Halo!
Today, once again, I’m posting about a myth in Indonesia. This time’s story comes from the West Java area of Indonesia, where a volcanic mountain called Tangkuban Perahu exists. Wikipedia said it last erupted in 2019.
The name of the mountain itself means ‘upturned boat’, which the reason got explained by this legend of Sangkuriang.
Note: This version of Legend of Sangkuriang is my own freely-translated version based on the famous Indonesian legend called ‘Legenda Sangkuriang’, so it is not an official one.
Note 2: The first one is in English, whilst the second one is the Bahasa Indonesia version. You can enjoy this simply as a story, or you can try to read aloud the one in Bahasa Indonesia to further improve your language and pronunciation skills.
Note 3: If you find any typo or bad grammar, don't hesitate to point it out~
Edit 29/9/20: The videos are now up! Click here to watch the English version, and here to watch the one in Bahasa Indonesia^^
Without further ado, let’s get on with the story!
Legend of Sangkuriang: The Origin of Tangkuban Perahu
(Legenda Sangkuriang: Asal Muasal Tangkuban Perahu)
It was told that long ago, there lived a god and a goddess who had done a mistake in the heaven and were punished to live on earth. The two were punished to do good things all their lives on earth as a boar and a dog. The goddess became a boar named Wayung Hyang and done many good deeds in the forest. Meanwhile, the god came as a dog named Tumang and served as the hunting dog of a king named Sumbing Perbangkara.
One day, King Sumbing Perbangkara went hunting to the forest on the edge of his kingdom, where the boar Wayung Hyang lived. In the middle of the hunt, King Sumbing Perbangkara got a nature’s call. He then peed which, accidently, got into a coconut shell. A few moments later, the boar Wayung Hyang who was thirsty drank King Sumbing Perbangkara’s pee. Who would have thought, Wayung Hyang became pregnant!
King Sumbing Perbangkara who naturally likes to hunt went back to that forest a few months later, right as Wayung Hyang gave birth to a very beautiful baby girl. King Sumbing Perbangkara who was hunting a deer heard a baby’s crying voice. Followed by his hunting dog, Tumang, he found a baby girl who was none other than his own daughter. Attracted by the baby’s attractive figure, King Sumbing Perbangkara then brought that baby home and made her his daughter with the name Dayang Sumbi.
Dayang Sumbi grew into an adult as a princess with attractive figure. Her beauty was heard all over the kingdom and even heard by kings and princes from other kingdoms. In fact, a big war happened everywhere to fight over Dayang Sumbi. Seeing this, Dayang Sumbi asked his father, King Sumbing Perbangkara, to let her went away from the kingdom to seclude. King Sumbing Perbangkara at last gave his permission towards his daughter’s request and gave her Tumang the hunting dog to accompany her.
Dayang Sumbi then lived modestly while weaving in a hut at the edge of a forest. Not one of the local people know that she was Dayang Sumbi who was sought after by many kings and princes.
One day, while weaving a cloth, Dayang Sumbi who was drowsy accidently dropped her weaving tool to the floor. Dayang Sumbi felt extremely lazy to pick up that weaving tool, so she swore that she would marry anyone who pick that tool for her. Unexpectedly, Tumang was the one who finally picked up the fallen tool and gave it back to Dayang Sumbi. To fulfill the vow that she already said, Dayang Sumbi married Tumang.
King Sumbing Perbangkara who heard abour it felt ashamed; his beautiful daughter married a dog and was now pregnant. Dayang Sumbi got banished along with Tumang, in the end. No one knew that Tumang was the incarnation of a god, except for Dayang Sumbi. Every full moon night, Tumang could change into a handsome male.
Dayang Sumbi who was pregnant then gave birth to a son who was also handsome. He had white skin with thick hair as black as charcoal. Dayang Sumbi named him Sangkuriang.
