Children's Fairy Tales Group
Legend of Mount Merapi

Legend of Mount Merapi

That said, the island of Java was once a wilderness. Not many people have occupied it. It turns out that Java Island is tilted. The gods feared that the island of Java would slide and sink into the South Sea. One day, the gods were talking. They intend to move Mount Jamurdwipa to the middle of Java Island. Mount Jamurdwipa is located in the South Sea. The mountain is inhabited by galbians.

From the measurement of the gods, it turns out that the middle of Java Island is in Sleman, Yogyakarta. The area is inhabited by Empu Permadi and Empu Rama. These two masters are very powerful. They're forging iron chunks to make kris. The gods then sent Lord Panyarikan and Batara Naradha to meet the two masters. "We were sent by the gods to ask you to move out of here" the two said.

"We can't move from here. We are concentrating on getting the job done. If the work is abandoned, it will cause havoc throughout Java," said Empu Permadi and Empu Rama.

The God of Panyarikan and Batara Naradha insisted. The command of the gods must be carried out. Empu Permadi and Empu Rama also refused. So it was a mouth fight. Until finally fighting pain is inevitable.

Dewa Panyarikan and Batara Naradha along with his troops attacked the two masters. A fierce battle ensued. Those two powerful masters were not easily defeated. Because of the terrible battle, there was damage around it. The forest and trees are destroyed. But they keep fighting. The gods are also worried. They don't want nature to be damaged any worse.

At the agreement of the gods, the Bayu God blew Mount Jamurdwipa. Mount Jamurdwipa falls right in the middle of the fireplace where the keris is made. Empu Permadi and Empu Rama were unable to dodge. They are also buried in it. Both of the great masters were also killed. Because it is considered disobedient to the god, the spirits of Empu Permadi and Empu Rama are not accepted in heaven. They also became the inhabitants of the new mountain.

Despite being killed, the painful remains of Empu Permadi and Empu Rama are still visible. The unfinished keris material is kept burning. The fire is growing. Only those two masters could extinguish it. Because the mountain was buried, the fire was burning over time. Larger coals burn rocks and soil until they melt. The melt was increasingly piled up, eventually spurting to the surface.

The soil and rocks that were torn apart caused holes in the surface of the mountain. The hole is increasingly expanding so that it forms a crater. Sometimes the melt from within the mountain gushed out dasyat. Due to the bursts, many residents suffered losses. This is the form of revenge Empu Permadi and Empu Rama to the gods.

The melting crater continued to expand over time into a mountain. From inside the crater, a puff of smoke continued to gush out. Sometimes with fire. The locals call it Mount Merapi.

________________________________________

The story of a courtier Keraton Mataram named Ki Sapa Wira. His job was to bathe an elephant named Kyai Dwipangga belonging to Sultan Agung. One day, Ki Sapa Wira got a boil under the armpit. His hands could no longer move freely. He also had trouble bathing elephants. Finally, Ki Sapa Wira asked his sister-in-law named Ki Kerti to bathe the elephant.

"But, what if Kyai Dwipangga does not want to soak?" ask Ki Kerti.

"You pat her back leg, then pull the tail," said Ki Sapa Wira. "Don't go anywhere else. Bathe her in her usual place. It's safer there."

Ki Kerti with the elephant went to the river. Not forgetting he gave breakfast two coconuts. That said, if an elephant is given a young coconut, it will obey. Arriving at the river, Ki Kerti was disappointed. The river looks shallow and receding.

"Ah, how could you possibly bathe here," Ki Kerti told Kyai Dwipangga. "To soak only, is not enough. Let's just go downstream."

Ki Kerti also brought Kyai Dwipangga downstream. There the water is deep.

"Well, here it turns out the water is cleaner and deeper," said Ki Kerti again, grumbling. "Why has Sapa Wira not bathed an elephant here? Ah, weirdo!"

Suddenly the flash flood came from upstream. Water overflows dragging the elephant and Ki Kerti. The man was screaming for help. However, his efforts were in vain. He was swept away and drowned with Kyai Dwipangga into the South Sea. Both cannot be saved.

Sultan Agung mourned. To commemorate the event, he named the time Kali Gajah Wong because it had washed away an elephant and a wong or person.