Pepeling: What makes the epigraphs at the gravesites of Javanese Muslim saints linguistically unique from the perspectives of deathscapes?

Abstract

The gravesites of Javanese Muslim saints have signage called pepeling, epigraphs containing wise words from the deceased saints. This article attempts to elucidate the uniqueness of pepeling from deathscapes, linguistic landscapes specifically concerning lingual and non-lingual elements of mortality. We employed the theories of deathscapes by Maddrell and Sidaway (2010), the language of the cemetery by Deering (2010), wise quotes by DeFrank et al. (2019), and ethnic markers by Bell and Paegle (2021) to reveal the linguistic uniqueness of pepeling found from the gravesites of 21 Javanese Muslim saints. We found that pepeling was linguistically unique for three reasons. First, pepeling tends to contain a combination of Javanese or Indonesian ethnic markers with references to Islamic teaching. The presence of pegon, a Javanese expression written in an Arabic text, signifies this combination. Second, the places where pepeling are installed signify an implied lingual meaning. They encompass geographical area, cemetery complex, and pepeling’s directional positions. Third, pepeling tends to contain second viewpoint signifying the roles of the saints as a guide for the people even in their death. These findings may contribute to the fusion of gnomologia with deathscapes.

Keywords

• deathscapes
• epigraphs
• ethnic markers
• linguistic landscapes
• pepeling