The Legend From West Java

SANGKURIANG

Leumpang aing ka baratkeun ( I walk to the west )

Datang ka Bukit Patenggeng ( And visit Patenggeng Hills )

Sakakala Sang Kuriang ( The Place Of Sang Kuriang's Legend )

Masa dek nyitu Ci tarum ( When he dammed Citarum river )

Burung tembey kasiangan ( But he failed because the sun was rise )

Sangkuriang, the legend from west java. A man whom made Tangkuban Perahu Mountain because he kicked his canoe rolled back and molded a mountain. Tangkuban Perahu it means inverted boat.  West Java used to called Parahyangan Land.

And this legend is about a man who will to marry his own mother too.   Once upon a time, in Parahyangan Land, lived a king and queen whom had one beautiful daughter. Their daughter's name's Princess Dayang Sumbi.  She wasn't beautiful only, but she was very smart for the size of antiquity.   But too bad, Princess Dayang Sumbi was very spoiled and annoyed girl. These manners made people around her didn't liked her a little bit disappointed. One day, when Princess Dayang Sumbi was weaving on the porch of the palace,  she felt very tired and got headache.  Due to her tired, she dropped down her spun yard to the floor many times. When the spun yard dropped down to the floor for the umpteenth time, she felt peevish and sworn, she will marry to a man whom can take her spun yard on the floor for her. Suddenly,  her magic dog, Tumang, came to the porch and took her spun yard for her. Words and vows has been spoken, Princess Dayang Sumbi should married with her own magic dog, Tumang.  Because of her profanity, she was kicked out of the palace by his father.  Princess Dayang Sumbi took of her royal title and being the commoner. Princess Dayang Sumbi and her own magic dog, Tumang, lived happily in a village far away from the palace.  Actually, Tumang is incarnation of Gods, but he never told to Princess Dayang Sumbi about this.  Not for long, Princess Dayang Sumbi gave birth a baby boy.  She gave name for her baby boy is Sangkuriang.  Sangkuriang is a human boy with the gods power like his father, the magic dog.  Sangkuriang grew up as handsome and gallant boy. He loved to hunted for forest animals. And he always accompanied by Tumang.  Since Sangkuriang was kid, Tumang was very loyal accompanied Sangkuriang when he played around their house.  Sangkuriang never knew that his loyal dog is his own father. One in a beautiful morning, Princess Dayang Sumbi commanded Sangkuriang went to the forest to hunted for purposes of the party Tumang.  When Sangkuriang in the forest, he saw a bird was perched on low branch. Sangkuriang directing his arrows to the bird. Sangkuriang proud of his arrows right into the target.  Then, Sangkuriang commanded Tumang to caught the bird and brought to him. But Tumang irresponsive.  He didn't do what Sangkuriang's commanded. He just quite and stay besides Sangkuriang.  Many times Sangkuriang commanded Tumang to get the bird for him.  Irritation, Sangkuriang killed Tumang finally. Sangkuriang slaughtered Tumang and took his meat.  Sangkuriang walked and get the bird also brought Tumang's meat to his home. When he arrived at home, he gave the bird and Tumang's meat to his mother, Princess Dayang Sumbi.  Princess Dayang Sumbi proud of her son because she thought her son brought a deer's meat.  Then, Princess Dayang Sumbi go to cooked Tumang's meat and the bird for the party in the night. After the party was over,  Princess Dayang Sumbi walked around and seek for Tumang.  She came to Sangkuriang and asked him where is Tumang.  First time, Sangkuriang very scared to talked the truth to his mother.  But he thought that Tumang just a dog and his mother can  buy a new dog for him later. Sangkuriang told to his mother that he killed Tumang and his meat cooked already for the party recently.  Princess Dayang Sumbi very wrath indeed to her son ! She took a rice ladle and beating Sangkuriang's head with that.  Sangkuriang got fainted after he beat by his mother.   Stroke from his mother left wide scar on his head.  Sangkuriang very disappointed to his mother because of the dog.  Sangkuriang decided to left his home and peregrinated. Knowing her son left home, Princess Dayang Sumbi very regret for her action to her son. She bended on her knees and prayed everynight to Gods and asked for meet her son one day and say sorry to him. Due to the purity of her heart when she prayed, Gods answered her prayer by gave her timeless beauty and young age forever. A few years later,  Sangkuriang got back to his hometown.  But he didn't remembered of his hometown and  his mother too.  When Sangkuriang walked around in the village, he met a pretty lady went out of her house.  He fell in love to the lady.  He didn't knew that pretty lady is his own mother, Princess Dayang Sumbi. Sangkuriang came closer to Princess Dayang Sumbi and said he wants to proposed her to be his wife.  Princess Dayang Sumbi fell in love to that man too without knowing that handsome and gallant man in front of her now is her own son,  Sangkuriang. One day, when Sangkuriang and Princess Dayang Sumbi was flirt and making out nearby the river,  Princess Dayang Sumbi caressed Sangkuriang's hair, her eyes saw a wide scar in Sangkuriang's head.  She asked to her fiancee cause of the wide scar on his head. Princess Dayang Sumbi was very surprised when she knew that wide scar because of her fiancee's punched. So it means because of her and it means her fiancee is Sangkuriang, her own son ! Princess Dayang Sumbi confused to explained to her fiancee that she is his mother.  Plus, she's not able to marry her own son.  That is impossible !

