Folklore for Kids: Lake Maninjau Legend: The Bujang Sembilan Folktale of Indonesia

Chapter 1: The Village at the Foot of the Mountain

Once upon a time, in the land of West Sumatra, there stood a very tall mountain. The people called it Mount Tinjau.

At the foot of the mountain lay a peaceful village with rich, fertile soil. Most of the villagers were farmers, and their harvests were always plentiful. Everyone lived happily and had enough to eat.

Chapter 2: Ten Brothers and Sisters

In that village lived ten brothers and sisters: nine boys and one girl. The boys were Kukuban, Kudun, Bayua, Malintang, Galapuang, Balok, Batang, Bayang, and Kaciak. The only girl, and the youngest, was named Siti Rasani. Everyone called her Sani.

Their parents had passed away, so Kukuban, the eldest, became the head of the family. He looked after his brothers and his little sister.

Right next door lived the family of Datuk Limbatang. Datuk Limbatang had a son named Giran, a strong and kind young man. The two families were good neighbors and often visited each other's homes.

Chapter 3: Giran Meets Sani

One sunny day, Datuk Limbatang visited the home of Kukuban and his siblings. He brought his son Giran along. There, Giran met Siti Rasani for the first time.

Their eyes met, and their hearts began to flutter. Giran had never felt this way before. After a few visits, he gathered his courage and spoke to her in the beautiful way of the Minangkabau people, with a pantun, a poem of rhymes.

Giran: "For a long time I have wished to speak, but my heart trembled and my words hid away. Many have come to your door, I know, yet my heart has waited only for you."

He smiled gently and said, "Dear Sani, your face is lovely, your manners are kind, and your heart is gentle. Will you let me be your companion?"

Sani blushed. She liked Giran very much, so she answered with a pantun of her own.

Siti Rasani: "Jackfruit from across the river makes a tasty dish. I have waited a long time for you to ask. If you truly mean your words, then my body and my life are yours."

Giran was overjoyed! From that day on, the two of them loved each other dearly.

Chapter 4: The Happy News

Giran and Sani did not want to keep secrets, and they did not want people to gossip. So they told their families the truth.

Datuk Limbatang and the brothers were all happy to hear it.

Datuk Limbatang: "Wonderful! A good match for a good young man and a good young woman."

Everyone was glad, and the village seemed brighter than ever.

Chapter 5: The Martial Arts Contest

Soon after, the villagers held a big thanksgiving feast to celebrate their abundant harvest. The highlight was a martial arts contest, and both Kukuban and Giran took part.

Kukuban was so strong and skillful that he beat every opponent. Nobody could stand against him! Then came the final match: Kukuban against Giran.

The two fought bravely, and for a while neither could win. But slowly, Kukuban pushed Giran back. Giran looked tired and cornered.

Then Kukuban unleashed his final move, a mighty kick aimed at Giran's chest. Giran had no choice. He caught the kick with his strong hand and held on tight.

Kukuban: "Ouch! My foot!"

Kukuban hopped backward, limping. Giran's grip was so strong that it hurt! The judges stopped the match and declared Giran the winner.

The crowd cheered, but Kukuban did not. He could not accept losing, and a bitter anger grew in his heart.

Chapter 6: "I Do Not Agree!"

A few days later, Datuk Limbatang and his wife came to Kukuban's house to ask for Sani's hand in marriage to Giran. Seven of the brothers happily agreed. Only Kukuban sat silently in his room.

Suddenly, he burst out of the room.

Kukuban: "I do not agree to Sani marrying Giran!"

Datuk Limbatang: "But why, Kukuban? You already agreed to their friendship, didn't you?"

Kukuban: "Giran is arrogant! He shamed me in front of the whole village at the contest. I will never agree!"

Datuk Limbatang sighed sadly.

Datuk Limbatang: "Very well, then. We shall go home."

And so the family went home with heavy hearts.

Chapter 7: A Terrible Misunderstanding

Giran and Sani were very sad. They secretly met to talk about what to do, but they were so worried that they hardly knew what to say.

Sani stood up, restless and troubled. Snag! Her sarong caught on a thorny bush and tore, and a thorn scratched her thigh.

Siti Rasani: "Ouch! My sarong is torn!"

Giran: "Oh no, you are hurt! Sit down, Sani, and let me put some medicine on the wound."

Giran gently began to treat her. But at that very moment, Kukuban and his brothers, who had been searching everywhere for Sani, arrived and saw them.

Kukuban: "Giran! You have no manners! How dare you touch my sister like that!"

Giran: "Please, you misunderstand. I was only treating her wound."

Siti Rasani: "It is true, brother! Giran was only helping me. Please believe us!"

But Kukuban was too angry to listen. His brothers followed him, and they dragged Giran and Sani to the village to be judged by the elders.

Chapter 8: The Unfair Trial

In the village hall, the elders gathered to hear the case. Kukuban and his eight brothers told everyone that they had seen Giran and Sani break the rules of the village. Datuk Limbatang spoke up bravely to defend them, but nobody believed him.

The elders made their decision.

The Elders: "Giran and Sani have broken our customs. Their actions bring shame and may bring bad luck to the village. As punishment, they must be thrown into the crater of Mount Tinjau, so that our village may be safe."

Giran and Sani begged for mercy, but nobody listened. Their eyes were covered with black cloth, and they were led up the mountain to the edge of the crater.

Chapter 9: Giran's Prayer

At the top of the mountain, hot smoke swirled from the crater below. Giran raised his hands to the sky and prayed with all his heart.

Giran: "Dear God, if we are truly guilty, then let our bodies burn in this crater. But if we are innocent, then let Mount Tinjau erupt! And let the brothers who punished us wrongly be turned into fish!"

Then, holding hands, Giran and Sani jumped into the crater.

Chapter 10: The Mountain Roars

God heard Giran's prayer.

Rumble... rumble... BOOM! Mount Tinjau shook and thundered, and a great eruption burst from its top. Hot lava poured down the mountainside and covered the village below. Kukuban and his eight brothers were swept away, and as the legend tells, they were turned into fish.

When the eruption finally ended, the mountain had left behind a huge, wide crater. Day after day, the rain fell and filled it with water, until it became a magnificent lake. The people named it Lake Maninjau.

Chapter 11: Names That Live On

The people never forgot what happened. They named many places around the lake after the people in the story: Tanjung Sani, Sikudun, Bayua, Koto Malintang, Koto Kaciak, Sigalapuang, Balok, Kukuban, and Batang River.

Did You Know?

Lake Maninjau is in Tanjung Raya district, Agam regency, West Sumatra. It lies about 140 kilometers north of Padang city, 36 kilometers from Bukittinggi, and 27 kilometers from Lubuk Basung.

The lake covers about 99.5 square kilometers and is about 495 meters deep. It is the eleventh largest lake in Indonesia and the second largest in West Sumatra, after Lake Singkarak. Scientists say it is a caldera, a huge crater formed by a volcanic eruption. According to Minangkabau folklore, the lake's origin is closely linked to the Legend of Bujang Sembilan.

The Lesson of the Story

Anger and pride can blind our hearts. Before we judge others, we should listen carefully and make sure we know the truth.

Give it a try! Trace the legend of Giran and Sani, and discover how their story gave birth to Lake Maninjau.

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Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Lake Maninjau Legend: The Bujang Sembilan Folktale of Indonesia