The Legend of Barito River

Once upon a time, in a small village in the area of South Kalimantan, lived a
woman with two children. The oldest child named Patih Laluntur, and the other one
named Patih Sasanggan. Due to the age that has been older by the time, his mother died,
so there lived two brothers. They lived in harmony, until it grows into a young adult.
Laluntur had a desire to change their lifestyle in tumpung,He had a desire to
improve their quality of life, and the desire to spend time in the other village, Patih
Laluntur and Patih Sasanggan agreed to leave their house in tumpung.
Laluntur : "Hey Sasanggan, i think we must go out from this village and try to find a new
village or something like that."
Sasanggan : "What?? But why?
Laluntur : "I am bored. We can't do anything here."
Sasanggan : "You're right. Okay. Maybe we can go tomorrow. Now we must find some
foods or something."
Laluntur : "Okay"
With the provision of roughing, they set off to wander, without know the direction
that must they visit. They wandered on the forest, and hoped soon to meet a village. For a
long time they wandered, But they did not see any signs of life in the area they passed.
Only a shrubs, large trees, and the animals they encountered. The stock of food that they
carry are increasingly depleted, it is not enough to travel. To fill the stomach, they eat the
animals, fruits, tubers, and shoots that they encountered along the way.
One day, they too tired with the long journey, they rest under a large tree. Laluntur
and Sasanggan take a rest with staring at the sky, looking at the birds on the sky.
To expel a Rangit (forest mosquitoes), they made a small fire (fireplace). to keep
the bonfire last for a long time, the younger brother, Sasanggan, take small twigs of trees
where they took shelter.
Sasanggan : "Hey are you hungry?"
Laluntur : "Yeah i am hungry. And now we don't have anything to eat."
The smoke from the fireplace was very delicious, like the smell of burning flesh.
Sasanggan tried to find the source of the smell, and it was derived from the twigs and
pieces of wood from trees that they used for a rest. Laluntur also smell the same.
Therefore, he immediately cut down one tree branch, after that he cut into pieces and put
into a bonfire. Smoke from a campfire spread very delicious aroma, evoking a sense of
hunger. And strange, it does not change the piece of wood into a charcoal, but the wood
turn into a meat.
Patih Laluntur can't wait to taste it. Finally, they cut down the trees and cut into
small pieces to be used as a food,and stock for their journey.After that the elder brother
was very surprised when he watch the changes in the body of his brother. the body of
Sasanggan start overgrown with a thick scales. Laluntur regards that his brother's body
changes as something funny, without realizing that in fact the situation was no different
from his brother.
Sasanggan : "What happen to me?"
Laluntur : "Hahah.. It is funny. I like you're hand."
Sasanggan : "Look on your hand. We have same problem."
It is said that Sasanggan and Laluntur had cut off and eat the body of someone
who is stayed there for a long time. The body was turned into a tree so it can't be
recognized anymore. Their body was filled with thick scales, tail hard has emerged, and
finnaly they had turned into a white crocodile. Both the white crocodiles it exploring the
forests and jungles to find the sea as their home.
When it rains, that water flows through the path of the crocodile. The more often it
rains, and a strong vertical erosion. From a small river, then met with the small flow.
After a long time it becomes a great flow, until forming the Barito river as we seen today.