There is a legend that is always told from generation to generation in the land of Pasundan, where the Sundanese live, in Indonesia. 

This story is so famous that it spread to all corners of Indonesia. This legend is about the origin of the formation of Mount Tangkuban Perahu in the land of Pasundan, precisely in Bandung city.

Happy reading.

Image: pngegg.com

The legend of Sangkuriang the Mountain Maker

Once upon a time, a wild boar was passing through a wilderness. It was feeling thirsty in the hot sun. 

When he was looking for a spring, he saw that there was water trapped in the Taro tree in the forest.

He immediately drank the water to quench his thirst. Without realizing it, the water was King Sungging Perbangkara's urine. 

Because of the supernatural power of King Sungging Perbangkara, the wild boar became pregnant after drinking his urine. Nine months later the boar gave birth to a baby girl.

King Sungging Perbangkara knew about the existence of a baby girl who was born because of his urine. 

He went to the forest to look for it. The baby girl was found. He also gave her the name Dayang Sumbi and brought her back to the royal palace.

Beautiful Woman

Dayang Sumbi grew into a woman with a very beautiful face. It felt like countless kings, princes and nobles wished to marry the daughter of King Sungging Perbangkara. 

However, Dayang Sumbi refused all the proposals gently. Totally unexpected by Dayang Sumbi, those who were rejected by their proposal fought each other to fight over themselves.

Dayang Sumbi was very sad to know the fact that the princes, kings and nobles she rejected were fighting each other. 

Seclude

She also begged King Sungging Perbangkara to exile. The King finally allowed his son to go into exile. 

Dayang Sumbi secluded herself on a hill accompanied by a male dog named si Tumang. To fill her spare time while in exile, Dayang Sumbi was weaving.

Once upon a time, when Dayang Sumbi was weaving, her loom fell. At that time Dayang Sumbi felt lazy to take it. 

There were words that he didn't really know much about. "Anyone who is willing to pick up my fallen loom, if it is a man I will make him a husband, if it is a woman I will make her a sister."

Unexpectedly, Si Tumang took the fallen loom and gave it to Dayang Sumbi.

There was nothing Dayang Sumbi could do but fulfill her words. She married Si Tumang who turned out to be an incarnation of a god. 

Si Tumang is a god who was cursed to become an animal and banished to earth. 

Sangkuriang Story

A few months after getting married, Dayang Sumbi was pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. Dayang Sumbi gave him the name Sangkuriang.

Time goes on. Several years later passed. Sangkuriang has grown into a handsome young man. His body is strong and sturdy.

Since childhood, Sangkuriang has enjoyed hunting. Every time hunting in the forest. Sangkuriang is always accompanied by Si tumang. Sangkuriang did not know at all that Tumang was his biological father.

One day Sangkuriang accompanied by Si Tumang was back hunting in the forest. Sangkuriang intended to find a deer because his mother really wanted to eat the deer's liver. 

After a while in the forest, Sangkuriang saw a deer grazing behind a thicket. Sangkuriang ordered the tumang to chase the deer. 

It was very strange, the usually obedient Tumang did not obey his orders. Sangkuriang became angry. He said, "If you continue to disobey my order, I will surely kill you."

Sangkuriang's threat seemed to be ignored by Tumang. Annoyed and angry, Sangkuriang then killed Si Tumang. He took the black dog's heart and brought it home. Sangkuriang gave Tumang's heart to his mother to cook.

Without realizing it, Dayang Sumbi realized that the heart her son gave was the heart of her husband. She then cooked and ate the liver. 

So, Dayang Sumbi's anger towards Sangkuriang was indescribable when she found out that the liver she had eaten was Tumang's heart. 

She then grabbed a dipper made of coconut shell and hit Sangkuriang's head, so that Sangkuriang's head was injured.

Sangkuriang was very angry and hurt by his mother's treatment. According to him, his mother loved Tumang more than him. So, without saying goodbye to his mother Dayang Sumbi, Sangkuriang then went to wander eastward.

Separation

Dayang Sumbi was very sorry after learning about the departure of her son Sangkuriang. She also meditated and begged the gods for forgiveness for the mistakes she had made. 

The gods heard Dayang Sumbi's request, they accepted the apology and gave Dayang Sumbi eternal beauty.

