NAME : VIVI AFRILLA

CLASS : XII SAINS 1

Princess Pinang Masak

A Folktale from Senuro Village in South Sumatera Province

ORIENTATION
Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl. Her name was Napisah, but she
was also called Princess Pinang Masak. In the local language pinang masak means
ripe areca nut. Perhaps she was as beautiful as a ripe areca nut to the people of her
village.This beautiful young girl lived in a small kingdom ruled by a king. The King
was known to be fond of bringing young, beautiful girls to his court and keeping
them there for his own pleasure.

COMPLICATION
The King had heard that in this small village there lived a beauty named
Princess Pinang Masak. Her beauty was said to be unmatched throughout the whole
kingdom. It was the talk of the entire kingdom and many young men had already
competed to marry her.The King wanted to know the truth of this matter, so he
ordered several of his chief commanders to take this Princess Pinang Masak and
bring her to his palace.

RESOLUTION
When Princess Pinang Masak heard of the king’s intention, she was
distressed. She decided she would rather die than join the many young women held
prisoner at the king’s palace. She sought a way to avoid being taken there, but she
knew it would be hard to escape the king’s vicious soldiers.

Then she thought of a plan. Princess Pinang Masak boiled deep purple
banana blossoms until she had a vat of dark liquid. Then bathed in the maroon-
colored banana blossom water. As she covered herself in this dark liquid, her skin
began to look streaked and dirty. Her beauty was disguised and ruined. Then she
put on the oldest rags she could find and waited for the king’s soldiers to arrive.

COMPLICATION
When the soldiers came to take her to the palace, they found no beauty, but
only a dirty looking, unsightly girl in rags. They could not believe the king wanted
this creature, but they took her to the palace as commanded.
 When they brought her to the king, he was horrified and disgusted that such
an unsightly girl should be brought before him. Immediately he expelled Princess
Pinang Masak from his palace and harshly sent her back to her village.

RESOLUTION
However her misfortune did not end with that. Young men continued to
arrive at her village proposing marriage, for the fame of her beauty still was known
far and wide.

COMPLICATION
News of her continued suitors reached the king. He wondered if he had been
deceived in some way, and sent soldiers to investigate. When they reported that the
Princess Pinang Masak was indeed very beautiful, he ordered her captured and
brought once more to the palace.

RESOLUTION
But, Princess Pinang Masak had heard of the king’s intentions. She called
her four faithful friends and two guards and they planned for her to escape. Leaving
by night, the seven sailed along the rivers and lowlands looking for a new place to
avoid the pursuit of the soldiers.

Their boat passed a wide lowland which was later called Lebak (lowland)
Maranjat and a bay (teluk) called Teluk Lancang. Before long they sailed through a
swamp which had a fast current.

Traveling so far, they at last discovered a safe, hidden place to reside and
settled down there. The people nearby welcomed Princess Pinang Masak. Living
here, the princess changed her name and took the name of Princess Senuro.
Gradually the place grew into a village and was named Senuro village after the
lovely princess.

In this new place, Princess Senuro was still the young men’s ideal. She taught
basketry skills and instructed in the making of plaited materials such as baskets and
other kitchen utensils. It was said that she could plait a basket so well that it could
not be penetrated by water.

COMPLICATION
Years passed. One day Princess Senuro fell ill. With time her sickness
became worse and worse. Before she died she swore an oath. “I beg God Almighty
that my descendants should not be as beautiful as I am. Beauty can cause calamities
such as have befallen me.”
RESOLUTION
After she spoke this oath, she breathed her last. She left her four faithful
friends and two brave guards who had protected her until her death. Her four
friends and two guards remained living in this village until they too died and were
buried beside the grave of Princess Senuro.For the people in that village, Princess
Senuro is a symbol of women who hold in high esteem the dignity of women.

As for the evidence of Princess Senuro’s oath, people say that since that time
the girls in Senuro village are less beautiful than girls from other villages.
•••••
 Putri Pinang Masak

