- father and son is more likely.
In early Javanese literary works it is often difficult to determine exactly who the person is who is being written about, and what the relationship of one person to another is. For instance in the Nagara-kertagama it is often unclear whether the poet is writing in reference to himself, or in reference to his father. As you are probably aware there are many instances in the matter of relationships where academics in this field have debated long and hard about exactly who is who and what that person's relationship was to another.
Very little is cut and dry.

This being so, and considering the traditional version of Ki Nom's life, his appearance in many places, and his exceptional age, I am inclined to believe that our Ki Nom was a composite.

21st November 2007, 09:45 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	Thanks for clarifying that Pak Ganja. In fact, if we use "attributed to", this does not mean that it was definitely made by Ki Nom, it means that a number of knowledgeable people have given the opinion that it could have been made by Ki Nom. We do not need factual proof to use "attributed to", only respected opinion. Yeah, there are a number of stories surrounding Ki Nom. They might all be true. However, my personal opinion is that Ki Nom was not a single person, but two, or possibly even three people, who were either father and son, or teacher and pupil--- father and son is more likely. In early Javanese literary works it is often difficult to determine exactly who the person is who is being written about, and what the relationship of one person to another is. For instance in the Nagara-kertagama it is often unclear whether the poet is writing in reference to himself, or in reference to his father. As you are probably aware there are many instances in the matter of relationships where academics in this field have debated long and hard about exactly who is who and what that person's relationship was to another. Very little is cut and dry. This being so, and considering the traditional version of Ki Nom's life, his appearance in many places, and his exceptional age, I am inclined to believe that our Ki Nom was a composite.