The Legend of Tangkuban Perahu

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.

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