Indonesian Folklore (Folklor Indonesia): Tales from Nusantara (Archipelago): January 2010

Owa Putih >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from West Sumatra

THERE was a rich and noble family in Kampung Alai, Tiku Beach West Sumatra. The father was a rich merchant. His business was making and selling big ships. His name was Nahkoda Baginda. He had a very beautiful daughter. Her name was Puti Julian.

Puti Julian was single. Actually, many young man fell in love. However they did not have any confidence to propose her. They came from common family. Puti Julian only wanted to marry a man from noble family, just like her family.

Puti Julian was restless. In her sleep, he always dreamt of a handsome man. He was also from a noble family. His name was Sutan Rumandung.

Nahkoda Baginda understood how his daughter felt. He wanted to find the man. He held a party and invited young men from other places. Unfortunately, Sutan Rumandang did not attend the party. He was sailing.

Nahkoda Baginda asked a holy man to guide Sutan Rumandung and his ship to anchor in their place. Days passed by and finally Sutan Rumandang arrived at Tiku Beach.

Nahkoda Baginda invited Sutan Ramandung to go to his house. When Sutan Ramandung and Puti Julian met, they fell in love. Puti Julian was very happy. Finally she could meet the man in her dream. Sutan Rumandung was also very happy. He never met a very beautiful girl like Puti Julian.

Nahkoda Bagianda asked them to get married. However, Sutan Ramandung asked to delay the marriage. He wanted to sail and get a lot of money. Puti Julian agreed. Before they said goodbye, they made a promise.

"I will always wait for you here. I will never marry another man. If I do, I will change into a gibbon," said Puti Julian. Gibbon was a kind of monkey. The local people said it siamang.

"I will also keep my promose. I will never marry another girl. If I do, my ship will sink and I will die in the sea," said Sutan Rumandung.

After they both said their promise, Sutan and his crew left. They were sailing.

Puti Julian always waited for him. Everyday she went to the beach and looked at the sea. Everytime a ship came closer, she was always anxious. But Sutan Rumandung did not come yet. Puti Julian was restless. She was getting older and she was not married yet.***

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Did you know?

Sumatran Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar vestitus), also known as the Sumatran white-handed gibbon. (source: en.wikipedia.org)

Find out more!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatran_lar_gibbon

Lar Gibbon

Ki Semar dan Gunung Slamet >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from Central Java

A long time ago, Slamet Mountain was very high. It was so high that it could reach the sky. The people heard that they could take the stars if they were on top of the mountain. But no one dared to go there.

The people were afraid that the gods in heaven would be angry if people took the stars. However, the beauty of the stars made some monkeys dared to go to the top of the mountain. Led by their king, they went there and took some stars. Then, the sky became dark at night. People were sad and the gods were angry!

Batara Guru was the leader of the gods. He held a meeting. He invited Batara Narada, Batara Brama, Batara Bayu, and others. Batara Narada had an idea how to stop the monkeys. They would ask Ki Semar to help them.

Ki Semar was actually one of the gods. He was even older than Batara Guru. But Ki Semar did not live in heaven. He lived on earth with his children, Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong. Ki Semar had a great supernatural power. He could cut the top of the mountain easily. But first, he wanted to give a lesson to the naughty monkeys. They had to be punished for stealing the stars. He then set a plan with his children to trap the monkeys.

Gareng then went to the top of the mountain. He had to attract the monkeys to go down by giving them some bananas. It worked! The monkeys followed Gareng.

After the monkeys left the top of the mountain, Ki Semar immediately cut the top of the mountain. He threw the biggest part to Cirebon. It became Ceremai Mountain and the small parts became small mountains, like Clirit Mountain, Tapak Mountain, and others.

After the monkeys left the mountain and followed Gareng, Petruk was ready with some hot water. He planned to pour the hot water over the monkeys. He waited and waited but the monkeys never came to him. He did not know that while the monkeys chased Gareng, they met a giant dragon. The monkeys had a fight with the dragon. It was so terrible that both the monkeys and the dragon finally died.

Because of tired waiting for the monkeys, Petruk then left the place. He did not bring his hot water and left it there. People then named the place where Petruk left his hot water as Guci. It is about 50 kilometers from Tegal, Central Java. It is famous for its hot water. ***

Balancing Bravery and Consideration: Lessons from Ki Semar and Mount Slamet

Bravery without careful consideration and reckless actions can lead to unintended consequences. Although attracted to temporary beauty or benefits, it is important to understand that hasty actions can be detrimental to oneself and others. In solving problems or facing challenges, it is wise to plan thoughtful steps and consider their impacts to ensure positive outcomes and avoid harm.

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