A few years passed. Sangkuriang, who had started to reach teenage years and was skillful in hunting using a bow and arrows, was asked by his mother to hunt because Dayang Sumbi very much wanted to eat a deer’s liver. Accompanied by Tumang, Sangkuriang went hunting to the forest. Not long after, Sangkuriang saw a boar ran past. He instantly aimed his arrow, but that boar swiftly ran and hide. Sangkuriang commanded Tumang to immediately chase that boar. However, Tumang knew that the boar was the incarnation of Wayung Hyang and just sat still while looking at Sangkuriang as his form of denying Sangkuriang’s order.
Saangkuriang was very angry with Tumang and scared Tumang by aiming his arrow to Tumang. But, accidently, he shot the arrow out of his bow and that god-turned-dog died, pierced by an arrow. Sangkuriang who felt scared and also desperate then took Tumang’s liver. He then brought that liver home to Dayang Sumbi whilst saying that it was the liver of his hunted deer.
Dayang Sumbi happily cooked that liver and they ate it deliciously. After eating, Dayang Sumbi remembered about Tumang. She asked Sangkuriang about Tumang’s whereabouts. Sangkuriang who was unable to dodge finally admit that Tumang had died because of his arrow and that the liver they had eaten was actually Tumang’s liver.
Dayang Sumbi became furious. Sangkuriang had killed his own biological father! Dayang Sumbi then took a rice spoon and hit Sangkuriang’s head until it bled heavily. However, the wound on Sangkuriang’s heart was more severe, and he finally ran away from their home.
Realizing that she had injured her own son and made him ran away from home, Dayang Sumbi felt highly regretful. Sangkuriang was her only son and had accompanied her living in the forest along with Tumang. She then prayed every day, and asked to someday be able to meet again with her son. Due to her diligence in praying, God gave her a gift of eternal beauty and long life. For her entire life, she would always look like a beautiful girl and would never look old.
Meanwhile, Sangkuriang who ran away with an injured head wandered everywhere. He studied under some sages, often went in and out of the forest, until at last Sangkuriang became a celestial and mighty young man. He also defeated a lot of supernatural beings whom he met during his journey and with his power became the master of those genies.
After a few years passed, Sangkuriang went back to his home village, though he did not realize this as his birth village had totally changed. While Sangkuriang sat to take a break in a stall, he saw the figure of a woman. That woman was actually Dayang Sumbi, even though at that time both of them did not realize the identity of one another. Sangkuriang was bewitched by Dayang Sumbi’s beauty and immediately fell in love. Dayang Sumbi was also attracted with Sangkuriang’s handsome and gallant figure. Eventually, Sangkuriang propose to Dayang Sumbi to marry her.
One day, Sangkuriang asked permission from his soon-to-be wife to hunt in the forest. Before setting out, he asked Dayang Sumbi to tighten and tidied up his headband. How surprised Dayang Sumbi was, because when she tidied up Sangkuriang’s headband, she saw a big scar. That scar looked a lot like her son’s scar. After asking Sangkuriang about the cause of his scar, Dayang Sumbi got even more surprised, because she realized that in reality her future husband was her own son. Sangkuriang himself could not guess that Dayang Sumbi was his birth mother.
Dayang Sumbi tried to explain that Sangkuriang was her son so that Sangkuriang annulled their marriage plan. However, Sangkuriang had lost his mind and kept persisting, only taking Dayang Sumbi’s request as a passing wind.
In the end, Dayang Sumbi searched and founded a way so that their marriage never happened. She raised two terms to Sangkuriang. If Sangkuriang could fulfil those two terms, then Dayang Sumbi agreed to became his wife. But on the contrary, if he failed, then that marriage will be cancelled.
She asked Sangkuriang to build her a lake by damming Citarum River, along with a big boat to cross it. All of those must be finished by Sangkuriang in one night, before dawn breaks. To Dayang Sumbi, this is an impossible feat to be done by Sangkuriang. However, unexpectedly for Dayang Sumbi, Sangkuriang agreed to undertook her terms.
