SANGKURIANG

In the time when West Java was still thickly covered with woods and undergrowth and wonders existed there reigned a king named Raden Sungging !e"angkara# $e was a good ruler and to convince himsel% o% the wel%are o% his su"&ects he used to visit them# 'ut the thing he liked most was hunting in the %orest# It ha((ened that in one o% the %orests the king o%ten visited there lived a she)(ig actually a cursed goddess# *ne day as it was very warm she came out o% her hiding (lace looking %or water# +here she saw a coconut)shell %illed with water# Glad to have %ound something and ex(ecting it to "e coconut)milk she drank it at a draught having no sus(icions whatsoever that it was the King,s urine le%t there the day "e%ore when hunting# +he conse-uence was very strange# She "ecame (regnant# In a %ew months she gave "irth to a very (retty girl# When the king was once again hunting in the %orest he saw the girl and attracted "y her "eauty he took her to his (alace called her .ayang Sum"i and treated her as his own daughter# +ime (assed and .ayang Sum"i grew u( into a %ine young girl# She was %ond o% weaving and thus (assed her time# *ne "right morning as she was a"sor"ed in weaving her weaving)s(ool suddenly got loose# 'e%ore she could (revent it it %lew out o% the window to the %ield "elow# It was out o% her reach as her room was a"out three stories high# /urthermore she was very tired and had no wish to descend the stairs to %etch the s(ool# 0uite at ease she mum"led1 2Whoever is willing to hel( me (ick u( the s(ool I,ll treat as my sister i% she is a girl# I% he is a man I,ll take him as my hus"and#3 +hese words were overheard "y a dog called +umang who ha((ened to come along# $e immediately (icked u( the s(ool and "rought it to .ayang Sum"i# +umang was in %act a cursed god too like the she)(ig# Seeing the

dog with the s(ool in his mouth .ayang Sum"i %ainted# +he gods had decided her %or her to undergo the same %ate as her mother the she)(ig# She too "ecome (regnant and a short time a%terwards she gave "irth to a strong healthy son whom she called Sangkuriang# Sangkuriang "ecame a handsome young man as time went "y# 4ike his grand%ather he was %ond o% hunting in the %orest and +umang was his %aith%ul %riend when roaming the woods# $e loved this creature very much5 having no idea at all that it was his own %ather# *ne day while hunting they came across a %at (ig# Sangkuriang strung his "ow and 6)6)6)6)6)6)67 the arrow hissed towards the she) (ig and hit "ut did not kill her# Wounded she vanished into the undergrowth# 28ome on +umang run a%ter her73 Sangkuriang shouted eager to taste the (ork# +umang however did not move# Whatever Sangkuriang said to urge +umang to (ursue the (ig it le%t him unmoved# Sangkuriang lost his sel% control# In his anger he killed +umang cut u( his %lesh and took it home to his mother# She (re(ared a tasty dish o% it and a%ter the meal she asked1 2Sangkuriang what kind o% %lesh is this9 It is delicious73 2+his is +umang,s mother 3 Sangkuriang res(onded# 2I killed him as he did not o"ey my command to (ursue a %at (ig#3 /or one moment .ayang Sum"i was s(eechless# +hen in rage she took a s(ool and %lung it at him# It struck his %orehead and "lood dro((ed out o% the wound# +his le%t later on a scar on the s(ot# +hen .ayang Sum"i sent him away# .ee(ly grieved Sangkuriang le%t and wandered through the woods# $e walked %or years# /inally he returned to his native (lace "ut did not recogni6e it any longer# +here he stood looking around him all alone musing a"out the (ast# At the end o% a vast rice)%ield which stretched in %ront o% him he noticed a house on stilts# 4ooking closely he saw a young girl sitting at her weaving)loom# $e a((roached her and charmed "y her "eauty he immediately (ro(osed to her unaware that she was his own mother# +he girl looked at him and noticing his good looks she (romised to marry him# /or some time they loved each other tenderly making (lans %or their wedding day "ut one day she discovered the scar on his %orehead# 2+hat wound73 she whis(ered and at the moment she reali6ed that he was no other than her own son who had come "ack to his village# A%ter "eing le%t "y Sangkuriang .ayang Sum"i had "een given eternal "eauty "y the gods which was why she looked so young and Sangkuriang did not recogni6e her as his mother# She made e%%orts to make him understand that a marriage "etween them was im(ossi"le and withdrew her (romise to marry him# 'ut Sangkuriang re%used to acce(t the truth and was determined to get his own way# .ayang Sum"i was very sad as she was ashamed to reveal her secret# 2What is to "e done93 she (ondered# She had an idea and said to him1 2All right then you shall marry me only on condition that you %ul%ill a wish o% mine# .am u( the 8itarum River and "uild a "ig vessel which we shall use a%ter "eing married# 'ut you have only one night to com(lete the work#3 Sangkuriang agreed and started to work# *nly at day"reak did he a((roach the end in s(ite o% his magic (owers and his (rayers to the gods %or hel(# Noticing this .ayang Sum"i got

alarmed and hit u(on another (lan to (revent the marriage# She stretched the red woven veil which covered her head over the eastern side o% the (lain# +hrough her magic (owers red light s(read over the landsca(e giving the im(ression that the sun was rising which meant that time was u( %or Sangkuriang# $e was astonished# 2In vain73 he shouted in des(air and at the same time %illed with rage5 he kicked the vessel which was almost %inished u(side)down# +hen he made %or the south %or the Indian *cean# $e had not gone very %ar when the water o% the lake rose and over%lowed its "anks dragging everything in its way# Sangkuriang himsel% had no chance o% esca(e and with all his workers he was driven away# Sometime later the lake dried u(# +he mountain o% +angku"an !rahu on the northern side o% 'andung is thought to "e the overturned vessel o% Sangkuriang# In time it "ecame covered with trees and the lake "ecame the (resent %ertile rice)%ields around 'andung area every year yielding great "ene%its %or all the (eo(le# :taken %rom ;/olk +ales %rom Indonesia; "y Aman S#.#'#