Sangkuriang continued to wander without a definite destination. In his wanderings, Sangkuriang continued to increase his supernatural powers by studying the magic people he met during his wanderings. 

For years Sangkuriang wandered without realizing he returned to the place where he was born.

Meet Again

Sangkuriang was fascinated by Dayang Sumbi's timeless beauty, he did not realize that the beautiful woman he met in the forest was his own biological mother. 

The same thing happened to Dayang Sumbi, who did not realize that the powerful young man was his son Sangkuriang. Because they fell in love with each other, they planned to get married.

Before the wedding took place, Sangkuriang intended to hunt. Dayang Sumbi helped Sangkuriang put on the headgear. That's when Dayang Sumbi saw the wound on her future husband's head. She remembered her son who had left her. 

She was very sure that the dashing young man was none other than his son Sangkuriang.

Dayang Sumbi then explained that she was actually the biological mother of Sangkuriang. Therefore she is not willing to marry her biological child. 

However, Sangkuriang who had been blinded by lust did not care about Dayang Sumbi's explanation, he still insisted on marrying Dayang Sumbi.

"If your desire is so strong to marry me, I want you to fulfill one of my requests," said Dayang Sumbi

"What is your wish?" Challenge Sangkuriang.

Dayang Sumbi put forward a very difficult condition, namely that she wanted the Citarum river to be dammed to make a lake, and that there was a big boat in the lake.

"You should be able to finish all of that in one night,” Said Dayang Sumbi. "Before dawn, both of my requests must have been done by you."

Without a doubt Sangkuriang agreed to Dayang Sumbi's request. "Fine, I will fulfill your request.”

Sangkuriang the Mountain Maker 

Sangkuriang immediately worked to fulfill Dayang Sumbi's request. The first time he cut down a big tree to build a boat. 

Branches and tree branches he didn't need were piled up. The pile of branches and tree branches later turned into Mount Burangrang (branch). 

Likewise, the tree stump turned into a mountain which is better known as Mount Bukit Tunggul (stump hill).

The big boat was finally finished by Sangkuriang. The powerfull youth then intended to stem the swift flow of the Citarum river to make a lake. 

Sangkuriang then summoned the spirits to help him fulfill Dayang Sumbi's request.

Failure to Build a Dam

Everything Sangkuriang did was known by Dayang Sumbi. There was anxiety in Dayang Sumbi's heart when she saw that Sangkuriang's work was about to be finished. 

She had to thwart Sangkuriang's work so that the marriage with her biological son would not take place. She also asked for help from the gods.

After praying, Dayang Sumbi got a clue. Dayang Sumbi then spread boeh rarang (a woven white cloth). She also forced the rooster to crow while it was still night. 

The spirits were very frightened when they found out that dawn had arrived. They ran and disappeared in all directions. They left their work of making lakes and boats unfinished.

Sangkuriang was very angry. He felt that Dayang Sumbi had cheated on him. He was very sure that the real dawn had not yet arrived. He felt there was still time for him to finish the job. 

With high anger, Sangkuriang then broke the dam at Sanghyang Tikoro. The stopper for the Citarum flow was then thrown to the east, which later turned into Mount Manglayang (flying). 

The water that originally filled the lake had receded. His anger hasn't subsided. Sangkuriang then kicked the big boat he had made so far and fell face down. The big boat turned into a mountain which was later called Tangkuban Perahu (face down boat) mount.

Sangkuriang's anger had not subsided. He knew that all of this was actually a ploy from Dayang Sumbi to thwart his marriage with him. 

With anger that continues to overflow, Dayang Sumbi was chased. 

Dayang Sumbi who was scared kept running to escape until she finally disappeared on a hill. The hill was then transformed into Mount Putri (princess). 

Meanwhile, Sangkuriang who did not manage to find Dayang Sumbi finally disappeared into the unseen world.

The Moral Message:  

This story teaches; don't even think about marrying your mother (incest), even crazier ones want to have sex with mother! 

There is always a way to overcome difficult circumstances, even if the pressure comes from people with great power. 

And the others are; don't cheat. It can harm yourself and others.

Read the other: The Story of the Origin of the Rice Tree

Thus the legend of Sangkuriang, the mountain maker, we present to you. Hopefully what is in this story can provide new insights. Warm regards.