That night, Sangkuriang worked hard to make a lake. While Sangkuriang cut down the trees, the pile of tree trunks he had cut down changed into a mount which is now known as Bukit Tunggul Mountain. Whilst the unused leaves, branches, and other tree parts were piled and became Burangrang Mountain.
After working for half the night, Sangkuriang had finished making the lake and started to make the boat. Same as when he was making the lake, he moved the genies under his command to help.
Looking at that condition. Dayang Sumbi became surprised and frightened. She didn’t expect Sangkuriang was almost done with all the terms she gave before dawn came. In the end, she asked the help of the local people to spread the red clothes she had weaved at the east side of that village. Dayang Sumbi’s weaved clothes glinted red on the east horizon and made the rooster crowed, as if morning had come. The genies who helped Sangkuriang’s work also thought the day will soon come and ran away. Sangkuriang who was left alone also stopped his almost-finished boat-making work. Sangkuriang felt disappointed because his efforts had failed.
But then, he heard that the incident was done by Dayang Sumbi who did not want to marry him. Sangkuriang then became enraged.
In his rage, Sangkuriang threw away the stopper he made to dammed the Citarum River eastwards and that stopper became Manglayang Mountain. The water from that Talaga Bandung Lake he made then resulted in a flash flood that drowned the whole village.
Then, with on powerful kick, the boat he made flew away and fell face down. In a flash, that boat changed into Tangkuban Perahu Mountain.
Sangkuriang kept chasing after Dayang Sumbi who ran away. When Dayang Sumbi was almost caught by Sangkuriang in Putri Mountain, Dayang Sumbi begged for God’s help and successfully transformed into a jaksi flower. Sangkuriang who kept looking for Dayang Sumbi eventually arrived at Ujung Berung and became lost in the netherworld.
Legenda Sangkuriang: Asal Muasal Tangkuban Perahu
Alkisah pada zamun dahulu kala, hiduplah seorang dewa dan seorang dewi yang melakukan sebuah kesalahan di kayangan dan dihukum untuk menjalani hidup di dunia. Keduanya dihukum untuk berbuat kebaikan selama hidupnya di bumi dalam bentuk seekor babi hutan dan seekor anjing. Sang dewi menjelma menjadi seekor babi hutan bernama Wayung Hyang dan melakukan berbagai perbuatan baik di hutan. Sedangkan sang dewa menjelma menjadi seekor anjing bernama Tumang dan mengabdi sebagai anjing pemburu pada seorang raja yang bernama Sumbing Perbangkara.
Pada suatu hari, Raja Sumbing Perbangkara berburu ke hutan di tepi kerajaannya, di mana babi hutan Wayung Hyang berada. Di tengah perburuan, Raja Sumbing Perbangkara mendapat panggilan alam. Ia kemudian buang air kecil yang, tanpa sengaja, tertampung dalam sebuah batok kelapa. Beberapa saat kemudian, babi hutan Wayung Hyang yang sedang kehausan meminum air kencing Raja Sumbing Perbangkara. Siapa sangka, Wayung Hyang akhirnya hamil!
Raja Sumbing Perbangkara yang pada dasarnya memang suka berburu kembali ke hutan tersebut beberapa bulan kemudian, tepat saat Wayung Hyang melahirkan seorang bayi perempuan yang sangat cantik. Raja Sumbing Perbangkara yang sedang berburu kijang mendengar suara tangisan seorang bayi. Ditemani anjing pemburunya, Tumang, ia akhirnya menemukan bayi perempuan yang tidak lain adalah putrinya sendiri. Terpikat oleh keelokan paras bayi itu, Raja Sumbing Perbangkara pun membawa bayi itu pulang dan mengangkatnya sebagai anak dengan nama Dayang Sumbi.
