The Legend of Tangkuban Perahu: A Story of Love, Deception, and Transformatio
The legend of Tangkuban Perahu is a tale that has been passed down through generations in West Java, Indonesia. It tells the story of Dayang Sumbi, a beautiful and intelligent girl who lived long ago, and her son Sangkuriang, who was transformed into a dog after accidentally killing his father. The story begins with a prince from the heavenly kingdom of Kahyangan who falls in love with Dayang Sumbi. The prince's father, the king of Kahyangan, approves of the prince's desire to marry Dayang Sumbi, but with one condition: when they had a child, the prince would transform into a dog. The prince accepts the condition, and they get married and live happily in the woods until Dayang Sumbi gives birth to a baby boy. Their son, Sangkuriang, is very smart and handsome like his father. However, one day, while Sangkuriang was hunting, he accidentally kills Tumang, the dog his father had transformed into. Sangkuriang is devastated when he tells his mother about the dog, and Dayang Sumbi is so sad that she hits her head with a weaving tool, causing a scar. Sangkuriang is heartbroken and decides to leave home. In the morning, Dayang Sumbi stops crying and goes to find her son, but he is nowhere to be found. She falls asleep and has a dream in which her husband tells her to look for his body in the woods, soak it in water, and use the water to bathe, and she will look young forever. Dayang Sumbi does as she is told and looks more beautiful and even younger. Meanwhile, Sangkuriang is on his journey and stops at a village where he meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl. He doesn't realize that the village is his homeland and the girl is his own mother, Dayang Sumbi. Their love grows naturally, and Sangkuriang asks the girl to marry him. One day, while Sangkuriang is hunting, Dayang Sumbi asks him to fix the turban on his head, and she is startled when she sees a scar on his head at the same place where she had hit him years ago. Dayang Sumbi prays for guidance and becomes convinced that the young man is indeed her missing son. She realizes that she must do something to prevent Sangkuriang from marrying her, but she doesn't want to cancel the wedding. So, she agrees to marry Sangkuriang on the condition that he provides her with a lake and builds a beautiful boat, all in one night. Sangkuriang accepts the condition without a doubt. He has spent his youth studying magical arts, and after the sun goes down, he goes to the hill and calls a group of genies to build a dam around the Citarum River. Then, he tells the genies to cut down trees and build a boat. A few moments before dawn, Sangkuriang and his genie servants almost finish the boat. Dayang Sumbi, who has been spying on him, realizes that Sangkuriang will fulfill the condition she had set. She wakes all the women in the village and asks them to wave a long red scarf. All the women in the village are waving red scarves, making it look as if dawn is breaking. Deceived by the false dawn, the cock crows, and the farmers rise for the new day. Sangkuriang's genie servants immediately drop their work and run for cover from the sun, which they fear is growing furious. With all his anger, Sangkuriang kicks the unfinished boat, which flies and lands in a valley. The boat then becomes a mountain, called Mount Tangkuban Perahu (Tangkuban means upturned or upside down, and Perahu means boat). With his power, Sangkuriang destroys the dam, and the water drains from the lake, becoming a wide plain that nowadays is a city called Bandung. In conclusion, the legend of Tangkuban Perahu is a story of love, deception, and transformation. It teaches us about the consequences of our actions and the importance of honesty and integrity. The legend has been passed down through generations, and the story of Mount Tangkuban Perahu serves as a reminder of the power of love and the importance of following one's heart.