Trunyan Kingdom

Legends from Bali

Retold by Satoto Kusasi

If you go to Bali you will find a place name Trunyan village at Batur lake area.    At Trunyan there is a valley for putting cadavers or dead body below Trunyan tree.   The dead body never been buried by his family but it lie down below the Trunyan tree; it never decompose or never produce stink because of Trunyan tree.    The tree could make cadavers never produce bad smell or stink or could neutralize the bad smell.  Trunyan meant Taru and Kemenyan; Taru is the name of the tree; Kemenyan is incense derived from gum benzoin.

Long time ago Trunyan was a Kingdom with the King was named Ratu Sakti Pancering Jagat.    The King originally came from Java, from the Kingdom of Surakarta exactly.  He was the Prince of Surakarta Kingdom.    He came to Bali along with his two little brothers and one sister.  

Why did the Prince come to Bali and then left behind the Surakarta Kingdom?   This is  the complete story.

One day the Prince and his two brothers and a sister were relaxing at the yard of palace when they were smelling of good fragrant.    So the Prince along with his brother and sister looked for the source of the fragrant.     It seemed the fragrant source was out side of Palace and then they went out of Palace to look for the source of that fragrant.   They were interested to know where was the source of it.    So they promise to each other to go to look for the fragrant source together what ever was the site far away.

The four brothers went to east through the forest or bush, going up to the mountain and down to the valley following the fragrant smell.   They reached East Java at Banyuwangi and then they crossed the sea by boat to follow the fragrant smell.

At Bali they came to a mountain named Batur.   The little sister asked his eldest brother, “I like this place; may I stay here my dear brother? I don’t want to follow you again”. 

“Of course you may”, said his eldest brother.   And then she had a title “Ratu Ayu Mas Maketeg”.    The three brothers continued their journey following the fragrant smell where ever was the site.

They reach at lake of Batur, still at area of Mount Batur.    The little brother saw a beautiful bird that was singing melodiously.   “I like that bird; I want to catch it”.   Bird   means “Kedis” in Jargon Bali language.    So that the area named “Kedisan”.

The little brother ran away to catch the bird and he also whistled to call the bird.   The little brother’s act made the eldest brother get angry.   “If you want to catch that bird you must stay in this place, don’t follow us.    

The little brother stopped his work to catch the bird and asked apology to the eldest brother; “Common brother don’t be angry; I want to follow you to know the source of the fragrant”.

“No, I said no; I decide not to allow you to follow us” and then the Eldest kicked the little brother until the little brother fell down to seated position.    That is why at Kedisan Village there is a statue in seated position named “Ratu Sakti Sang Hyang Jero”.    The statue is the little brother who becomes a statue after the eldest kicked him.

They continued the journey even though the group became two, the eldest and the second

For long time enough they rarely met person until they met two women who were looking for bugs at their hair on the head.    The second brother addressed the women with smile since he never met person.

But the Eldest got angry again by this happening, “As a Prince you should act as a King; I am not satisfied with your acting like that, so you must stay, don’t follow me”, said his eldest brother.

“ Common brother, don’t be angry, I will follow you to find out the source of fragrant”, said the second brother.

“No, I said no”, and then the Eldest kick the second brother, then the second brother fell down in position lie on his stomach.    The site of this happening named village of “Abang Dukuh”.  On this site there is a statue with position lie on its stomach named Ratu Sakti Dukuh; that is the second brother who becomes a statue after the eldest kicked him.     You wouldn’t find this statue because it has been buried by volcanic mudflow eruption of Mount Batur.

Now the eldest went forward to continue his journey alone.    He went north along the edge of Batur Lake.     He felt tired so he took a rest for a while in shade of a tree.    He felt that the fragrant became strong and strong so he got up from his sitting rest and went to look for, like a dog sniffing smell.   At last he found successfully the source of fragrant; that was a big tree.  And also he found a pretty girl sitting below the tree.    He thought the girl must be a Goddess that could fly.  She was so pretty that the Eldest fall.

“I must catch the Goddess before she would fly”, he went to move in crouching and then he caught the girl from behind.  

The girl shocked and frightened but at last she realized that the young man didn’t mean to hurt her.

“Are you human or Goddess?” asked the Eldest

“I am human just like you”, said the girl.

“I am sorry to make you frighten and shock since I guess that you are a Goddess who could fly”

“So what do you want?”

“I want you to be my wife, will you?”

“If so, you must ask this matter to my brother at home since my parents has passed away”

The brother of that girl agreed but with one condition that he must be a leader of village.   In other word he must stay at this village forever.   And also he must teach people of that village to empower people then it could make people become prosperous.   On the other saying as her brother said, “Pancer ing jagat”

“Will you agree with the condition?  Will you become Pancer ing jagat? Asked brother of the girl.

“Yes I will”

“So you will have a title “Ratu Sakti Pancer Ing Jagat” said her brother.

The eldest brother is a Leader in the Trunyan village and then the little village became larger and larger until it became a Kingdom, named Trunyan Kingdom and Ratu Sakti Pancer Ing Jagat became a King.     He was a wise King and people became prosperous and happy.

But the King was frightened that Trunyan tree still produce fragrant smell to wide world.

The fragrant smell could reach site far away from his Kingdom so that the King afraid the enemies attracted to concur his Kingdom.