LEGENDS OF INDONESIA
CREATION OF MOUNT BROMO
This is a legend about the creation of Mount Bromo, a famous volcano in East Java.
During the reign of the last king of Majapahit (in the 13th century), Brawijaya, one of the King's wives gave birth to a girl, Roro Anteng. Later she got married to a priest named Joko Seger. Because of an unfortunate situation, they were forced to leave the kingdom. They settled an area in the mountain named Tengger.
They were unhappy because they didn't have a child. They climbed the peak of the mountain and prayed to the gods. Betara Bromo -- god of fire, promised them many children. A stipulation was that they would have to sacrifice their youngest child. They finally had twenty-five children. They were instructed to sacrifice the youngest, Kesuma, but instead they hid him. An eruption occurred and Kesuma fell into the crater. His voice was heard saying, "I have to be sacrificed so that you will all live. From now on you should arrange an annual ceremony on the 14th of Kesodo."
Kesuma's brothers and sisters held the offering ceremony every year by offering fruits, vegetables, rice and meats. This ceremony is still held today by Kejawen sects (an original Javanese religion).
QUEEN AJI BIRARA PUTIH
Muara Kaman lies along the Mahakam River, in eastern Borneo. In the past the area was a kingdom ruled by Queen Aji Bidara Putih. She was a typical queen of myths: beautiful, wise, and sensitive. Many princes and kings proposed to her but she always refused them because she was more concerned with ruling her country and guarding her people.
One day, a Chinese boat came to eastern Borneo. First the people thought it was a merchant ship but the boat was loaded with trade goods and highly trained soldiers. Their envoys brought gold and porcelain to announce the marriage proposal from a prince of China. The queen didn't refuse instantly and replied that she had to ponder the proposal first. After the envoys left the palace, the queen called a court officer and ordered him to infiltrate the Chinese boat to gather information on the prince.
When night fell the officer sneaked onto the boat, got by all the guards, and finally found the prince's room. The large door would not open and he couldn't find a peek hole, so the officer put his ear to the wall, trying to catch sounds from inside. He heard that the prince was having his dinner and the noise of his chewing and slurping surprised the officer. It was like a boar that he had once heard when he was hunting.
He quickly left the boat and returned to the palace. He reported that the prince must have been a phantom, not a human. He believed that the phantom could be in a human's form only during the daytime. The queen was so surprised and got angry. On the next day, she refused his proposal.
The enraged prince ordered his troops to raid Muara Kaman. The battle was won by the prince's huge band of troops. As they drew near to the palace, Queen Aji Bidara Putih chewed a leaf of betel vine and sang a mantra while holding it. When she threw it at the Chinese troops, it turned to giant centipedes. The Chinese troops started to retreat but three centipedes chased them and sank the boat. The site of the sunken ship is now known as Danau Lipan (Lake of Centipedes), with Chinese treasures hidden on the lake's bed.
JAYABAYA
Jayabaya was born in 1135 in the kingdom of Kediri, East Java. He was famous as a prophet-king. During his reign, he ordered Sedah and Panuluh, who were teachers and writers in the kingdom, to write his stories. He lived for only twenty-four years but left Jangka Jayabaya, a book of his prophecies. One of the most famous prophecies is about the colonization of Indonesia and World War II.
Jayabaya said that there would be a time when the kingdom would be overtaken by a strange people who came from nowhere. They would have white skin and magic sticks that could kill people from a distance. He continued to say that they would conquer and rule the kingdom for a very long time, until a number of short people with yellow skin would come from the north and drive out the white men. These new foreigners would also rule the kingdom, but just as long as a corn's life (3 1/2 years).
Indonesia had been a colony of Netherlands since the 17th century and during the Second World War, in March 1942, the Japanese took over the country. Then they went out in August 1945, just as Jayabaya said.
KERIS, THE CURSED SWORD
In Indonesian tradition, the keris is a precious traditional sword. It can be identified by its strange shape. The king of Kediri (a kingdom in East Java) was named Kertajaya. He thought himself as a deity and was opposed by the Brahmana (priests). When he threatened the Brahmana, they ran to Tumapel and asked the ruler there, Ken Arok, for protection. Ken Arok thought that Kediri army would attack his territory, and ordered his troops to fortify. The Kediri army came to Tumapel as Arok expected. The Battle of Ganter, in 1222, resulted in the end of the Kediri Kingdom, then Ken Arok formed his own empire, Singosari.
