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Selamat Hari Sumpah Pemuda! (28 Oktober 2016)

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Happy Kartini’s day!

Raden Ajeng Kartini, born in Jepara on April 21, 1879, was an Indonesian pioneer for women’s emancipation. When middle-class and low-class girls in her era couldn’t get an education, she opened a school for girls. 

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instagram

Caritra has an Instagram account! Please follow us at _caritra. :D

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caritra will remain

Thanks to a Change.org petition, the Indonesian government has cancelled blocking Tumblr. Caritra will remain in both Tumblr and Wordpress. :)

Source (Indonesian)

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wordpress!

In case of Tumblr being blocked by the Indonesian government, we are temporarily moving Caritra to Wordpress. All stories posted in Tumblr will still be available. However, in case of my being unable to post through Tumblr, I will be updating Caritra in Wordpress. 

Here’s the address: https://caritraindonesia.wordpress.com/

(I’m still setting it up, but all stories will be available soon.)

[caritra]

The Origin of River Jodoh

A story from Riau Islands

Long time ago, in the island of Batam, there lived an orphan girl named Mah Bongsu. She worked as a servant for a woman named Mak Piah. Mak Piah had a daughter named Siti Mayang. Both mother and daughter were mean and lazy. They ordered Mah Bongsu to work for them all day.

One day, Mah Bongsu went to the river to wash clothes as usual. She saw a large snake swimming in the river. She was frightened.

"Snake!" she screamed.

But the snake did not attack her. When she looked at it more closely, she noticed a wound on its back. Pity took hold on her. She rescued the snake and carried it home. She hid it in her room and tended to its wound.

Whenever the snake changed it skin, Mah Bongsu took the old skin and burned it. Then, something magical happened! When the smoke flew to Singapore, pieces of gold would appear in Mah Bongsu's room. When the smoke flew to Lampung, stacks of colorful cloth would appear in Mah Bongsu's room. Soon, Mah Bongsu became rich, even richer than her mistress Mak Piah. However, she was generous. She distributed her wealth to her needy neighbors. They all liked her very much.

Mak Piah and Siti Mayang grew jealous of Mah Bongsu. They spread rumors that Mah Bongsu kept a genie in her house.

"Why should we be concerned, as long as Mah Bongsu is generous toward us?" said the neighbors.

Mak Piah's curiosity could no longer be contained. She sneaked into Mah Bongsu's room. There she saw a large snake whose wound almost healed. Near the bed, the snake's old skin was burned. The smoke went to the window.

"So that is her secret! A snake. Very well, I can do the same thing," thought Mak Piah.

Mak Piah went to the forest and brought a large, poisonous snake. Then she put it into Siti Mayang's room.

"Mother, why do you put a snake in my room? I'm so scared!" said Siti Mayang.

"It's Mah Bongsu's secret to become rich. Now we will be rich ourselves," replied Mak Piah.

That night, when Mah Bongsu was asleep, a strange thing happened. Mah Bongsu's snake spoke to her in human language. "Mah Bongsu, please take me to the river."

"What's that? Who speaks?" asked Mah Bongsu.

"It's your snake. Please take me to the river where you first found me."

"I must be dreaming," muttered Mah Bongsu drowsily.

She rose and brought the snake to the river. There, the snake transformed into a handsome human prince. Mah Bongsu was surprised.

"I am actually a prince, who was cursed into a snake. I want to thank you and repay your kindness because you have saved my life," explained the prince. "Mah Bongsu, you are a diligent and generous girl. Would you marry me?"

Mah Bongsu still could not speak, but she nodded. The snake's skin turned into a grand and beautiful house. Mah Bongsu and the prince married and lived in the house happily ever after. 

The river where the prince proposed was called River Jodoh (jodoh means "mate"), because Mah Bongsu found her mate in that river. The village where Mah Bongsu lived was named Tiban Village (ketiban means "showered", from the phrase ketiban rezeki = "showered with fortune").

Meanwhile, in Mak Piah's house, the greedy woman and her husband were mourning for their daughter. The poisonous snake bit Siti Mayang, and now she was dead.

Trivia:

Sungai Jodoh is an actual village name in Batam, Riau Islands.

Siti and Mayang are two very popular Indonesian names for women. Siti means “girl”, while Mayang means “palm flower”.

Sources: [1] [2] [3]

[caritra]

Queen Aji Bidara Putih

A story from East Kalimantan

Long ago, in East Kalimantan, the kingdom of Muara Kaman was ruled by a wise young queen. She liked to chew betel leaf so that sometimes red liquid from the leaf poured down her white throat. Because of that habit, she was called Queen Aji Bidara Putih, which means “white-blooded charm”. She was so beautiful that tales of her beauty spread outside her kingdom. Moreover, she was virtuous, generous, and elegant too. Many neighboring kings visited her to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Queen Aji Bidara Putih still wanted to make advancement to her kingdom, so she declined their offers of marriage.