After Sangkuriang returned from hunting,  Princess Dayang Sumbi tried to talked to Sangkuriang to cancelled their wedding plan.  Sangkuriang just laughed heard about Dayang Sumbi's will. Everyday Dayang Sumbi thinking hard how to cancelled her wedding with her son. Finally she found an idea to gave her fiancee two requirements.  If only Sangkuriang able to did, she willing to marry him.  Sangkuriang agreed of her requirements.  He thought that was tests for him to proved his love to Dayang Sumbi. First requirement,  Princess Dayang Sumbi wished Citarum River could be dammed for her.  And second requirement, she wished to Sangkuriang made a huge boat for crossed the river.  And all must be completed before the dawn.  Impossible requirements ! Sangkuriang laughed and promised all his work will be completed before the dawn.  With the magic power that he had,  he commanded to all genies for helped his duties.  With mud and soil, he dammed the Citarum River.  Half of genies assigned to found the best quality woods to created the boat. Secretly,  Princess Dayang Sumbi peeked at Sangkuriang's work. Dayang Sumbi prayed to Gods for helped her to stopped Sangkuriang's work.  Gods answered Dayang Sumbi's prayed and commanded her and her neighbors to thrown up a red silk fabric to the sky.  Gods also commanded Dayang Sumbi to waken up all girls in her village and prepared a huge collision and hit the collision with a long woods. Soon after received the commandment from Gods, Princess Dayang Sumbi and her neighbors thrown up the red silk fabric to the sky. The sky began to redden. All genies whom still work to helped Sangkuriang thought it was morning. Then, from far away,  they listened voice of collision which got hit by girls in Dayang Sumbi's village.  They trooped hit collision together and rooster woke up from their slept and started to crowed. All genies flown away left Sangkuriang and left their jobs. Sangkuriang shrieked them back because their work didn't completed.  But all genies refused Sangkuriang's request because it was morning already. Sangkuriang very wrath.  He failed to did requirements from Princess Dayang Sumbi as well as he failed to marry her. Sangkuriang breaking a new half finished dam.  Water from Citarum River flooded the entire of village under foothill.  Sangkuriang also kicked his half finished boat overturned.

And the boat kicked by Sangkuriang being a volcano called Tangkuban Perahu.  We still can see the mountain in west Java.  The volcano formed a boat overturned.  This volcano becomes one of tourist attraction in West Java.   This volcano has two flat craters and make this volcano not too high to hiked.  One scenery which interesting for tourists is the sulfur vapor  out of the crater.  This volcano has famous two flat craters called Kawah Ratu and Kawah Upas. Enjoy the sulfur vapor in this mountain !