The Legend of Tangkuban Perahu
Once upon a time, in West Java, there lived a wise king who had
a beautiful daughter. Her name was Dayang Sumbi. She liked
weaving very much. One day, she was weaving a cloth. Suddenly, one of her
tool fell to the ground. She was very tired at the time so she was too
lazy to take it. Then she just shouted outloud.
“Anybody there? Bring me my tool. I will give you
special present. If you are female, I will consider you as my
sister. If you are male, I will marry you”
Suddenly a male dog named Tumang came. He brought her falling
tool. Dayang Sumbi was very surprised. She regretted her words but
she could not deny it. So she had to marry Tumang and leave her
father. Then they lived in a small village. Several months later
they had a son. His name was Sangkuriang. He was a handsome and
healthy boy. Sangkuriang liked hunting very much. He often went hunting
to the wood using his arrow. When he went hunting Tumang always with
him.
One day Dayang Sumbi wanted to eat deer’s heart.
“Sangkuriang, will you hunt for a deer today? I want to eat a
deer’s heart so much.” Asked Dayang Sumbi.
“Of course, mom. Whatever you want, I will give it for you.” Replied
Sangkuriang. “Tumang, where are you? Come on, we have to hunt for a deer.”
Then Sangkuriang went to the wood with his arrow and his
faithful dog, Tumang. But after several days in the wood Sangkuriang
could not find any deer. They were all disappeared. Sangkuriang was
exhausted and desperate.
“Oh God, where can I find a deer? I don’t want to dissapoint my
mom. Oh! I know,”
Sangkuriang then called Tumang and kill him. He did not know that Tumang
was his father. At home he gave Tumang’s heart to her mother.
“Sangkuriang, are you sure it’s a deer’s heart? You can’t lie to
me! It is Tumang’s heart, isn’t it? Why did you kill him?” said Dayang Sumbi
full of angry. She hit Sangkuriang at his head. Sangkuriang was
wounded. There was a scar in his head. She also
repelled her son. Sangkuriang left her mother in sadness.
Many years passed and Sangkuriang became a strong young
man. He wandered everywhere. One day he
arrived at his own village but he did not realized it. There he met
Dayang Sumbi. At the time Dayang Sumbi was given an eternal beauty by God,
so she stayed young forever. Both of them did not know each other.
So they fell in love and then they decided to marry.
But then Dayang Sumbi recognized a scar on Sangkuriang’s
head.
“Sangkuriang, why there is a scar on your head?” asked Dayang
Sumbi.
“Oh, when I was a child, my mom hit me on my head.” Replied him.
Dayang Sumbi was very shocked. She knew that Sangkuriang was his
son. It was impossible for them to marry. She told him but he did
not believe her. Sangkuriang wished that they married soon. So
Dayang Sumbi gave him a very difficult condition.
“Sangkuriang, if you want to marry me. I have a condition for
you. I want you to build a lake and a big boat in one night. I need them for
our honeymoon. Can you do that?”
“What! Impossible!. But, it’s okay. For you, I will do it. I can
do that!”. Sangkuriang agreed.
With the help of genies and spirits, Sangkuriang tried to build
them. By midnight he had finished the lake by building a dam in
Citarum river. Then he started building the boat. It was almost
dawn when he nearly finished it. Meanwhile Dayang Sumbi kept watching on
them. She was very worried when she knew this. So she made lights
in the east.
“Huh? Troops, stop your work! It’s already dawn. The sun will
start to rise. Quickly, go home, go home!” said the chair of the genies. They
left Sangkuriang alone.
“Sangkuriang, you can’t finish my condition. It’s mean that you
can’t marry me. You know?” said Dayang Sumbi.
“You cheated! You maked the light, so that my troops go. Because
of that, I could not fulfill your condition.” Shouted Sangkuriang.
Sangkuriang was very angry. So he kicked the boat. Then
the boat turned out to be Mount Tangkuban Perahu. It means boat upside
down. From a distant it looks like a boat upside down.