Unknown to the queen, her fame reached out even to the ears of the Prince of China. One day, a huge Jung ship docked in the harbor of Muara Kaman, accompanied by several smaller Jung ships. People marveled at the sight. They guessed that a prominent lord from a prosperous kingdom had come to trade with Muara Kaman.

Soon, the queen's servants came to report to her. "My lady the queen, a prince of China has come to Muara Kaman. He sends his servant asking whether he may visit your palace."

"Certainly he may," replied the queen. "What an honor to receive a prince of China, the great kingdom."

The queen prepared a banquet to welcome the Chinese crew. After the banquet was ready, many Chinese envoys with splendid clothes arrived to her palace. They brought porcelain jars and vases, engraved with exquisite ornaments.

"These are gifts to Queen Aji Bidara Putih from the Prince of China," said one of the envoys. "He would like to ask for your hand in marriage."

The envoys told the queen that the Prince of China was majestic, handsome, and generous. He was an excellent leader and a splendid warlord. The queen was impressed. She realized that her marriage with this prince would align Muara Kaman with the vast Chinese empire.

"Our prince gives you a day to consider his proposal, Your Highness," said the envoy. "Tomorrow you shall tell him whether you accept his marriage offer or not."

The queen assented. After the banquet was over, the Chinese envoys returned to their ships. The queen called her most trusted advisor to help her decide whether she should marry the Prince of China. The advisor was almost a father to her that she called him Uncle.

"Uncle, the Prince of China sounded so wonderful. Handsome, generous, and powerful all at once," said Queen Aji Bidara Putih. "But that was what his servants described him. I want you to sneak into the prince's ship and see for yourself what the prince is like."

"Yes, Your Highness," said the advisor.

"I trust your judgment, Uncle. I know you can read a person's character from his appearance and behavior," said the queen.

At night, the advisor slipped into the largest jung ship. He saw a large cabin which, he was sure, belonged to the prince. Unfortunately, he could only glimpse the prince's shadow because the cabin was walled with wood and wallpaper. Placing himself where his shadow would not be seen, the advisor pressed his ear to the wall.

Inside, the prince was eating his dinner with a pair of chopsticks. He drew the bowl close to his face and slurped the rice. Then he sipped the wine from his cup. The advisor, however, could only hear the voice of the prince's slurping and sipping. Suddenly, his expression changed.

"What is that sound? It reminds me of something I heard in the forest," thought the advisor. He tried hard to remember. "Ah, yes! It was the sound of a wild boar eating! He must be a wild boar who can shapeshift into a human form! I must warn the queen!"

Panting, the advisor hardly escaped from the ship. The queen awaited him in the palace. She was confused at his panicked look.

"What is it, Uncle?" she asked.

"My lady the queen, do not marry the prince! He is not a human! He must be a wild boar spirit that can shapeshift into a human!" exclaimed the advisor.

The queen gasped. "Uncle, are you in your right mind?"

"Yes! I heard him eating in his cabin. The sound of him eating is exactly the sound of a wild boar eating. If not a wild boar, then it is another animal," said the advisor. "He must be a mystic animal spirit that becomes a human in the day and an animal at night!"

Finally, the queen believed her advisor. "Then, I cannot marry the prince. I shall inform of my refusal to their envoys at once when they return."

The next morning, the envoys returned to the palace. Queen Aji Bidara Putih sat on her throne, looking calm yet stern. She greeted the envoys, but when they asked her about her decision, she turned her head.

"I am very grateful of your prince's affection for me," she began, "but I cannot marry him. I am sorry of what my decision may cause him." The queen then called her servants to return the prince's gifts.

The envoys were shocked. They did not think a queen of a small kingdom like Muara Kaman would refuse a marriage proposal from the mighty Prince of China. They stammered their greetings and took the gifts back to the ship.

The prince (who was not an animal spirit at all) was enraged when he heard of the queen's refusal. "How dare she, a queen of a puny kingdom, refuse me? Me, the prince of the greatest empire in the East!"

He took his sword and called his soldiers. "Soldiers, we attack the kingdom of Muara Kaman! Let her learn what comes of crossing the will of the mighty Prince of China."

Thus, war ensued. The Jung ships were loaded with cannons, shooting into the kingdom. Archers stood on deck, raining fire arrows into the villages. The prince was right. Muara Kaman was a tiny kingdom compared to China, and so the soldiers were fewer in number (even if the prince had not brought all of his soldiers). Many of the queen's people were killed, from soldiers to civilians. The queen was grieved. She loved her people dearly and could not stand being the cause of their deaths.

"Please, please, if I am a descendant of mighty kings, let me win this war. Let no more people die because of me," she prayed.

Then she chewed on a betel leaf and spat it into the sea. Suddenly, the leaf remains turned into giant centipedes. They coiled around the Jung ships, drowning them one by one. Cries of terror from the soldiers of China accompanied the roar of the storm and the waves. Then everything was quiet.

The queen watched regretfully, exhausted. At least the war had stopped. None of her people would die any more because of it.

Trivia:

It was a custom in Indonesia to chew on betel leaves (daun sirih). Betel leaves are ingredients of a traditional medicine. They can prevent and cure many diseases, such as acne, dermatitis, sore throat, body odor, and halitosis.

Aji means charm or spell, bidara (berdarah) means blooded, and putih means white. Therefore, Aji Bidara Putih literally means white-blooded charm. 

It was said that there were many porcelains inside the lake where the war happened.

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The Origin of the Cendrawasih

A story from West Papua

Long time ago, in the mountains of Fakfak, West Papua, there was an old woman who lived alone with her female dog. One day they went looking for food in the forest near their house. They had walked quite far into the forest, but they had not found any edible plants.

The dog stopped in front of a tree that produced red fruits. Following her dog, the woman stopped as well. She wondered if the fruit was good to eat. As if the dog understood her mistress' thought, the dog ate a red fruit. Suddenly, the dog's belly swelled as if she was pregnant. Amazingly, not long after, the dog bore puppies.

"Wow!" exclaimed the old woman. "If I eat the red fruit, maybe I can have a child too."

She picked a red fruit and ate it. The same happened to her. Her belly enlarged. The old woman hastened home and soon bore a healthy baby boy. She named her son Kweiya.

Years passed. Kweiya grew into a handsome, dutiful boy. Everyday he chopped trees for wood. However, because he used a blunt stone axe, Kweiya could only hew down one tree each day. Meanwhile, his mother burned the leaves of the fallen trees.

The smoke from the burning leaves caught the attention of an old man who fished in the nearby river. He wondered where it came from and resolved to find out. Following the smoke, the old man saw Kweiya chopping a tree with difficulty.

"Hello, boy. It seems that you are having a hard time cutting that tree," said the old man.

"Hello, sir. Yes, it is hard to cut a tree. I can only make a small notch at a time," replied Kweiya.

"That is because you are using a blunt stone axe. You should use an iron axe."

"I don't have an iron axe, sir."

The old man pitied Kweiya. He lent him his iron axe and helped sharpened his stone axe. Kweiya tried the iron axe gladly. Now he could chop trees more easily and more quickly. His mother, who was resting near the house, noticed that more trees were hewn. She rose to see how Kweiya could work faster, but suddenly Kweiya was in front of her.

"Mother!"

"Kweiya, how did you cut trees so much faster than before?" asked his mother.

Kweiya wanted to keep the coming of the old man a secret, so he lied. "I am feeling strong and happy today, Mother. Accordingly, my arms are stronger and I work faster than yesterday."

The old woman nodded. Kweiya went on, "I'm asking you to cook more delicious food, Mother. I want to have a feast today."

His mother agreed. Kweiya returned to the forest to continue his work. When his work was finished, he invited the old man to his house. His mother was surprised to see the old man.

"Mother, I lied. I did not feel stronger today. This man helped me cut trees faster. He told me how to sharpen my axe, and he lent me his iron axe," said Kweiya. "I beg you to marry him and be happy, Mother."

His mother agreed. They married, and a few years later their small family grew with the addition of two more sons and a daughter. The old man and old woman treated Kweiya as their first child.

However, Kweiya's half-brothers hated him because they felt their mother loved Kweiya best. Whenever their mother and father were away from home, they would fight him and punch him until he was wounded. Kweiya did not want to retaliate, so he hid in the barn and locked the door. Inside, he spun threads to make wings so that he could fly whenever his half-brothers bullied him.

When the old woman returned home, she was confused because she did not see Kweiya. She called him but there was no answer. Her sons dared not look at her. Her daughter, the youngest child, told her about her brothers' fight with Kweiya and that Kweiya hid in the barn.

The old woman rushed to the barn.

"Kweiya! Kweiya! Are you all right, my son?" she called.

How shocked and sad she was when it was not Kweiya's voiced that replied, but the voice of an animal. "Eek, eek, eek, eek!"

The old woman sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Kweiya. I should have protected you! Please, open the door."

The door opened. A beautiful bird with a long, yellow tail and colorful plumage came out. He gestured that there was an extra wing in the corner of the barn. The old woman took it and turned into a female bird. They perched on a tree nearby the house before flying into the forest.

The old man was very angry at his sons. The boys were so frightened that their mother and half-brother turned into birds that they blamed each other and threw ashes to one another. Suddenly, they turned into birds as well, one with red feathers, the other with gray and black feathers. They flew into the forest, following their mother and half-brother, as if to apologize for what they had done.

Trivia:

The cendrawasih is a bird indigenous to Papua. It is now a rare bird. It is the mascot of the Papua province.

Only the male birds have colorful plumage to attract the female birds.

The red fruit is a type of the pandan plant. Pandan is commonly used as an ingredient in Indonesian cakes because of its fragrance.