Kawaca

Lore & Background

Petrus Josephus Zoetmulder defines kawaca as chain mail, possibly jacket-shaped and made of metal, with a secondary meaning of clergy shirt. Irawan Djoko Nugroho argues it means armor, shaped like a long tube of cast copper. Jiří Jákl describes it as a metal breastplate worn on the upper body of high-ranking soldiers. In high Balinese, kwaca or kuwaca is a general term for jacket, though it originally meant armor in Old Javanese; in modern Javanese, it means cuirass or chain mail.

Reader's Guide

Kawaca is significant as a key term for armor in Old Javanese texts, bridging Sanskrit origins and local Javanese usage. Its multiple definitions—chain mail, cuirass, breastplate, or jacket—reflect scholarly debate and regional variation, from high Balinese to modern Javanese. The term appears in the Kakawin Ramayana (c. 870 AD) and Borobudur reliefs, linking it to historical military practices and elite status. The mention of watek makawaca (armored troops) suggests organized military units. Kawaca's legacy persists in modern Javanese as cuirass or chain mail, and in Balinese as a general jacket term, showing linguistic evolution. Its depiction in temple art and texts underscores its role in Javanese cultural and martial heritage, though exact form and use remain debated among scholars.

Did You Know?

• The Kakawin Ramayana mentions watek makawaca, meaning armored troops.
• A cuirass described as kawaca is depicted on Borobudur temple reliefs in the Divyavadana story.
• In high Balinese, kwaca or kuwaca now means jacket, but originally meant armor in Old Javanese.