The Legend of Tanjung Lesung

Folklore from Banten

THERE was a handsome traveler, his name was Raden Budog. He was resting under a big tree and soon he fell asleep. He had a dream. In his dream, he met a very beautiful woman. The woman was standing in front him. Raden Budog tried to touch her. Suddenly, a twig of the tree fell down and hit him. And that made him wake up from his sleep. He was upset!

Raden Budog could not forget that woman, he wanted to meet her. He traveled days and nights and never stopped to rest. And finally he arrived in a village. All of the villagers were farmers. Some girls were pounding rice in a mortar. The people called the mortar as lesung. They were busy pounding and the sound they made was like a harmony. The girls pounded the rice everyday, except Friday. Friday was a holy day for them, because it was time to pray to God.

Raden Budog enjoyed the sound. He was looking at all the girls one by one.

And suddenly, Aha! He saw the girl he met in his dream.

Raden Budog was very happy. He came closer to the girls. All the girls were afraid and they all went home. Raden Budog followed the beautiful girl.

And when the beautiful girl arrived home, Raden Budog knocked the door. An old woman opened the door.

“Who are you, young man,” asked the woman.

“My name is Raden Budog. May I spend the night in your house? I’m a traveler and I don’t have a place to stay,” said Raden Budog. He was trying to find an excuse to stay in the house.

“My name is Nyi Siti and I live with my daughter. Her name is Sri Poh Haci. My husband passed away. If you want to spend the night here, you can sleep in the terrace. I’m so sorry, I don’t allow men to stay in my house,” said Nyi Siti.

In the morning, Sri Poh Haci woke him up.

She also gave him a glass of coffee. Raden Budog was extremely happy. He then tried to find a way how he could stay in the village and got married with her. Later, he told Nyi Siti that he would help her in the rice field. Nyi Siti agreed.

Days passed by and later Sri Poh Haci also fell in love with him. Then they got married.

Raden Budog still worked in the rice field and Sri Poh Haci also continued to pound the rice in the lesung. One day Raden Budog wanted to pound the rice. He also wanted to make the good sound. However it was Friday, and he forgot that pounding rice in the lesung was not allowed on Fridays. And when he was busy making the sound, the villagers screamed.

“Hey, look! A monkey is pounding the rice!”

Slowly the villagers came closer to Raden Budog. He did not notice that all the villagers were looking at him, until one man yelled at him. “Hey, monkey! Stop it! It is Friday!”

Raden Budog did not understand why the villagers called him monkey. And when he looked at his body, he was surprised! His body was full of hair. He even had a tail. He had changed into a monkey! Raden Budog was so ashamed. He ran away to the jungle.

Since then people named the village as Lesung Village or Kampung Lesung.

And since the village is located in a cape, people then named the village as Lesung Cape or Tanjung Lesung.***