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The Legend of Mount Kelut. A story from East Java Province. Mount Kelut is one of the volcanoes in Indonesia with an altitude of 1,731 meters above sea level. Mount Kelut is located in East Java Province, precisely on the border of
The Legend of Mount Kelut from East Java tells the story of Princess Diah, a contest for her hand, and the curse of Lembu Sura, a bull-headed suitor.
Key Takeaways
- The legend reflects themes of promises, justice, and consequences of betrayal.
- Physical appearance and strength are central to the contest for marriage.
- Deception and broken promises lead to curses and eventual disaster.
- The story connects cultural mythology to natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions.
- Respecting agreements and fairness is a key moral in the tale.
What the video covers
- Mount Kelut is a volcano in East Java, Indonesia, with a history of eruptions, including one in 2014.
- The story is set during the Majapahit kingdom, featuring King Brawijaya and his beautiful daughter, Princess Diah Ayu Pusparini.
- Princess Diah refuses all marriage proposals, causing sadness to her father, King Brawijaya.
- The king organizes a contest where any man who can stretch a magical bow and lift a magical gong will marry the princess.
- Many young men fail, but a mysterious contestant named Lembu Sura, who has a bull's head, succeeds.
- Despite his strength, Princess Diah and the king are unhappy about Lembu Sura’s appearance but must honor the contest’s promise.
- Princess Diah requests Lembu Sura to dig a well on the mountain and tests the water’s fragrance as a condition for marriage.
- While Lembu Sura is in the well, the king and princess conspire to bury him alive to stop the wedding.
- Before dying, Lembu Sura curses King Brawijaya, promising revenge and destruction of the kingdom.
- The legend explains the origin of Mount Kelut’s volcanic activity as a result of Lembu Sura’s curse.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Mount Kelut and its location
- 00:58The Majapahit kingdom and Princess Diah's suitors
- 02:02King Brawijaya's plan for a marriage contest
- 03:03The contest begins: bow and gong challenge
- 04:55Lembu Sura enters the contest
- 05:28Lembu Sura wins but causes sadness
- 06:39Princess Diah's conditions for marriage
- 07:17Lembu Sura digs the well on the mountain
- 07:55The king's betrayal and Lembu Sura's curse
- 08:51The curse and the legend's conclusion
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Kediri Regency, Blitar Regency, and Malang Regency. Mount Kelut has erupted many times. The last eruption was in 2014. Like other Indonesian stories, Mount Kelut also has its own legend.
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Long ago, during the glory of the Majapahit kingdom, there was a wise king named King Brawijaya. He had a very beautiful daughter named Princess Diah Ayu Pusparini. Because of her beauty, many young men fell in love with the princess. Time and again, the
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young men who were captivated by her beauty tried to propose to Princess Diah. However, Princess Diah always refused the marriage proposals that came to her. This condition saddened King Brawijaya. He really wanted to see his daughter marry the right man. The
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king imagined how happy he would be if Princess Diah got married; there would be a lively wedding party in the kingdom.
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But when will that day come if my daughter still refuses to get married? King Brawijaya became increasingly sad.
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The king then thought of inviting his daughter to talk privately. "My daughter, Father summoned you because there is something important that needs to be said."
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"Okay, Father Handa, I am ready to listen."
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"Father is getting old. Father knows you are looking for a great husband. Father has an idea to hold a contest. For any man who can stretch the bow of Kiai Garuda Yaksa and lift the Gong Kiai Skar Delima, he will be your husband."
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Princess Diah was shocked but did not dare to refuse her father's request.
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She was speechless. She knew her father really wanted her to marry. "If that is what is best according to Father, I am ready to follow and carry out whatever the results of the contest, Father Handa." Princess Diah was pensive in her
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room. She was confused about what to do. She only hoped to find a great husband. Princess Diah knew the bow of Kiai Garuda Yaksa and Gong Kiai Sekar Delima had magical powers. So the winner must be someone who has great
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powers too. The day of the contest arrived. Young men from all over came to show their strength, conquering the bow and gong gaib.
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"Oh my people, today the kingdom is holding a contest. Whoever can stretch the bow and lift this gong will marry my daughter."
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So the contest began to find a husband for her daughter. One by one the young men tried to stretch the bow and lift the gong. "It was my turn. I was sure I could conquer this bow and gong. Let me do it. I was
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the last contestant. I was sure to win." But no one succeeded. King Brawijaya planned to stop the contest without a winner. He thought no one would be able to win. But suddenly a young man arrived and expressed his desire to
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become a contestant. "Don't stop me from fighting now. I haven't tried yet." Everyone stared at him. This young man was different from the others. Very strange. His head wasn't like a human's. He had a bull's head.
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"What's your name?" "My name is Lembu Sura." The king was confused when he arrived. If he refused, he wouldn't be a just king.
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But if Lembu Sura won, he would have to marry his daughter to a man with a bull's head.
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"Okay, I allow you to be the last contestant. After this, there will be no more contestants."
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Lembu Sura entered the courtyard where the bow and gong were located. Then he tried to stretch the bow. He succeeded.
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The next test required him to lift the gong. The second test was also successful. Everyone watching applauded. They were amazed by the strength of Lembu Sura. Meanwhile, in a corner of the palace, Princess Diah was sad. She
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never expected to get a husband with a bull's head. King Brawijaya was also sad. The winner did have great strength, but had a buffalo's head. However, the king had no choice. He had to keep his promise in the contest. So the king
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asked his men to prepare for his daughter's wedding ceremony. His daughter's wedding day was getting closer. All the preparations were almost complete. However, Princess Diah was getting sadder. She desperately wanted to cancel her wedding. She looked for a way to get it canceled.
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"Father, may I ask Lembu Sura for one more condition?" "What is the condition, my daughter?"
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"Father asked Lembu Sura to dig a well at the top of the mountain. The well is for me to bathe in." The king understood his daughter's wishes. The king finally agreed to his daughter's request. He summoned Lembu Sura to fulfill the
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conditions for his marriage to his daughter. Hearing the condition, Lembu Sura agreed. Lembu Sura went to the top of the mountain. There he dug deep into the mountain soil. For days Lembu Sura worked on this method until finally his
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hard work paid off. The well he had made was finished. Knowing that Lembu Sura had succeeded in making the well, Princess Diah put forward one more condition. She asked Lembu Sura to enter the well to see if the water was
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fragrant or not. Without thinking twice, Lembu Sura agreed. He entered the newly completed well. Outside the well, Princess Diah and King Brawijaya made an evil plan to thwart the wedding of Princess Diah and Lembu Sura.
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"Soldiers, if Lembu Sura is at the bottom of the well, immediately cover the well with soil until it is full."
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"Yes, sir." When the ox had reached the bottom of the well, the soldiers immediately carried out the king's order to cover the well. They threw a pile of soil into the well. Lembu Sura, who was already in the well, was
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helpless under the pile of soil. He could do nothing. Before he died, he cursed King Brawijaya.
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"King Brawijaya, wait for my revenge. I will destroy your kingdom." Everyone who heard was frightened. They firmly believed that the ox would take revenge on the kingdom because the kingdom was unfair and did not keep its promises.
Topics:Mount KelutEast JavaIndonesian legendMajapahit kingdomKing BrawijayaPrincess Diah Ayu PuspariniLembu Suravolcano legendtraditional storyfolklore