After Kertajaya lost, the Kediri Kingdom was ruled by Tunggul Ametung. He had a very beautiful wife, Ken Dedes. A statue in Leiden Museum, Netherlands, shows Ken Dedes as Prajnaparamitha, Goddess of Wise. One day Ken Arok accidentally saw Ken Dedes as a wind hiked her gown. Ken Arok got a vision, that he would have Ken Dedes as his wife at any risk. Ken Arok decided to kill Tunggul Ametung.
Ken Arok ordered a keris to be made by the priest, Mpu Gandring. It took a long time to make a keris because only an enlightened priest could make it. Ken Arok was impatient to wait for the keris to be done. His lust for Ken Dedes was getting unbearable. He came up to Mpu Gandring to ask if the keris was completed. When Mpu Gandrig said no, Ken Arok killed him with the incomplete keris. Before he died, Mpu Gandring cursed the keris.
In the 5th year of Ken Arok's reign, a man called Anusapati wanted the throne of Singosari from Ken Arok. Ken Arok had abandoned Mpu Gandring's keris and Anusapati took the keris and killed Ken Arok with it. Ken Arok had a concubine named Ken Umang, and their son, Tohjaya decided the revenge. In the 21st year of Anusapati's rule, Tohjaya invited Anusapati to his palace for gambling, and while Anusapati was having fun, Tohjaya killed him, again with Mpu Gandring's keris.
After Anusapati's death, his son Ranggawuni wanted the throne. Tohjaya sent Lembu Ampal to attack Ranggawuni and his companion, Mahesa Cempaka. Lembu Ampal realized that Ranggawuni was the right person to be the king, and they fought against Tohjaya. Tohjaya was killed with Mpu Gandring's keris. Ranggawuni and Mahesa Cempaka realized that Mpu Gandring's keris would only make chaos and death, so they threw the keris to the Java Sea. Legend says that the keris turned into a dragon.
NYI RORO KIDUL
This is the story of the "Queen of the Southern Sea". Pajajaran kingdom was located in West Java from 1333 AD to 1630 AD and it was conquered by the Islamic kingdom of Mataram from Central Java. Pajajaran's greatest ruler was Prabu Siliwangi. He had a bride in one his harems and she bore him a very beautiful daughter. The girl was called Dewi Kadita. The beauty of Dewi Kadita and her mother made the other harems jealous, and they formed a conspiracy against them. LORO JONGGRANG Candi Temple of Prambanan (also called the Temple of Loro Jonggrang) stands in Jogjakarta. It is actually not one temple, but a complex of temples, made around the 9th century. The complex is for the Shiva Hindu people and had about 200 temples. This is the myth and fact about the making of the temple. TANGKUBAN PARAHU A long time ago in West Java, lived a woman named Dayang Sumbi. She lived alone and she was thirsting for a husband. One day when quilting, her quilt fell to the ground. Then she prayed to the gods "If a man picks up my quilt, he will be my husband. If a woman does, she will be my sister." Then, a male dog picked it up. So Dayang Sumbi got married to the dog, and called him Tumang. HOW SURABAYA WAS NAMED Once upon a time, on the coast of Java in an area called Tanjung Perak, there lived a variety of sea animals. They live in peace and harmony. Only an octopus, called Cumi could not get along with the other sea creatures. Cumi was very cruel. One day Cumi went to the house of a fish named Suro. He told Suro that one of the crocodiles, Boyo, would soon attack Suro. Suro and Boyo, were the best of friends and kind to each other, so of course, Suro does not believe Cumi. Cumi has many arguments with Suro, but Suro does not believe Cumi's lies. WANEBAKA, SON OF TUNDE In Bali, there was a man called Tunde. He had been married for ten years but had no child, so he was happy when his wife got pregnant. But after a few months, his wife's belly returned to its normal size. It happened many times and he asked a shaman for help but the shaman could not do anything about it. INDONESIAN FUNERAL CUSTOMS JAVA In Java, funerals involve several activities called selamatan (selamat in Bahasa Indonesia means happy or good luck). The first selamatan is held on the day a member of a family dies. The next one is held on the third day, continues on the seventh day, fortieth day, the hundredth day, and the greatest one will be held on the thousandth day. The Javanese believe that on the thousandth day, the spirit of the dead person is already at the peace in the next world. SULAWESI The Torajan people in South Sulawesi (Celebes) believe that the spirit of a dead person enters puya (the place for the dead). Dead people that go to puya must show his social status