Dive into Indonesia’s forgotten empires, ancient megaliths, and the enduring myths that still echo through the archipelago. From the controversial depths of the Gunung Padang pyramid to the spine-chilling folklore that shapes local beliefs, Lost Legends unravels the historical mysteries and cultural secrets of Southeast Asia’s most enigmatic islands.
The performance begins at nine in the evening. It ends at five in the morning. One man — the dalang, the puppeteer — will voice over two hundred characters, operate hundreds of leather puppets, conduct a full gamelan orchestra behind him using only foot signals, and narrate an eight-hour story drawn from the Hindu epics […]
What Is Wayang Kulit? The Shadow Puppet Show That Runs All Night Read More »
The Pirate Kings: How the Srivijaya Empire Ruled the Strait of Malacca There is a passage of water between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula that is, by most measures, the most important stretch of ocean in the world. At its narrowest point, the Strait of Malacca is 65 kilometers wide. Through it passes roughly 40
How Srivijaya Ruled the Strait of Malacca Read More »
The call to prayer echoes across the Musi River five times a day in Palembang. Women in hijabs fill the morning markets. The Grand Mosque dominates the skyline. Now look down. Somewhere beneath the asphalt and the centuries of a living city lie the remains of the most powerful Buddhist empire Southeast Asia has ever
How the Srivijaya Empire Became Islamic — Without a Single Battle Read More »
There is a dagger sitting in a wooden box in a house in Central Java right now. It has a name. It has a personality. It has dietary preferences — certain foods are placed near it during specific nights of the Javanese calendar. The family that owns it consults it before making major decisions. When
The Real Story Behind the Kris Dagger: Why Indonesians Believe Their Weapons Are Alive Read More »
Here is what we know about the greatest empire Southeast Asia has ever produced: At its peak, it controlled every major sea lane between China and India. Its navy was the most feared in the eastern ocean. Its capital was a city of such wealth that Arab traders wrote about it in stunned disbelief —
The Lost Kingdom of Srivijaya: Where Did Indonesia’s Greatest Empire Disappear? Read More »
