128 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
Sundanese is ruder and less cultivated, although still 
possessed, like Javanese, of the two forms of court and 
vulgar language. It is spoken purest in the west 
extremity of the island, and is believed to have been 
introduced by some of the Malay tribes of Sumatra, in 
parts of which it is also spoken. Madurese, though allied 
to Javanese, is still sufficiently distinct to take rank as a 
language. 
7. Religion and Education. 
Little now remains, save the wonderful temples of Bram- 
banam and Boro-bodor, to mark the wave of Buddhism and 
Brahmanism that overspread the island in the Middle Ages. 
Almost all the Javanese are Mohammedans by religion. 
But, just as the Hindu influence penetrated but little into 
the fastnesses of the western highlands, so the creed of 
the Prophet is considerably modified among the Sun¬ 
danese of the present day. Every Javanese, indeed, of 
whatever nation, is more or less of a pagan, whose beliefs 
and superstitions place him scarcely on a higher level 
than the Papuan. Attributing to the action of good or 
malevolent spirits every incident of their lives, and adopt¬ 
ing the saints of every calendar, they have succeeded in 
evolving a religion of their own, so different from that 
enjoined by Mohammed, that it has even been dignified 
by the separate title of Javanism. “ The whole life of 
the Javanese, indeed, is enveloped in a mesh of mystery; 
not the stars only, and the heavens, rain influence, but 
from every object a spiritual emanation, invisible for the 
most part, but potent and exhaustless, flows forth to him 
for blessing or for curse. Even Mohammedanism with its 
One God has done little more than increase the number 
of supersensual beings to whom he prays. To Joseph he 
