5 Most Famous Fairytales From Indonesia

 

NATIONAL FAIRY TALE DAY

FIVE MOST FAMOUS FAIRY TALES FROM INDONESIA

 

MALIN KUNDANG (WEST SUMATERA)

    Malin Kundang is a character from a folk story about a mother’s retribution for an ungrateful son.

   A poor sailor, Malin Kundang decided to sneak onto a trading ship where he eventually became rich, marrying a princess and acquiring his own galleon. When he returned to his home village, Malin Kundang was ashamed of his humble origins and refused to recognize his elderly mother. In retaliation, she cursed him, and when he set sail, both the sailor and his ship were turned to stone.

 

SANGKURIANG  (WEST JAVA)

   Sangkuriang is a Sundanese folk story about the creation of Lake Bandung, Mount Tangkuban Parahu, Mount Burangrang and Mount Bukit Tunggul.

    The legend tells the story of a young man named Sangkuriang who fell in love with Dayang Sumbi, his own mother, after suffering from amnesia. Not wanting to marry her own son, Dayang sumbi gave Sangkuriang impossible tasks that he had to complete within one night.

   With the help of ancient spirits, Sangkuriang almost completed the tasks, which included creating a Lake and a large boat.

  Mortified to see Sangkuriang’s near completion of the tasks, Dayang Sumbi made a final great prayer to God for help, weaving a magic shawl and filling the eastern horizon with flashes of light. Deceived by what appeared to be dawn, cocks crowed and farmers rose for a new day.

    Sangkuriang thought he had failed the tasks and angrily kicked the giant boat upside down, which locals believe evolved into present day Mount Tangkuban Parahu.

 

BIWAR THE DRAGON SLAYER (PAPUA)

  The fairy tale tells the story of Biwar, a young man from a small village in Mimika, Papua.

   Before Biwar was born, a large dragon killed most of the men in his village and his family  members when they tried to cross a large river to get food. Biwar’s mother survived and escaped to a cave where she gave birth. When Biwar reached adulthood , he learned about the fate of his father and uncles, and embarked on a mission to slay the dragon.

 

MANDIN TANGKARAMIN (SOUTH KALIMANTAN)

   The story centers around the Mandin Tangkaramin waterfall, a tourist spot in South Kalimantan.

  It is said that a long time ago , two young men, Bujang Alai and Bujang Kuratauan, fought in the area. Both men had very different characters. Alai was arrogant and rich while Kuratauan came from a modest upbringing. Kuratauan fought Alai in order to save a village girl whom the latter had kidnapped.

    In the end, Alai was defeated and died.

 

 

SI KANCIL YANG CERDIK (VARIOUS REGIONS)

   Almost every region in Indonesia has its own version of Si Kancil Yang Cerdik (the clever mousedeer) fairy tale.

   The tale is basically about a small mousedeer that can use his wits to outsmart predators that want to hunt and eat him. The predators vary from each region. Sometimes the predator is a tiger, a crocodile, or a large snake.

  The tale also has different stories on how the mousedeer outsmarts the predators to return home safely.