Legenda Indonesia, Nyi Roro Kidul

Legenda Indonesia,  Nyi Roro Kidul

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Kadita. Because of her beauty she was called Dewi Srengenge which mean The beautiful sun. Her father was King Munding Wangi. Although he had a beautiful daughter he always unhappy because he always expected to have a son. The King decided to merry Dewi Mutiara, and he had a son from her. He was very happy. Dewi Mutiara wanted her son to become a king in the future so she must make sure for it. Dewi mutiara came to the king and asked him to send away his daughter. Of course, the king did not agree. "It is ridiculous, I will not allow any body doing such cruel thin
g to my daughter", said King Munding Wangi. When she heard the answer, Dewi mutiara smiled and said a sweet thing until the king has not anger anymore. However, she kept her bad intention deep in her heart.

In the morning before the sun raised, Dewi Mutiara sent her maid to call a black magician. She wanted the black magician to curse Kadita, her step daughter. " I want her beautiful body full with scabies and itch. If you succeeded I will reward you with the present you never thought before". The black magician did the queen order, in the night Kadita body has been full with scabies and itch. When She waked up , she found her body was smell stinky and have a ulcer all over her body. The beautiful princess cried and did not know what to do.

When The King heard he was very sad, he invited many physician to cure her daughter illness. Day by the day nobody could cure her daughter. He realized that her daughter illness it was not a ordinary illness someone must send a curse or magic spell. His problem became more difficult when the Queen Dewi Mutiara forced him to send away her daughter. "Your daughter will bring a bad luck to whole country, said Dewi Mutiara. The king did not want her daughter become a bad rumour in whole country. Finally he must agree to send her only daughter to leave the country.

The poor princess went alone, she didn't know to where she should go. She almost could not cry anymore. She had a nobble heart. She did not have any bad feeling with her step mother, instead she always asked the God to accompany her passed her suffer.

Almost seven day and seven night she has walked until she came to south ocean. She looked at the ocean. It was so clean and clear, unlike other ocean which have a blue or green colour. She jumped onto the water and swim. Suddenly when the south ocean water touched her skin there was a miracle happened. Her ulcer has gone and there was no sign that she has ever had a scabies or itch. Even more she became more beautiful than before. Not only that she has a power to command whole of the south ocean. Now she became a fairy called Nyi Roro Kidul or The Queen of South Ocean who lived forever.

This is the most spectacular legend until now in the modern life even when you read this story, many people from Indonesia or from other country has admitted that they have met the beautiful fairy queen wear a traditional dress of Java. One of the famous beach hotel has made a suit room specially for her.


Written In Indonesia by : Soemanto, B. 1998. Cerita Rakyat Dari Yogyakara 2, Seri Pendidikan Budaya, PT Grasindo. Translated by Anonym.