THE LEGEND OF BANYUWANGI (RADEN BANTERANG VERSION)
Once upon a
time, there was a huge kingdom in the eastern part of Java island. The kingdom was
ruled by a wise king. The king has a son who was called Raden Banterang (Prince
Banterang).
Raden Banterang
was a stout-hearted young man. Unfortunately, the young prince often acting
rashly. He often acting without thinking the consequences of his action
beforehand.
One day, Raden
Banterang went to the forest to hunt. He chased a deer far into the middle of
the forest. All of a sudden, he met with a young girl. Raden Banterang
astonished, why that pretty girl walked alone in the midst of the forest?
“Who are you?
Why are you in this forest?”
“My name is
Surati. My father is the king of the Klungkung kingdom. Father was killed in
the battle. The enemy was chasing me, luckily I managed to run and hid in this
forest,” said the girl.
Surati’s countenance
became sorrowful and her tears were flowing. “Anyway, how was the fate of my
mother and brother. We were separated.”
Raden Banterang
moved by Surati’s story. He then invited the girl to come to the palace. A few
days later they got married.
Someday, as
usual Raden Banterang went hunting. His wife took him to the castle’s gate.
By the outskirt of
the forest, Raden Banterang met a beggar in ragged clothes. Raden
Banterang gave almsgiving to the beggar.
“My lord,” said
the beggar, “I will tell you a secret.”
“Secret?”
answered Raden Banterang, “Try to tell me.”
“Lord,” said the
beggar, “Be careful with the lord’s wife. She asked a man’s help to kill the lord.
Raden Banterang
was chuckled. “Gosh, this beggar must be insane. How come Surati, who was very
gentle would do that? Furthermore, this beggar doesn’t know me nor my wife?”
The beggar said,
“Lord, you’ll believe me if you see her wickedness. My lord’s wife kept the man’s
belongings under her pillow.” Then he was gone.
Raden Banterang
went back to the palace. He felt anxious. He doesn’t believe the beggar, yet
the beggar’s words always disturbed his mind. He then went to his bedroom and
lifted his wife’s pillow. How shocked when he found a man’s headband under the
pillow.
Raden Banterang
was very angry. How dare Surati, who once lived alone in the forest, whom he
helped and then he wed, now do vile things to him. “Before she harms me, better
that I am on my guard.”
He took his wife
to stroll around the bank of the river. Then, he told about his meeting with
the beggar in the forest.
“Kanda (An older
child of a king),” said Surati, “Don’t believe that beggar’s story, I never had
any bad intention toward Kanda.”
“What’s this?”
said Raden Banterang while showing the headband which he found.
Surati then said
that after her husband went hunting, she met a beggar who wore ragged
clothes in the castle’s gate. Apparently, that beggar was her biological
brother, Rupaksa. Surati was very delighted because all this time, she thought
that her brother was already dead.
Unexpectedly,
Rupaksa hold the grudged against her husband’s family. Rupaksa asked her to
kill her own husband to take revenge. Surati doesn’t want. Her brother was very
furious. Although Surati said that her husband’s family never got involved war
with Klungkung, her brother still wanted to kill Raden Banterang. Eventually,
Rupaksa gave Surati his headband and asked her to put it under the pillow.
“I don’t believe you,” said Raden Banterang to his wife. “Your plan this time is fail,
nevertheless someday you’ll definitely try again.”
Raden Banterang
drew his keris (a
distinctive, asymmetrical dagger from Indonesia. Both a weapon and spiritual
object) and walked closer to his wife.
“Kanda,” said
Surati, “I didn’t lie. I will prove it. If I am wrong, this river’s water will
become murky and stink. But otherwise, if I am not wrong, the water will become
clear and smelling fragrant.”
She then jumped
into the river before her husband had time to prevent her. Raden Banterang felt
dismayed because his wife had drowned as well as relieved because he doesn’t
have to kill his own wife.
Raden Banterang
went home. On the spur of the moment, the wind blows, it blows from the river’s
direction which took fragrant aroma forth. The river’s water changed to
glittering crystal clear. Raden Banterang grieved. He knows that his wife wasn’t
at fault. However, everything has been too late. From then on, that place has
been known as BANYUWANGI, which means FRAGRANT WATER – banyu means water and
wangi means frangrat.
LEGENDA BANYUWANGI
The Indonesian version original source:
The Indonesian version original source:
No comments:
Post a Comment