Indonesia: Illuminated folio from a manuscript of the Javanese epic 'Serat Damar Wulan', written in Javanese script. Java, 18th century

Damarwulan is a Javanese legendary hero who appears in a cycle of stories used in the performance of wayang klitik, as well as Langendriya (female dance-opera) and ketoprak (popular theater). These stories tell of the struggles between the Majapahit and Blambangan kingdoms, in which Damarwulan gains honor. The stories are especially popular in East Java.

The Damarwulan legend is associated with the Majapahit court at the time of the queen Suhita, at which time there was a war with Blambangan. However, the names of the characters Damar Wulan (;radiance of the moon') and Menak Jingga ('red knight') suggest that it may incorporate elements of an older sun-moon myth. It is uncertain when the story was first recorded and by whom.

The Javanese script, natively known as Hanacaraka), Carakan, or Aksara Jawa, is a pre-colonial script used to write Javanese and several other native languages of Indonesia. It is closely related to the Balinese script.

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