Legenda Pohon Aren >> Edisi Indonesia
Indonesian Folklore Webpage
Indonesian Folklore Webpage
Folklore from North Sumatra
In a village, there was a happy couple. They were parents to a son and a girl. Tare Iluh was the name of the son, and Beru Sibou was the name of the daughter. Their father's passing put an end to their blissful lives.
Their mother had since sacrificed a lot for them. She put in such a large amount of work that she had a horrible illness as a result. Then their mother passed away. Tare Iluh and Beru Sibou thereafter stayed at their uncle's home.
Days have passed, and the children were already grownups. Tare Iluh made the decision to work in a different village. He then left his sister and his uncle.
Tare Iluh desired quick financial success. He believed that gambling was the solution. He used the money his uncle provided him to gamble. He first made some money. He spent all the money because he was so happy. Sadly, he lost. He had no money left at all. He was upset.
After that, he borrowed money from the villagers, but he soon lost it all again, so he did it again. He continued to borrow money until he was heavily indebted.
Tare Iluh was unable to pay the debt when the villagers urged him to. He had no money. The villagers were angry. He was imprisoned by them!
Beru Sibou waited for her sibling in the meantime. He had not given her any news, and this worried her. She finally learned that her brother was jailed. Wanting to meet her brother, she hurried out to go.
The route to the village was unknown to Beru Sibou. She got lost in the jungle.
When she met an elderly man, she asked about his brother. The elderly man was informed that a man was being held in prison as a result of gambling. Then he advised Beru Sibou go up a tall tree and sing a song about his brother. Her song might be heard by his brother.
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| Arenga pinnata or Palm Tree |
Beru Sibou then climbed a high tree. She sang a song about her brother. She sang and screamed his brother’s name.
"My brother, Tare Iluh? Where are you? The villagers, please release my brother."
The song was never heard, which frustrated Beru Sibou. Finally, she prayed to God.
"God, I’m willing to pay my brother’s debts. I will pay with my tears, my hair, and all parts of my body that can be used by the villagers. But please free my brother."
Right after she finished praying, a powerful storm struck. Slowly, Beru Sibou changed into a tree. It was clear that this tree was not like others. Simply said, it was not a typical tree. The entire tree served a purpose. Her tears turned into a delicious liquid. Her hair transformed into extremely strong leaves. They can serve as a person's home's roof. The tree produced some extremely tasty fruits named "kolang kaling".
People name it a the sugar palm tree or pohon enau. People in other villages name it as pohon aren. ***
Did you know?
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| Kolang Kaling |
In the Philippines and Indonesia, sugar palm tree (Arenga pinnata) immature fruits are widely consumed. After being boiled in sugar syrup, the fruits are turned into canned goods. In Indonesia, the fruits are known by the names buah kolang-kaling or buah tap, while in the Philippines they are known as kaong.
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