The Origin Of Reog Ponorogo

Long ago in the Kingdom of Kediri there lived a beautiful princess named Dewi Songgo
Langit. Because she was reluctant to marry, the king of Kediri asked about it. But the princess
just bowed silently. She also asked permission to do asceticism in order to get the right answer. a
few days after getting an answer, Dewi Songgo Langit went to the king of Kediri. Then state a
condition. “If they wants to be my husband, then he has to put on an unprecedented show and a
lineup of 144 twin horses, and finally a two-headed beast.” For the king, the conditions that his
daughter put forward were too heavy and almost impossible. But inevitably the king of Kediri
announced it in a contest. The news then spread and many people resigned because they were
unable to meet these requirements. However, there were two kings who agreed to these
conditions. They are the king of Singo Barong from the kingdom of Lodaya and king Klono
Sewandono from the kingdom of Bantarangin in the Wengker area.
King Singo Barong is a half-tiger man, his thick fur is full of fleas so he has to keep a
peacock to peck the fleas. He is also often cruel to his people who are considered rebellious by
giving the death penalty without any self-defense. As for romance, there is no woman who
deserves to be empress except Dewi Songgo Langit. To make this happen, King Singo Barong
immediately ordered his subordinates to look for twin horses and a two-headed animal
throughout the country. He also mobilized artists to create an exciting new show. As time went
on, it turned out that King Singo Barong had not been able to collect the conditions put forward
in the Dewi Songgo Langit contest. This angered him. He knew that there was another person
who also wanted to get Dewi Songgo Langit, namely King Klono Sewandono. So he ordered
Patih Iderkolo to send soldiers to Bantarangin with the aim of spying on king Klono Sewandono.
A few days later, Patih Iderkolo faced the king of Singo Barong. He reported that the king
Klono Sewandono had almost succeeded in gathering all the conditions, only the two-headed
beast had yet to be obtained. Hearing the report, King Singo Barong rose from his throne. "Patih
Iderkolo, immediately prepare soldiers with full weapons. We will take away all the conditions
obtained by Klono Sewandono!"
On the other hand, King Klono Sewandono is trying hard to collect the terms of Dewi
Songgo Langit. King Klono Sewandono then ordered his soldiers to stop searching because he
himself would be looking for it. But when he was about to leave the kingdom, Patih Bujang
Ganong came and told him that a spy from the kingdom of Lodaya was lurking. King Klono
Sewandono thought for a moment. "Now you and your men disguise themselves as ordinary
people, mingle with the people in crowded places!" He then gathered his soldiers and gave
instructions to disguise himself as a merchant. From the results of the investigation it was found
that there was a Lodaya soldier who had been undercover in Wengker for a long time. The
soldier was later arrested and interrogated. But when the interrogation process was not over, the
spy soldier committed suicide. The results of the interrogation were then reported. It is known
that King Singo Barong and his troops intend to seize all the conditions that have been fulfilled
by King Klono Sewandono when he departs for Kediri. "Apparently Singo Barong will use a
devious way to get Dewi Songgo Langit. Bujang Ganong! Now you prepare your troops! We
will attack the kingdom of Lodaya!"
Meanwhile, King Singo Barong who was waiting for reports from his spies began to get
restless. "Iderkolo! Hurry up to the border and pick up our spies!" After Patih Iderkolo left,
King Singo Barong went to Taman Sari to look for the peacock because his head was itchy. The
king Singo Barong really enjoyed it when the peacock pecked the lice on his head until it hit him
in the cradle and made him fall asleep. He didn't even realize that the Bantarangin troops had
come to attack and start destroying Lodaya. No one dared to report the incident because no one
was allowed to disturb him while in Taman Sari. Unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by
the king Klono Sewandono. Seeing the shape of Singo Barong's face in the form of a tiger and a
peacock perched on his shoulder makes it seem like a two-headed animal. In the mind of the
king, Klono Sewandono, if they were put together, the marriage requirements would have been
complete to ask for Dewi Songgo Langit. It was only when the raid approached the palace that
the king of Singo Barong woke up to the sound of a commotion. Furious because his sleep was
disturbed he rushed to the palace to find the culprit. Knowing that it was Klono Sewandono who
made the commotion, King Singo Barong finally clashed with each other's supernatural powers.
King Klono Sewandono issued his flagship heirloom. In the form of a whip named Whip
Samandiman. When Samandiman's whip hit Singo Barong's body, his body immediately
bounced on the ground. And then Singo Barong's neck fused with the peacock so that it became
a two-headed creature. Until finally Singo Barong was arrested and brought to the kingdom of
Bantarangin.
Long story short, after all the conditions were met, King Klono Sewandono and his
retinue came to Kediri to propose Dewi Songgo Langit. They eventually married and lived in the
Wengker area or what is now Ponorogo. By local people, this new art is called Reog Ponorogo.