Sebuah Folktale dari Senuro Desa di Propinsi Sumatera Selatan

Dahulu kala ada seorang gadis cantik. Namanya Napisah, tapi ia juga disebut
Putri Pinang Masak. Dalam bahasa lokal berarti pinang masak masak pinang. Mungkin
dia secantik pinang masak kepada rakyat desanya.
Gadis muda yang cantik ini tinggal di sebuah kerajaan kecil yang diperintah oleh seorang
raja. Sang Raja dikenal sangat menyukai membawa muda, gadis-gadis cantik ke
istananya dan menjaga mereka di sana untuk kesenangannya sendiri.
Raja telah mendengar bahwa di desa kecil ini hiduplah seorang bernama kecantikan Putri
Pinang Masak. Kecantikannya dikatakan tak tertandingi di seluruh kerajaan. Itu adalah
bahan pembicaraan di seluruh kerajaan dan banyak pemuda sudah bersaing untuk
menikahinya.
Raja ingin tahu kebenaran masalah ini, sehingga ia memerintahkan beberapa komandan
kepala untuk mengambil Putri Pinang Masak ini dan membawanya ke istananya.
Ketika Putri Pinang Masak mendengar tentang niat raja, ia tertekan. Dia
memutuskan dia lebih suka mati daripada bergabung dengan banyak wanita muda
ditawan di istana raja. Dia mencari cara untuk menghindari dibawa ke sana, tapi ia tahu
itu akan sulit untuk melepaskan diri dari kejam raja prajurit.
Kemudian dia memikirkan sebuah rencana. Putri Pinang Masak pisang rebus bunga
berwarna ungu tua sampai ia memiliki tong cairan gelap. Lalu mandi di pisang berwarna
merah marun bunga air. Ketika ia menutupi dirinya dalam cairan yang gelap ini, kulitnya
mulai terlihat bergaris dan kotor. Kecantikannya menyamar dan hancur. Kemudian ia
mengenakan kain tertua dia bisa menemukan dan menunggu prajurit raja datang.
Tentaratang untuk membawanya ke istana, mereka tidak menemukan keindahan,
tetapi hanya tampak kotor, tak sedap dipandang gadis compang-camping. Mereka tidak
percaya raja ingin makhluk ini, tetapi mereka membawanya ke istana sebagaimana
diperintahkan. Ketika mereka dibawa-Nya kepada raja, ia merasa ngeri dan jijik yang
seperti gadis tak sedap dipandang harus dibawa di hadapannya. Segera ia mengusir Putri
Pinang Masak dari istananya dan kasar dikirim kembali ke desanya. Namun
kemalangannya tidak berakhir dengan itu. Laki-laki muda terus berdatangan di desanya
melamar, untuk ketenaran kecantikannya masih dikenal jauh dan luas. Berita dari
pelamar terus mencapai raja. Dia bertanya-tanya apakah dia telah tertipu dalam beberapa
cara, dan mengirim tentara untuk menyelidiki. Ketika mereka melaporkan bahwa Putri
Pinang Masak itu memang sangat cantik, ia memerintahkan dia ditangkap dan dibawa
kembali ke istana. Tapi, Putri Pinang Masak telah mendengar tentang niat raja.
Dia menelepon empat teman-teman yang setia dan dua penjaga dan mereka
berencana baginya untuk melarikan diri. Pergi pada malam hari, tujuh berlayar di
sepanjang sungai dan dataran rendah mencari tempat baru untuk menghindari pengejaran
para prajurit. Perahu mereka melewati dataran rendah yang luas yang kemudian disebut
Lebak (dataran rendah) Maranjat dan sebuah teluk (teluk) yang disebut Teluk Lancang.
Tak lama kemudian mereka berlayar melalui rawa-rawa yang memiliki arus yang cepat.
Bepergian sejauh ini, mereka akhirnya menemukan yang aman, tempat
tersembunyi untuk tinggal dan menetap di sana. Orang-orang dekatnya menyambut Putri
Pinang Masak. Tinggal di sini, sang putri mengubah nama dan mengambil nama Putri
Senuro. Perlahan-lahan tempat tumbuh menjadi sebuah desa dan diberi nama desa Senuro
setelah putri cantik.
Di tempat baru ini, Putri masih Senuro laki-laki muda yang ideal. Dia
mengajarkan keterampilan anyaman, dan memerintahkan dalam pembuatan bahan
anyaman seperti keranjang dan peralatan dapur lainnya. Dikatakan bahwa dia bisa
anyaman keranjang dengan baik sehingga tidak dapat ditembus oleh air.
Tahun berlalu. Suatu hari Putri Senuro jatuh sakit. Dengan waktu, penyakitnya semakin
bertambah parah. Sebelum meninggal ia bersumpah. "Aku mohon Tuhan Yang Maha
Kuasa bahwa keturunan saya tidak boleh secantik aku. Kecantikan dapat menyebabkan
bencana seperti menimpa diriku. "
Setelah dia berbicara sumpah ini, ia mengembuskan napas yang terakhir. Dia
meninggalkan empat teman-teman yang setia dan dua penjaga pemberani yang telah
melindungi dia sampai kematiannya. Empat teman dan dua pengawal tetap tinggal di
desa ini sampai mereka juga meninggal dan dikuburkan di samping makam Putri Senuro.
Untuk orang-orang di desa itu, Putri Senuro adalah simbol perempuan yang memegang
sangat menghargai martabat perempuan.
Adapun bukti Senuro Putri sumpah, orang mengatakan bahwa sejak saat itu gadis-
gadis di desa Senuro kurang cantik daripada gadis-gadis dari desa-desa lain. • • • • •