Dayang Sumbi tumbuh dewasa sebagai seorang putri yang berparas elok. Kecantikannya terdengar di seluruh penjuru kerajaan hingga didengar oleh raja-raja dan para pangeran kerajaan lain. Bahkan perang besar terjadi di mana-mana demi memperebutkan Dayang Sumbi. Melihat hal ini, Dayang Sumbi meminta kepada ayahnya, Raja Sumbing Perbangkara, untuk mengizinkan dirinya pergi dari kerajaan untuk menyendiri. Raja Sumbing Perbangkara akhirnya mengizinkan permintaan putrinya dan memberikan Tumang si anjing pemburu untuk menemaninya.
Dayang Sumbi pun tinggal dengan sederhana sambil menenun di sebuah pondok di tepi hutan. Tidak ada seorang penduduk sekitar pun yang tahu bahwa ia adalah Dayang Sumbi yang diperebutkan banyak raja dan pangeran.
Suatu hari, saat menenun kain, Dayang Sumbi yang mengantuk tidak sengaja menjatuhkan alat tenunnya ke lantai. Dayang Sumbi merasa sangat malas untuk memungut alat tenun itu, sehingga ia bersumpah bahwa ia akan menikahi siapapun yang mengambilkan alat itu untuknya. Ternyata Tumanglah yang akhirnya mengambilkan alat yang terjatuh itu dan menyerahkannya kepada Dayang Sumbi. Demi memenuhi sumpah yang telanjur dia ucapkan, Dayang Sumbi akhirnya menikah dengan Tumang.
Raja Sumbing Perbangkara yang mengetahui hal itu merasa sangat malu; putrinya yang cantik menikah dengan seekor anjing dan kini tengah mengandung. Dayang Sumbi akhirnya diasingkan bersama dengan Tumang. Tidak ada seorang pun yang tahu bahwa Tumang adalah jelmaan seorang dewa, kecuali Dayang Sumbi. Setiap malam purnama, Tumang dapat menjelma menjadi seorang lelaki yang tampan.
Dayang Sumbi yang hamil akhirnya melahirkan seorang putra yang tampan pula. Kulitnya putih dengan rambut lebat berwarna hitam bagaikan arang. Dayang Sumbi memberinya nama Sangkuriang.
Beberapa tahun berlalu. Sangkuriang yang telah mulai beranjak remaja dan mahir berburu dengan panah diminta ibunya untuk berburu karena Dayang Sumbi ingin sekali memakan hati rusa. Ditemani Tumang, Sangkuriang pergi berburu ke hutan. Tak berapa lama, Sangkuriang melihat seekor babi hutan berlari melintas. Ia segera membidikkan anak panahnya, tetapi babi hutan itu berlari dan bersembunyi dengan gesit. Sangkuriang memerintah Tumang untuk segera mengejar babi hutan itu. Namun Tumang tahu bahwa babi hutan itu adalah jelmaan Wayung Hyang dan hanya duduk diam sambil memandang Sangkuriang sebagai bentuk penolakannya atas perintah Sangkuriang.
Sangkuriang sangat marah kepada Tumang dan menakut-nakuti Tumang dengan mengarahkan anak panahnya pada Tumang. Tetapi, tanpa sengaja, ia melepaskan anak panah itu dari busurnya dan anjing jelmaan dewa itu pun tewas terhujam anak panah. Sangkuriang yang merasa takut sekaligus putus asa akhirnya mengambil hati Tumang. Hati itu kemudian dia bawa pulang kepada Dayang Sumbi dengan mengatakan bahwa itu adalah hati rusa hasil buruannya.
Dayang Sumbi dengan gembira memasak hati itu dan mereka makan dengan lahap. Setelah selesai makan, Dayang Sumbi teringat akan Tumang. Ia bertanya kepada Sangkuriang di mana Tumang. Sangkuriang yang tidak bisa berkelit akhirnya mengaku bahwa Tumang telah tewas karena panahnya dan hati yang mereka santap sesungguhnya adalah hati Tumang.
Dayang Sumbi sangat murka. Sangkuriang telah membunuh ayah kandungnya sendiri! Dayang Sumbi kemudian mengambil sendok nasi dan memukul kepala Sangkuriang hingga terluka parah. Akan tetapi, luka di hati Sangkuriang lebih parah, dan ia akhirnya lari dari rumah mereka.
