Java is an island of Indonesia

Java

Indonesia's mythology is incredibly diverse due to the existence of hundreds of ethnic groups, each with their own origin stories, ancestral tales, and belief systems. The blending of older traditions with foreign mythologies, such as Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, is common.

Some isolated Indonesian ethnic groups, like the Torajans, Nias, Bataks, Dayaks, and Papuans, have their own native myths and gods, largely unaffected by external influences. In contrast, the Javanese, Balinese, and, to a lesser extent, Sundanese have been influenced by Hindu-Buddhist Indian mythology since the 1st century CE. Local adaptations of Hindu gods, legends, and epics are present in their traditions.

Javanese and Balinese mythology feature Hindu-Buddhist mythical beings as well as native gods of nature, either identified with their Hindu counterparts or incorporated into a Java-Bali Hindu pantheon. After the arrival of Islam in Indonesia, Islamic mythology involving spiritual beings such as devils, demons, jinns, and angels became part of Indonesian mythology. In some regions, local spirits and beliefs persist alongside Islamic mythology.

Ancient inhabitants of Java and Bali believed in Hyangs, unseen spiritual entities with supernatural powers, which could be divine or ancestral. This belief can be found in Sunda Wiwitan, Kejawen, and Balinese Hinduism.

Various myths across Indonesia explain natural phenomena, such as earthquakes, the origins of mountains, and the creation of the world. These myths often feature elements from Hinduism, such as the story of Varaha, the third avatar of Vishnu, carrying the world on his back.

Indigenous Dayak religion, Kaharingan, is a form of animism centered on a primal cosmic battle and the creation of the universe. Shamans play a central role in the religion, connecting the realms of Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld.

Numerous versions of the Batak creation myth describe the beginning of time, the creation of the earth, and the origin of mankind. Similarly, other Indonesian myths, such as the Fumeripits myth, Sunda Wiwitan beliefs, and the Javanese myth of Tantu Pagelaran, explain the origins of the world and various aspects of Indonesian culture.

The myth of Aji Saka tells the story of the arrival of civilization to Java, the establishment of the first kingdom, and the origin of the Javanese script. Aji Saka defeated the oppressive Giant King Dewata Cengkar, who had been terrorizing the people, and established a just rule over the land.