CROSS_CULTURAL ESSAY

A Comparison article between Indonesian Folktale “Timun Emas” and Japanese Folktale “Momotaro” by Catteleya

A folktale is a traditional short story which is spread orally and still exists until today. Folktale has a moral value which is representation of the good and bad attitudes or experience that can give value. Folktales are developed in each society in the past. Every country has their different folktales. It makes them have their uniqueness characteristic culture. Some folktale around the world has similarity with other folktales from the different country. East Asian especially Chinese, Korea, and Japan have similarity in their cultural background with South-east Asian country such as Indonesia (Wardarita, R & Negoro, G, 2017).

The folktale is one of oral folklore genre. Folklore is tradition believe or culture (Zaidan, 2007:74). Folklore is a part of collective culture including art, etiquette, behavior and ancestor culture that passed from generation to generation (Danandjaja, 2002:2). Indonesian folklore divided into three groups: myth, legends, and folktale. The myth is a story that happens in another world with a fictional setting with Gods and mythical creatures that believed as a historical story that happens in the past. Legend is a story that happens in the past and believed as the origin of some event or place. The folktale is a fictional story that not really happen and has a purpose to entertain. Japanese folktale called minwa/mukashi banashi or fairy tale. Japanese folklore also divided into three groups: myth, legends, and folktale but they have a different name, they are called shinwa, densetzu, and mukashi banashi (Danandjaja: 1997:70).

Indonesian folktale from Central Java, “Timun Emas” or “The Golden Cucumber” has similarity with Japanese folktale “Momotaro” or “Peach Boy”. They have the same plot and other similarities. Timun Emas born from cucumber and Momotaro born from Peach, then they fought Ogre or Troll or Buto or Monster. This paper will discuss comparative of cross-culture in “Timun Emas” and “Momotaro”. The cross-culture that will be discussed in this paper including characters verbal behavior, characters myth, symbol and belief, the main character in their social organization system, and character achievement at the end of the story.

Character verbal behavior between Japanese and Javanese quite familiar, for example, the language level that used when talked to older people or respected person. Character verbal behavior in Momotaro can be explained by the conversation between Momotaro and his father where he used more refined and respectful language or manner. In Momotaro, Momotaro told his father directly what he really wants, even though he still use respectful language to his father. While in Timun Emas, mbok Srini few times lied to Buto Ijo that Timun Emas is not in a good condition to be eaten. This is an example of the verbal behavior of Javanese because Javanese usually allowed lied for a good reason or purpose. In other words, Javanese didn’t tell directly or implicitly tell their intention.

Characters myth, symbol, and belief in both folktales is similar but still, there are few differences between those folktales. Javanese and Japanese believe that there are creatures that come from another world, even though they have the different name in both languages, for example, Buto and Tenggu or troll (Rahmah). The differences in myth and believe in both folklore is from the origin of Momotaro and Timun Emas. Momotaro comes from the heavens because his parents are good people and always pray to God to be descended, while Timun Emas comes from cucumber seeds given by Buto Ijo because of mbok Srini and Buto Ijo agreement. Then in Timun Emas, mbok Srini comes to Pertapa for help and get jimat from Petapa. The differences between both of the folktale are Japanese still affected by Shinto belief and Buddhist belief in Japan that makes them didn’t admit anyone who had the power which could help their problem, but they would only pray in the temple (Wardarita, R & Negoro, G, 2017). Javanese that affected by animism and dynamism believe that makes them still believe in sentajimat and supernatural spirits and depend on humans such as Pertapa or other creatures that they believed have the power to help them.

Javanese and Japanese culture have the same cultural elements viewed by their social organization system, they use patriarchy system. The main character in their social organization system based on both folktales were different. In Japan, most of the main character of the folktale is a man or a boy while in Indonesia folktale, especially Javanese main character is more variation some men and some women (Rahma). In Japanese folktale, the main character usually has a special power or come from the heaven or have some mission to change the world, or in some folktale, the main character goes to the heaven or become the hero. In some of the Javanese folktales, same cases found but still have differences. Mostly Javanese folktales are not complex because of the mindset of the people is still simple so, the folktale is simpler than Japanese folktale.

Character achievement, the result of their fight with trolls were different. This is the representative of their culture about what will they achieve if they want something. In Momotaro’s story, his achievement is wealth and social status in his community because he fought monster as a devotion to his country. In Timun Emas her achievement is living happily ever after because he fought the monster to escape from her mother agreement with Buto Ijo. In Japanese culture, the social status is very important and the culture to protect and defend their country from other creature is also important, Momotaro is one of the examples of what would Japanese people get if they work hard.

Folktale can be a representation of a certain culture but from one culture with another culture from the different countries have some similarities, for example Indonesia and Japan. They have many similarities and differences that make their culture unique. Timun Emas shows that Javanese people at that time still affected by animism and dynamism belief, they’re more equal between men and women and their mindset is still simple. Momotaro shows that Japanese people at that time already affected by Shinto and Buddhist beliefs, they’re more focus on men power and authority and the mindset is more rational and logic.

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