when he was alive. So the funeral ceremony for a person who had a high position in the community may look like a carnival. The person is not accepted as dead until the funeral is held. Before that, the corpse is considered to be a sick body, kept in a traditional house called Tongkonan. He is dressed and offered food. BALI The Balinese of Trunyan put the dead body under a tree after a mourning ceremony. It's not buried or burned, not even covered. The amazing fact is that although the body rots, it does not smell. The place where the dead is put is near a village in Lake Kintamani, the largest lake in Bali Island. FLORES Manggarai people of Flores, in the southeast part of Indonesia, believe that the spirits of the dead, called poti, stay where they used to stay when they were alive, especially near the bed. After some time, the poti move to wells, big trees, or crossroads near the house. They watch their grandchildren, but don't disturb the living people. After five days, the poti will go to Mori Karaeng (the place for the dead). Manggarai people believe that everything in Mori Karaeng is opposite of that in the world of the living. People break dishes and glasses on the fifth day so that the poti will have the dishes and glasses in good condition at Mori Karaeng. INDONESIAN GHOSTS Tuyul This ghost is that of an small boy. He is usually kept by a man and is given the task of stealing money. Even now some people in Indonesia believe they exist. Kuntilanak This ghost of a woman who died during her delivering process, has a hole in her stomach. She's wandering looking for her son, which means young men in the real world. Leak Leak is a legendary mystical process in Bali, where someone can transform themselves into another thing (animal, building, tree). In this modern age people can transform into a car, computer, or even an airplane. The person with the greatest skill can transform into Rangga, a type of demon. Jin This myth comes from Arabian culture. Jin is what we might call a genie. Some people in Indonesia still believe in the Jin. Folks, from businessmen to parliament members will buy a Jin to act as their protector.
The harems used black magic to make the bodies of Dewi Kadita and her mother be filthy, ugly and disgusting. Prabu Siliwangi got angry at Dewi Kadita and her mother and forced them to get out of the palace, as they were thought to be bad luck for the kingdom. While they were wandering around the country, the mother died. Dewi Kadita was walking in deep sadness, until she reached the southern sea (the shore of Indian Ocean).
She sat above a stove-shaped rock and when she was sleeping, she had a vision that she should jump into the water to release herself from the curse. When she woke up, with no second thought, Dewi Kadita jumped into the sea. She once again became very beautiful, but then she realized that she was not a human anymore. She had turned into a supernatural form of life. She then ruled all creatures off the southern coast of Java Island, and was known as Nyi Roro Kidul (queen of the southern sea). As revenge on her father, she became the primary bride for Mataram kings (the rival of the Pajajaran kingdom).
The river of Bengawan Solo, which started from the mystical mountain of Merapi in Central Java and leads to the Indian Ocean, is said to be the tunnel used by Nyi Roro Kidul to access Java. In a green costume, she traps males who are walking on the shore. They are swallowed by the waves and are thought to be missing or dead but will actually become her guard or mate.
Loro Jonggrang was a daughter of a giant king called Ratu Baka (King of Death), and she had a proposal from a young noble, Bandung Bandawasa. He was handsome, wealthy and powerful, but Loro Jonggrang didn't want to marry him. Ratu Baka gave a task to Bandung Bandawasa. He had to make 1000 temples in one night, to prepare his marriage to Loro Jonggrang. Bandung Bandawasa used his supernatural force to call the genies, and they made the temples in unbelieveable speed. Loro Jonggrang, seeing that the task was almost completed, ordered her servants to help her hit the rice punchers, and made the sound of cooking, so the genies thought morning had come and they ran away. Bandung Bandawasa was angry with her act. He already finished 999 temples and when he built the 1000th, he cursed Loro Jonggrang into it.
The largest temple in Prambanan complex is the Shiva temple, and inside the temple, there is a Durga (Goddess of Darkness, wife of Shiva, God of Destruction) believed as the body of Loro Jonggrang.