Menyadari bahwa ia telah melukai anaknya sendiri dan membuatnya kabur dari rumah, Dayang Sumbi merasa sangat menyesal. Sangkuriang adalah putranya satu-satunya dan telah menemaninya hidup di hutan bersama Tumang. Ia pun berdoa setiap hari, dan meminta agar suatu hari dapat bertemu dengan anaknya kembali. Karena kesungguhannya dalam berdoa, Tuhan memberinya sebuah hadiah berupa kecantikan abadi dan umur panjang. Seumur hidupnya, ia akan tetap tampak bagaikan seorang gadis yang cantik dan tidak akan pernah terlihat tua.
Sementara itu, Sangkuriang yang lari dengan kepala terluka mengembara ke mana-mana. Ia berguru pada beberapa orang sakti, sering keluar-masuk hutan, hingga akhirnya Sangkuriang menjadi pemuda sakti dan perkasa. Ia pun mengalahkan banyak makhluk halus yang ditemuinya selama mengembara dan dengan kesaktiannya menjadi tuan dari jin-jin itu.
Setelah beberapa tahun berlalu, Sangkuriang kembali ke kampung halamannya, meski ia tidak menyadari hal itu karena desa kelahirannya telah berubah total. Ketika Sangkuriang duduk beristirahat di sebuah warung, ia melihat sesosok wanita. Wanita itu sebenarnya adalah Dayang Sumbi, meski pada saat itu keduanya tidak menyadari identitas satu sama lain. Sangkuriang sangat terpesona dengan kecantikan Dayang Sumbi dan langsung jatuh cinta. Dayang Sumbi juga terpikat oleh ketampanan dan kegagahan Sangkuriang. Akhirnya, Sangkuriang melamar Dayang Sumbi untuk menikahinya.
Pada suatu hari, Sangkuriang meminta izin calon istrinya untuk berburu di hutan. Sebelum berangkat, ia meminta Dayang Sumbi untuk mengencangkan dan merapikan ikat kepalanya. Alangkah terkejutnya Dayang Sumbi, karena pada saat ia merapikan ikat kepala Sangkuriang, ia melihat ada bekas luka yang sangat besar. Bekas luka tersebut mirip dengan bekas luka anaknya. Setelah bertanya kepada Sangkuriang tentang penyebab lukanya itu, Dayang Sumbi makin terkejut, karena ia menyadari bahwa ternyata calon suaminya tersebut adalah anaknya sendiri. Sangkuriang sendiri tidak menyangka bahwa Dayang Sumbi adalah ibu kandungnya.
Dayang Sumbi mencoba menjelaskan bahwa Sangkuriang adalah putranya supaya Sangkuriang membatalkan rencana pernikahan mereka. Tetapi Sangkuriang telah kehilangan akal sehat dan tetap memaksa, hanya menganggap permintaan Dayang Sumbi sebagai angin lalu.
Akhirnya Dayang Sumbi mencari dan menemukan cara agar pernikahan mereka tidak pernah terjadi. Dia mengajukan dua buah syarat kepada Sangkuriang. Apabila Sangkuriang dapat memenuhi kedua syarat tersebut, maka Dayang Sumbi mau dijadikan istri. Tetapi sebaliknya, jika gagal, maka pernikahan itu akan dibatalkan.
Ia meminta Sangkuriang membuatkannya sebuah danau dengan membendung Sungai Citarum, dilengkapi dengan sebuah perahu besar untuk menyeberanginya. Semua itu harus diselesaikan Sangkuriang dalam waktu satu malam, sebelum fajar menyingsing. Bagi Dayang Sumbi, ini adalah hal yang mustahil untuk dapat dilakukan oleh Sangkuriang. Namun di luar dugaan Dayang Sumbi, Sangkuriang menyanggupi permintaannya.
