Hyang (Kawi,Sundanese,Javanese, andBalinese) is a representation of thesupreme being, in ancientJava and Bali mythology.[1] The spiritual entity can be either considereddivine orancestral. The reverence for this spiritual entity can be found in the folk religions of Java and Bali, such as theSunda Wiwitan (a.k.a. Sundanism),Kejawen (a.k.a. non-monotheistic Javanism),Kapitayan (a.k.a. monotheistic Javanism), andGama Tirta (a.k.a. Balinism). The realm whereHyang resides is called theKahyangan, which is anOld Javanese term that means "the abode ofHyang", "part ofHyang", or "heaven".[2]
TheOld Sundanese manuscriptSanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian,[3] has stated thatHyang can be interpreted as "Omnipotence". Similarly, in the highestSunda WiwitanSpirituality,Hyang is also referred to asSang Hyang Kersa (the Powerful).[4]
Gama Tirtaa.k.a. Balinism describes Hyang as a venerated spiritual existence that deserves special reverence. Hyang is commonly described as a sacred and luminous personal form. It is also referred to as the name for a spiritual existence that has supernatural powers, portrayed like the sun in a dream and often mentioned in amasculine form. A Hyang's arrival in a person's life is reputed to give great contentment and happiness to the person. Indonesians generally recognize this term to refer to the cause of beauty, the cause of all existence (creator), or simply to refer to God.[1]
InKejawena.k.a. Javanism, the concept of themonotheisticGod is described as theSang Hyang Tunggal orSang Hyang Wenang. Raden NgabehiRanggawarsita in his book,Paramayoga, detailed the names and designations for Javanese concept of God as the objective of worship, includingSang Hyang Suksma Kawekas,Sang Hyang Suksmesa,Sang Hyang Amurbeng Rat,Sang Hyang Sidhem Permanem,Sang Hyang Maha Luhur,Sang Hyang Wisesaning Tunggal,Sang Hyang Wenanging Jagad,Sang Hyang Maha Tinggi,Sang Hyang Manon,Sang Hyang Maha Sidhi,Sang Hyang Warmana,Sang Hyang Atmaweda, etc.[5]
The termHyang isOld Javanese in origin.[2] It means "god", "goddess", "deified being", or "divinity".[2] It remains inJavanese:ꦲꦾꦁ,romanized: Hyang andBalinese:ᬳ᭄ᬬᬂ,romanized: Hyang, which bears the same meaning. InOld Sundanese, the term"nga-hyang" means "disappear" or "unseen". In its development, the term "hyang" became the root word for many terms that are still known and used in modernIndonesian:[1]
The termhyang, now widely associated withSunda Wiwitan,Kejawen, andBalinism, developed in ancientJava andBali more than a millennium ago. This term has its roots in the traditionalanimism anddynamism in the beliefs ofindigenous Indonesians native to theIndonesian archipelago.[9] Native pre-Hindu, pre-Buddhist, and pre-Islamic Indonesians have venerated and reveredancestral spirits. They also believed that some spirits may inhabit certain places such as large trees, stones, forests, mountains, or sacred places. Thehyang concept had indigenously developed in the Indonesian archipelago and is not considered to have originated fromIndiandharmic religions.
Before the adoption ofHinduism,Buddhism, andIslam, the natives of the Indonesian archipelago believed in powerful but unseen spiritual entities that could be both benevolent and malevolent. They also believed that the deceased ancestor had not gone away or disappeared completely. The ancestral spirit may gain god-like spiritual power and remain involved in their offspring’s worldly affairs. That is why the veneration and reverence to honor ancestors is an important element in the belief system of native ethnic groups, such asNias,Dayak,Toraja, andPapuan ethnic groups, as well as manyethnic groups in Indonesia.
In ancientSundanese,Javanese, andBalinese societies, this unseen spiritual entity is identified as "hyang". These ancestral divine spirits are believed to inhabit high places, such asmountains, hills, andvolcanoes. These mountainous regions are considered sacred realms, as the abode of gods and the resting place for thesoul of the ancestors.
Several ancient Indonesian inscriptions dated from the Hindu-Buddhist period (8th to 15th century) mentionedHyang either as the name of the sanctuary or the name of a deity revered in multipletemples.[10]
"Hyangs" are said to only move in straight lines. Accordingly, traditional Balinese buildings have a wall called analing-aling just inside the doorway, which keeps the spirits out because they only move in straight lines, and hence bounce off.[11] Similar walls can be seen at the entrance of some Javanese cemeteries. Parallel beliefs are found in other spiritual traditions, as in Britishcorpse roads.
The concept ofhyang can be situated in native Indonesian religions in several ways: