Indonesian Folktales from central java RORO JONGGRANG

Roro Jonggrang

Once upon a time, there was a great kingdom named Prambanan. The King was Prabu Baka who lead the kingdom wisely. His leadership was great that the area around prambanan was obeying and respecting him so much.

Meanwhile in other place, there was a kingdom as great as Prambanan, named Pengging Kingdom. Pengging Kingdom was known, as an arrogant kingdom that always tried to extent their domain. Pengging Kingdom had a very strong knight called Bondowoso. Bondowoso had a magical weapon called Bandung, so that he is famous as Bandung Bondowoso till these days. Besides of having that Badung, He also had a force of Genies and Demons. That was the reason why Bondowoso always win the war and able to conquer others land easily.

Then, one day, The arrogant King of Pengging called Bondowoso and gave him an order to attack Prambanan. The next day, Bondowoso called his force of Genies and Demons, then they was off to Prambanan. Arrived in Prambanan, They assaulted the palace soon. Prabu Baka was shocked, He and his man was unprepared. Then, Bondowoso successfully conquer the Prambanan land. Prabu Baka was died in Bondowoso's hand.

The winner of Bondowoso and his force made King of Pengging very happy, than he gave a mandate to Bondowoso to rule the Prambanan area, and of course, about taking over the palace. When Bondowoso went around the palace, he accidentally meet Roro Jonggrang, a beautiful daughter of Prabu Baka. Bondowoso suddenly fell in love with her and propose her to be his wife.

Roro Jonggrang who asked for a marriage by Bondowoso, she was very troubled, because of her hatred towards him. She was really hate Bondowoso for killing her beloved father, but she was too much afraid to refuse the proposal. Finally, after a sort time of thinking, Roro Jonggrang found away to cancel the marriage. She told Bondowoso to fulfill her wish to build a thousand temples and two wells over night. Right after listened her wish, Bondowoso agreed, he thought that was a very easy thing to do, he had the Genies and demons force, though. Then when night fell, Bondowoso started the work. The Genie and Demon force, did the work in a very sort of time. When the dawn was yet to come, the work was almost done.

Roro Jonggrang watched the work, and started to worried. When the dawn was yet to come, the rest to do was only three temples and a well. Roro Jonggrang started to think hard, how to stop the work, so, Bondowoso should cancel the marriage for disabled to fulfill her wish. Roro Jonggrang was a clever woman, though. She found a way, if the dawn was yet to come, then she would make the dawn came earlier. Then, She called every servant and maid in the palace and told them to burn the straws, hit the rice-mortar, and make the situation as it was morning already.

Every servant and maid did as what Roro Jonggrang told them. The roosters, hearing the noise of them, started to crow. Listened to the noise and the roosters, the genies and demons stopped their works and left. Bondowoso saw the genies and demons left the area, and he tried to stop them, but they were not listening. In desperation, Bondowoso tried to finish the work all by his self, but the time was never enough if he did it all alone. So, Bondowoso was not fulfilling Roro Jonggran wish and had to cancel the marriage.

Roro Jonggrang came to Bondowoso to make sure about the marriage cancellation. But Bondowoso was too much upset, and cursed her to be the thousandth temple. The curse worked, and Roro Jonggrang became a statue that fulfilled the thousand temple. Bondowoso left regretting himself that had been so reckless and emotional, that made person he loved a statue.

Now, the temple is called Roro Jonggrang temple, and the other temple called Candi Sewu, or thousand temples. The temple block is called Prambanan Temple.