Once upon a time, when initially I moved to Yogyakarta at the end of 2017 for getting my further education, I dreamed about an astonishing heroine figure in the Javanese palace. She rode a horse and had patrem kris. She is not only could be gentle but also even stronger. She was a brave woman who had a special mission. I told my dream to my twin and her boyfriend, my twin's boyfriend said that earlier there was a kind of women royal troops who behave and dress like usual Javanese women but they have a crucial role in protecting women of the royal family.
After I graduated, lately I found that the figure truly existed in our past precious history. Through many seminars on Javanese manuscripts, I found some literature that tells about Javanese heroines that has the same depiction as what I got in my dream.
First comes from the story of Yogyakarta Sultanate, the heroine troop was Ratu Ageng Tegalrejo, the first queen consort of Yogyakarta Sultanate's or Hamengkubuwana's queen consort who was really skillful in horse riding as well as fighting using a sword. The most favorite heroine of mine who had written Menak manuscript telling about the epic story of Tyang Agung Jayengrana or Amir Hamzah, Rasulullah Muhammad's uncle adapted from Persian literature. She also taught young Diponegoro about Menak manuscript, from the inspiring story of Amir Hamzah Diponegoro fight against colonialism which spread along Nusantara for around five years. The great war spent almost all the VOC treasure and made them bankrupt. Finally, Diponegoro won the war against the colonizer. She trained several women to be heroines.
In 2022, I watched and enjoy Catur Sagatra Event in which presented two sultanates and two princely states Kraton Kasunanan Surakarta Hadiningrat, Kraton Kesultanan Yogyakarta Hadiningrat, Kadipaten Pakualam, and Kadipaten Mangkunegara in form of bedaya sacred dance or beksan which tells a story in it.
In this special occasion, Kadipaten Mangkunegara presented Bedaya Ladrang Mangungkung created by Mangkunegara X. Bedaya Ladrang Mangungkung was inspired from Ladrang Mangungkung Troops consisted of a group of brave women created by Samber Nyawa Prince the first Mangkunegara. They were depicted as special women who were not only better at fighting but also better at playing gamelan and dancing classical dance. Sweet and beautiful women. Same as in Ratu Ageng Tegalrejo era, the troops were created to protect the women of the royal family, especially Mangkunegara Palace had just been built as one of the autonomous of Mataram Islam dynasty.