Malam itu, Sangkuriang bekerja keras membuat sebuah danau. Ketika Sangkurang menebang pohon, tumpukan pohon hasil tebangannya itu berubah menjadi sebuah bukit yang kini dikenal sebagai Gunung Bukit Tunggul. Sementara daun, ranting, dan bagian pohon lainnya yang tidak terpakai ditumpuknya dan terbentuklah Gunung Burangrang.
Setelah bekerja separuh malam, Sangkuriang telah selesai membuat danau dan mulai membuat perahu. Sama dengan ketika membuat danau, ia mengerahkan jin-jin di bawah kuasanya untuk membantu.
Melihat situasi ini, Dayang Sumbi menjadi terkejut dan ketakutan. Ia tidak menyangka Sangkuriang hampir menyelesaikan semua syarat yang dia berikan sebelum fajar. Akhirnya, ia meminta bantuan masyarakat sekitar untuk menebarkan kain merah hasil tenunannya di sebelah timur desa itu. Kain-kain tenunan Dayang Sumbi bercahaya kemerah-merahan di ufuk timur dan membuat ayam-ayam jantan berkokok, seolah-olah pagi telah datang. Jin-jin yang membantu pekerjaan Sangkuriang pun mengira hari akan segera pagi dan berlari pergi. Sangkuriang yang tinggal sendirian juga menghentikan pekerjaan pembuatan perahu yang hampir selesai. Sangkuriang merasa kecewa karena usahanya telah gagal.
Namun kemudian, dia mengetahui bahwa kejadian itu adalah ulah Dayang Sumbi yang tidak ingin menikah dengannya. Sangkuriang pun menjadi marah sekali.
Dalam amarahnya, Sangkuriang membuang sumbat yang dibuatnya untuk membendung Sungai Citarum ke arah timur dan sumbat itu pun menjadi Gunung Manglayang. Air dari Danau Talaga Bandung yang dibuatnya itu kemudian mengakibatkan banjir bandang yang merendan seluruh desa.
Lalu dengan sekali tendangan keras, perahu buatannya melayang jauh dan jatuh telungkup. Dalam sekejap, perahu itu berubah menjadi Gunung Tangkuban Perahu.
Sangkuriang terus mengejar Dayang Sumbi yang melarikan diri. Ketika Dayang Sumbi hampir terkejar oleh Sangkuriang di Gunung Putri, Dayang Sumbi memohon pertolongan Tuhan dan berhasil menjelma menjadi sekuntum bunga jaksi. Sangkuriang yang terus mencari Dayang Sumbi pun sampai ke Ujung Berung dan menjadi tersesat di alam gaib.
Alright, that was a version of how the legend goes.
You can see now how the mountain’s name inspired, or got inspired by, the legend.
The premise of the story itself is quite ridiculous, I think, and reminded me a bit like Greek Mythologies. In particular, the story of Oedipus who, if I’m not mistaken, killed his father then married his mother. Though Sangkuriang here didn’t succeed in marrying his mother.
I personally think Sangkuriang and Dayang Sumbi both are a bit hot-headed and emotional, and their regrets always comes too late….
On another note, about the deer liver Dayang Sumbi wanted to eat, I can’t say whether it’s normal to eat it at that time or not. However, nowadays, we do eat things like chicken liver. In some places, deer meat is also eaten, and it tastes quite good if I say so myself. Dog meat is also eaten in select places, though I personally never tried it as I do have a pet dog ≧◠ᴥ◠≦
Anyway, the message of this story is that we have to always respect and follow whatever our parents said, and loves our pets. But more importantly, we should never blindly follow our carnal desire and become angry easily.
I hope you enjoy this legend! As always, I’ll give some vocabulary after this.
Thank you and see you ~(^_^)~
Vocabulary Time!
Bahasa Indonesia [English]
Tuhan [God]
Dewa dan Dewi [god and goddess]
Babi hutan [boar]
Anjing [dog]
Raja [king]
Alat tenun [weaving tool]
Hati [liver]
Danau [lake]
Perahu [boat]
Gunung [mountain]
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