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Princess Kaca Mayang

Princess Kaca Mayang: Courage in Determining Her Own Fate


Putri Kaca Mayang >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from Riau

LONG time ago in Riau, there was a kingdom named Gasib. The kingdom was great. The people lived happily and prosperously. The land was fertile. They also had much water for their rice fields.

The kingdom was so peaceful. King Gasib had a great Chief Commander. His name was Chief Gimpam. He was loyal to the king. He would do anything to protect the king and his beloved kingdom. The Chief was much respected because he mastered martial arts and supernatural power.

King Gasib had only one child. Her name was Princess Kaca Mayang. She was so beautiful. Kings and princes from other kingdoms had come to propose the princess. However none was them was accepted. The princes did not love any of them.

One day, King Aceh sent his two best soldiers to King Gasib. The soldiers brought a special message: King Aceh planned to marry princess Kaca Mayang.

King Gasib welcomed the two soldiers nicely. He then asked his daughter to tell the soldiers her decision.

"I don't love your King. TeIl him that I don,t want to be his wife," said.the princess.

The two soldiers were upset! They knew King Aceh would hate this bad news.

And they were right! King Aceh was so angry!

He said, "Attack Gasib Kingdom! I want to give them a lesson. The princess should not reject my proposal. This is an insult!"

Meanwhile, King Gasib had already anticipated the attack. He knew King Aceh hated the rejection and would attack his kingdom. He ordered Chief Gimpam to lead the soldiers to go to the border. They would stop King Aceh's soldiers to enter their kingdom.

One soldier reported to King Aceh that Chief Gimpam and his soldiers were waiting at the border. King Aceh knew how great the Chief was, so he was thinking of another way to enter the kingdom.

King Aceh asked his soldier to kidnap a villager and asked him to lead the way to Gasib Kingdom. At first, the villager refused. But then the soldier tortured him badly. Finally the villager gave up. He showed another way to go to the kingdom.

King Aceh and his soldiers succeeded to enter the kingdom. Without any problems, the king kidnapped Princess Kaca Mayang.

King Gasib immediately ordered one soldier left to go to the border and told the Chief about the bad situation.

Chief Gimpam was angry to hear that the princess was kidnapped. He immediately ordered his soldiers to go to King Aceh's palace.

When he arrived, the Chief attacked the soldiers. With his skills, he could beat them easily. He found the princess locked in one room. With his supernatural power, he opened the door easily.

The Chief brought the princess. However, the princess was terribly ill. She could not hold the
pain anymore. Sadly, the princess died.

The Chief did not bury the princess, body. He wanted the king to see his beloved daughter before the burial.

King Gasib was sad when he saw his beloved princess had died. After the burial, the Chief requested to resign. He felt that he already failed to bring the princess back home alive. The King could not stop the Chief's decision to quit.

After that Chief Gimpam left the palace. He opened a new place. Slowly people came and they named it Pekanbaru. When the Chief died, people buried his body not far from Pekanbaru. Until now the grave still exists. ***



Princess Kaca Mayang: Navigating Love, Loss, and the Boundaries of Fate

From this story, several moral messages can be derived:
  1. Sacrifice and Loyalty: The tale reflects the loyalty of Panglima Gimpam to King Gasib. Despite the sorrow and failure in protecting Princess Kaca Mayang, he remains loyal and willing to sacrifice.
  2. Dangers of Pride and Ambition: The story illustrates the dangers of excessive pride and ambition, especially through the actions of King Aceh, who cannot accept rejection. Ambition without limits can lead to serious consequences.
  3. Decisions and Consequences: Princess Kaca Mayang's decision to reject marriage to King Aceh triggers a series of tragic events. The story teaches that every decision has consequences, whether desired or not.
  4. Courage in Facing Grief: Panglima Gimpam, despite experiencing deep grief over the death of Princess Kaca Mayang, courageously faces the reality and refuses to bury her. His bravery to confront this reality portrays exceptional mental strength.
  5. Importance of Respecting Life: The depiction of Panglima Gimpam not burying the body of Princess Kaca Mayang indicates respect for life and a desire for the king to see the truth. This can be interpreted as the importance of respecting every phase of life.
  6. Injustice in Ambition: King Aceh's ambition leads to unfair actions and threatens the peace between kingdoms. This moral message serves as a reminder of the potential negative consequences of ambition without considering justice.
These moral messages can serve as a foundation for reflection and learning about the values of life, courage, and the consequences of decisions.





Did you Know?

Pekanbaru (Jawi: ڤكنبارو) is the capital of Riau, a province in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. It has an area of 632.26 km² with a population of 950,571, making it Sumatra's third largest municipality, after Medan and Palembang. (Wikipedia.org)


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