Historians said the myth is based on the true story. In 9th century, Rakai Patapan Pu Palar, a member of Sanjaya Dynasty in Central Java, started a rebellion againts the ruling Syailendra Dynasty. Scared by his threat, King Samaratungga had his daughter Pramodawarddhani marry Rakai Patapan's son, Rakai Pitapan. Rakai Pitapan then became the King of Central and East Java and started making Prambanan complex, which completed at 915 AD.
Dayang Sumbi gave a birth to a son, named him Sangkuriang, but never told him who his father was. One day, Sangkuriang was hunting with Tumang in the forest. They found nothing and Sangkurian blamed the failure on Tumang and killed him. When Dayang Sumbi learned waht Sangkuriang had done, she hit Sangkuriang's head with a big spoon and expelled him.
Many years later, the wandering Sangkuriang found a house in the forest where an an old beautiful woman lived. He instantly fell in love with her. The woman was Dayang Sumbi (his mother) and she recognized hime although he did not know her. Sangkuriang forced her to marry him. She told Sangkuriang that he had to build a vast boat for their honeymoon, and in just one night. In the night, Sangkuriang called on the ghosts and forest fairies to help him. Fearing the boat would be completed, Dayang Sumbi asked another women in the nearby forest to help her. The women caused a great noise and Dayang Sumbi made flashes of light that the fairies took to be the morning light. THe fairies fled and the boat was not completed. Enraged, Sangkuriang kicked the boat. It turned upside down and turned into a mountain, called Tangkuban Parahu. The mountain stands in the north of the city of Bandung, until now.
Finally, Cumi goes to the house of Boyo. This time Cumi's lies are so believable that Boyo believes what Cumi says. He gets upset and swims in a hurry to Suro's house. Boyo is very angry and is strong and cruel. He attacks Suro and wounds him. Suro is still calm and does not fight back. But knowing that Boyo would never stop attacking him, Suro becomes brave and strong. He fight Boyo bravely until the sea turns red with their blood.
In the place where they fought was built the city called Suroboyo. Suroboyo is a Javanese word derived from Suro and Boyo. (Suro means brave and Boyo means danger. Suroboyo therefore means brave in danger. In Indonesian language Suroboyo is pronounced and spelled Surabaya.
One day, when Tunde's pregnant wife was washing at the river, she felt something falling down from her body to the river, but she ignored it and kept washing. After that, her belly again returned to the normal size. At home, she told her husband. "Maybe the gods don't want us to have a child," Tunde said. Time passed and for the next ten years Tunde's wife didn't get pregnant again. One day some women who were washing at the river heard somebone singing but they didn't see anyone around.
O washing women
Tell my father Tunde
That Wanebaka has grown up
And wants to be circumcised soon
The scared women told Tunde what they had experienced. First Tunde ignored it. It occurred again and finally he attended a simple circumcising ritual, while there was no boy to actually be circumcised.
15 years later, the washing women heard somebody's singing again. This time they didn't get afraid.
O washing women
Tell my father Tunde
That Wanebaka has grown up
And wants to be married
Tunde then looked for a girl who would be a bride for his non-existent son. He paid for the bride and arranged the marriage. He came to the river and said, "Whoever you are, if you're really my son, come on the day of your wedding." At the wedding ceremony, a guest saw a snake crawling to Tunde's house and everyone ran away in a panic. The snake was disappointed and disappeared in the bush.
A few years later, the song was heard again at the river and Tunde did the same thing as before but this time he threatened the bride that he would kill her if she ran away. At the ceremony, the snake appeared again and everyone ran away including Tunde and his wife. The bride stood where she was, waiting for her death. The snake's tail touched her toe. The snake went into a room and the bride followed the snake. The snake drank a bottle of tuak and got drunk. While it was sleeping, its skin removed from the body. The bride gathered it and burned it outside the house. The ashes were buried and when she returned to the room she found a handsome man sleeping in the bed. "Now you won't be a snake anymore, and I'll be your loyal wife," she said.
While most funeral ceremonies in Indonesia now follow the ways of modern religions (Islam, Christian, or Tao), some areas in Indonesia still practice traditional funeral customs. Here are some examples.
There are a lot of legends and beliefs regarding ghosts in Indonesia. A few are listed below.