ON one corner of a junction on Jl. Penataran, Penganjuran in Banyuwangi, East Java, stands a statue of a determined-looking man dressed in princely garb and brandishing a yellow “gondo wesi” in his right hand. To his side is Dayun, his loyal follower. The statue is of Menakjingga, a legendary leader of the Blambangan kingdom who was once reviled but now enjoys hero status, at least in Banyuwangi.

M. Dasuki Noer, 79, a cultural researcher and