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Gundala-Gundala Dance

The Bird's Beak: A Lesson in Consequences


Asal Mula Tari Gundala-Gundala >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from North Sumatra

THERE was a kingdom in Karo, North Sumatra. The king and the queen had a daughter. She was a very beautiful princess. She was kind, polite, and helpful to others. The king and the queen loved her very much.

The princess was in love with a young soldier. And the soldier also loved the princess. He was a great man. He mastered great martial arts. He was also skillful with weapons. And he was a handsome man. He treated the princess very well. He had a dream that he could marry and be her husband.

The king and the queen knew about their daughter's relationship with the soldier. They agreed and blessed the relationship. The soldier, asked a permission to see the king. He wanted to propose the princess.

"Your Majesty, as you know I have a special relationship with your daughter. I love her very much, and I'd like to ask your permission to marry her," said the soldier.

The king was silent. Actually he had been waiting for this moment to come.

He thought $at his daughter was adult enough to get married.

The king then spoke, I will give you my permission. But you have to promise that you will always love her, treat her well, and protect her."

"I will, Your Majesty ... I will," said the soldier happily.

Soon the wedding was held. The king and the queen invited all the people in the kingdom to come and have fun at the party.

The king loved hunting. And one day he asked the soldier, who was his son-in-law to accompany him go hunting.

And while they were hunting, suddenly a big bird came to them. The bird was very big. And they had never seen a big bird like that.

Well, it was not an ordinary bird. The bird was a transformation of a holy man. Because of that he was able to talk with humans.

The king liked the bird. He asked the bird to stay at the palace. The bird agreed. The princess was also happy with the bird. She had a new friend that she could ask to play with her. And the princess was not the only person who loved the bird.

Everybody in the kingdom also loved the bird. And one day the princess was playing with the bird. She was so happy that she accidentally touched the bird's beak.

"Don't touch my beak! I don't like it!" said the bird.

Since then the bird acted strangely. He attacked the princess!

The soldier protected his wife. He attacked back the bird. He used his martial art skill to fight the bird. However, the bird did not give up. He used his claws to fight the soldier. The soldier was cornered.

The king saw the fight and he was really worried.

He then screamed, "Use your sword!"

The soldier grabbed his sword and with one slash he killed the bird. The princess was sad. She lost her friend. The soldier was also sad. He did not intend to kill the bird but he had to protect his wife.

The people in the kingdom were also sad. They were crying. And it seemed that the Mother Nature was also sad. It started to rain heavily.

To remember the bird, people then created a dance. It was called Gundala-Gundala dance. Until now, people perform the dance when they are expecting to have rain during the drought season.***










Moral Messages:

1. Respect Boundaries: The bird's reaction to the princess touching its beak highlights the importance of respecting others' boundaries, even when they are our friends.
2. Bravery and Protection: The soldier's bravery in defending his wife shows the importance of protecting loved ones, even in difficult and dangerous situations.
3. : The sadness that followed the bird's death emphasizes that actions, even those taken in defense, can have unintended and sorrowful consequences.
4. Cultural Heritage: The creation of the Gundala-Gundala dance illustrates how communities can turn their experiences into traditions that carry on their history and lessons to future generations.







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