Folklore

Lutung Kasarung
Folklore from West Java

PRABU Tapa Agung was an old king. He had two daughters, Purbararang and Purbasari. Prabu Tapa
Agung planned to retire as a king. He wanted Purbasari to replace him as the leader of the kingdom.
Hearing this, Purbararang was angry.

"You cannot ask her to be the queen, Father. I'm older than she is. It's supposed to be me, not her!"
said Purbararang. But the king still chose Purbasari to be the next queen.

Purbararang then set a bad plan with her fiance, Indrajaya. Together they went to a witch and asked
her to put a spell on Purbasari. Later, Purbasari had bad skin. There were black dots all over her
body.

"You are not as beautiful as I am. You cannot be the queen. Instead, you have to leave this palace
and stay in a jungle," said Purbararang.

Purbasari was very sad. Now she had to stay in the jungle. Every day she spent her time playing with
some animals there. There was one monkey that always tried to cheer her up. It was not just an
ordinary monkey, he had magical power. And he also could talk with humans. The monkey's name
was Lutung Kasarung. He was actually a god. His name was Sanghyang Gurumina. Lutung Kasarung
planned to help Purbasari. He made a small lake and asked her to take a bath there. Amazingly, her
bad skin was cured. Now she got her beautiful skin back.

After that, she asked Lutung Kasarung to accompany her to go back to the palace. Purbararang was
very shocked. She knew she had to come up with another bad idea. She then said, "Those who have
longer hair will be the queen."

The king then measured his daughters' hair. Purbasari had longer hair. But Purbararang did not give
up. "A queen must have a handsome husband. If my fiance is more handsome than yours, then I will
be the queen," said Purbararang.

Changed into a man
Purbasari was sad. She knew Purbararang's fiance, Indrajaya, was handsome. And she did not have a
fiance yet. "Here is my fianc, Indrajaya. Where is yours?" asked Purbararang. Lutung Kasarung came
forward. Purbararang was laughing very hard. "Your fiance is a monkey, ha ha ha."

Suddenly, Lutung Kasarung changed into a very a handsome man. He was even more handsome than
Indrajaya. Purbasari then became the queen. She forgave Purbararang and her fiance and let them
stay in the palace. ***

Link: Lutung Kasarung changed into a man
Dewi Ratih and Kala Rau
Folklore from Bali

WISNULOKA was a kingdom in heaven. Only the Gods or Dewa and the Goddesses or Dewi lived in
the Wisnuloka kingdom. Humans did not live there. They lived on earth.

The Gods and the Goddesses were restless. They were really worried. There was a kingdom on earth
named Balidwipa Kingdom. There were no humans in Balidwipa Kingdom. They were giants!

And the king of Balidwipa kingdom was Kala Rau. He was the biggest, the strongest and the meanest
giant! Giants and especially humans were afraid of him!

Kala Rau fell in love with Dewi Ratih. She was the most beautiful Goddess. She was also named as
the Goddess of Moon. Dewi Ratih did not love Kala Rau. She rejected his proposal. Kala Rau was
angry! He wanted to attack Wisnuloka Kingdom. The king of Wisnuloka was Dewa Wisnu. He was
trying to calm all the gods and the goddesses.

"Don't worry. I know how to handle Kala Rau. I have prepNed tirta amerta.It\s water o{ life. Anyone
drinks the water will live forever. So you don't have to worry that Kala Rau will kill you. After you
drink the water, you will not die," said pewa Wisnu. Howeve4, one of those giants heard about tirta
amerta. He reported to Kala Rau. "Ha..ha.. ha... Now Iknow how to marry Dewi Ratih. I will use their
secret!" said Kala Rau.

Dewa Wisnu gathered all the gods and the goddesses in the palace. He put the water in the jug. He
asked all the gods and the goddesses to take turn drinking the water. One by one they drank the
water. They fett very fresh. It was time for Dewa Kuwera to drink the water. Dewa Wisnu felt there
was something strange withDewa Kuwera. He was bigger and talle4 and he was also smelly. Dewa
Wisnu did not know that it was not the real Dewa Kuwera. He was Kala Rau disguising as Dewa
Kuwera.

When the false Dewa Kuwera was about to drink the water, the real Dewa Kuwera showed up. Dewa
Wisnu immediately knew the problem. He took his arrow and shot him at the neck! The shot was so
powerful. It cut and separated the head and the body. Dewa Wisnu threw the body back to earth. It
became a lexmg. It is a mortar that people use to pound the rice. What about the head?
Unfortunately, Kala Rau had a chance to drink the rvater. His head could live forever althou gh it was
already separated from the body. Dewa Wisnu immediately threw the head to the sky.

The head of Kala Rau n'as still in the sky Iooking for Dervi Ratih. And when he saw Dewi Ratih, he
tried to grab her. But he did not have hands, so he used his mouth to catch Dewi Ratih. He
succeeded! He sn allowed Dewi Ratih!

And because he did not have any parts of body, Dewi Ratih could escape.

And when Dewi Ratih was being swallowed by Kala Rau, the moon was dark.

After all, she was the goddess of moon right?

People on earth hated to see the dark moon. So thev pounded Kala Rau's body which already
changed into lesung. When people pounded the lesung, Kala Rau felt the pain. So he escaped.

Until now, when there is a moon eclipse some people still pound lesung. They believe that Kala Rau
is still chasing Dewi Ratih. ***

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Lutung Kasarung

Folklore from West Java

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