One man, Suryoto, blamed the quake as well as the recent rumblings of the Merapi volcano on fast-paced modern lifestyles, saying the spirits were warning residents to lead more simple lives.

"I think it is because people are no longer living sedately," said the man, in his 50s. "People are becoming too preoccupied with worldly things."

Many here believe there is a mystical link between Merapi and the so-called Southern Sea, or the Indian Ocean, off the southern coast of Java, which was hardest hit by Saturday's earthquake that killed nearly 5,000 people.

That belief was reinforced when Merapi -- which has threatened to erupt for weeks, forcing the evacuation of some 20,000 residents -- suddenly began to belch huge heat clouds of toxic gas and ash as the ground shook.

On Monday, the volcano showed increased activity, spewing heat clouds and the occasional river of lava.

"We can only surmise that we are being warned," said Wignyo, a 47-year-old farmer from the village of Kaliadem on the southern side of the volcano.

"We are used to earthquakes. It only surprised us for a brief moment," Wignyo explained as he took a break from cutting grass to feed his cattle.

According to traditional Javanese beliefs, both Merapi and the Indian Ocean are home to spirits that have protected Yogyakarta, the main city in the region, and the surrounding area for centuries.

The Southern Sea is seen as home to the Queen of the South who -- along with Kiyai Sapujagad, the mythical figure believed to reside atop Merapi -- agreed to protect the royal house in Yogyakarta back in the 17th century.

In return for their protection, 10 generations of kings in Yogyakarta, holding the title of sultans, are required to present annual offerings of clothes, tobacco, food and flowers to both Merapi and the Southern Sea.

"Javanese believers in spiritualism would see this as a signal, or you can also say a warning, from the Almighty," said Mbah (Grandfather) Marijan, the traditional spiritual keeper of Merapi.

"The problem is whether people understand this warning or not," he said, echoing Wignyo's idea that people needed to appease the spirits by cleaning up their lives.

"I believe that Merapi and the earthquakes are linked, that they are both warnings to the people," chimed in Agustina Ismunjiah, an official guide for foreign visitors to the palace in Yogyakarta, known as the Kraton.

"They are warnings to the people, so that they engage in introspection and review their relations with God, fellow human beings and the environment," she said.

The current ruler of the royal house of Yogyakarta, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, is also the Jakarta-appointed governor of Yogyakarta province. As such, he no longer holds any power granted by his royal status.

"The sultan has abandoned many of the old ways. The sense of being Javanese is waning," Ismunjiah said.

Wignyo cautioned that if people failed to heed the first warning, a second would follow.

"It all comes back to us," he said.

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