A Story from Lampung - "Putri Siluman"

PUTRI SILUMAN

Long, long time ago in Lampung lived a King with his wife. They had been married for years but hadn’t endowed a child anymore. The King began to worry as he craved a son that would replace him. In truth, after all this time, he nearly gave up.

One day, when the King sat alone on his throne, suddenly a soldier came up.

“My Lord, pardon me for disrupting your time” said the soldier.

“What does make you in hurry?” asked the King.

“My Lord, I come up with news, good news for you.” said the soldier.

“What is that? Tell me!” the King look curious.

“I’ve just heard that a well-keeper could help couples to have a child. Her name is Putri Siluman and here is her picture.” reported the soldier.

“A well-keeper? Are sure about it? So tell me where is she?” the King asked impatiently.

“She’s on the border of the kingdom, My Lord.” answered the soldier

Unhesitatingly, the king went to see Putri Siluman. On arrival there, he was so surprised to find out the woman that was totally different from what he thought.

“Oh God, how beautiful Your creature is!” said the King astoundingly.

“Hey, you, do you want to make a fool of me? A very ugly and ghastly woman on the picture you’ve given but a very pretty and charming that I’ve got.” Said the King furiously to the soldier.

The King could not help himself of being amazed by such a beauty.

“I...I..I’m sorry for this, but...I don’t know what’s going on here.” Answered the soldier astonishingly.

Suddenly, the King changed his mind. He would not ask Putri Siluman help to make him have a child but he wanted to marry her.

“Excuse me, do you have a little time for me?” asked the King to Putri Siluman.

“Oh...yeah, of course I have it. What does make you come to my shack, My Lord?” said Putri Siluman

“Are you Putri Siluman?” asked the King

“Yeah, it’s me. What’s going on asking so My Lord?” asked Putri Siluman

“Honestly, I really heart you in the first time of seeing you. Could you be always beside me?” asked the King

Putri Siluman knew that the king had a wife back in the palace. She would accept his proposal if he was not married.

“Oh...My Lord, it will make the Queen hurt so deep if I do so.” Said Putri Siluman

“I see...” said the King

The King was unexpectedly willing to get rid of his wife; moreover after considering that she could not give him a child, he came to a decision.

“My Queen, I’m sorry for what I’ll say to you will make you cry and hate me for all the rest of your life.” Said the King

“With pleasure My Lord” said the Queen by tears

“I need a son for our Kingdom but it’s hard for me to get him from you. Sorry for saying so, but that is the reality that we have to face.” Said the King

“From deep inside my heart, I...” The Queen want to say something but...

“Don’t say anything more, My Queen, it will make us hurt each other so deep. The soldier will take you somewhere else tomorrow, get ready early in the morning.” 

After expelling the Queen to a desolate place, he married Putri Siluman and took her to the palace.

Several months afterwards, Putri Siluman was pregnant. The king looked happy to hear that, having long been waiting for a son. But he just realized that his wife was a devil woman. Putri Siluman was craving for a human head to eat everyday.

“I need it, really needed...” said Putri Siluman in hungry

“Hold on...I’ll be back soon” said the King in panicky

The king was caught in a difficult situation. He had to proved what Putri Siluman wanted in order to make sure that the baby was born healthy. In doing so, he killed many of his people. The whole kingdom grew uneasy as everyone was waiting their time to be beheaded and eaten by the New Queen.

“O God, would You be so merciful for what I’m doing now?...I really really have no other choice. ” said the King while stroke the sword of beheading

The bad news from the kingdom was heard by a hermit. The hermit went to the town and to the palace in order to see Putri Siluman himself. He carried a goat head with him. By using his supernatural power, it turned into a human head. He meant to give it to the queen as a gift. But unfortunately, Putri Siluman knew the truth. She was insulted and turned into frightening devilish creature.

The hermit stayed calm. In fact, he offered himself to the devil woman.

“If you’re really hungry, eat me! I won’t fight you. Go ahead, slay me!” shouted the hermit.

Putri Siluman quickly beheaded the hermit and cut his body apart.

“Ha...gotcha!” Putri Siluman laugh

“Hmmm...delicious.” When she was opening her mouth to eat it, suddenly the parts of the body reunited. Putri Siluman was taken aback, infuriated. She couldn’t believe of what she has seen.

The hermit came back to life with a little smile on his face.

“What a pity you are!” said the hermit cynically.

And a fight was inevitable. They came to blows fiercely. After a long time, the hermit finally overcame Putri Siluman and made her run away with her unborn baby. Since then, the king had to move on alone.

Twenty years on after the king drove the old queen out of the palace while she was already being pregnant. In a remote quiet place, the old queen lived with her son in her exile, the boy named Putra Mayang. She raised Putra Mayang in kindness and sent him to an old man living near their place to learn things. Under the old man’s tutelage, Putra Mayang grew up to be a strong man.

One day, Putra Mayang sat on the porch with his mother and asked about his father. “Mom... could you tell me how’s my father like?”

“What? Your father?” asked the old queen startled

“I... I beg your pardon, Mom, for asking such question. You not need to let me know if  it’s hard to do” Putra Mayang pointed her mother out

“No, my son. It’s almost twenty year I kept this for only myself. I think it’s time to make you know. Your father is a strong and wise man. He is the best man I’ve ever known until he reach at a decision to let us go away for awhile.” 

“For awhile, Mom? Twenty years is not a short time for you to leave.” Argued Putra Mayang.

“Yes, It is, Dear. But believe me that your father never put off his heart. He love both of us.” the old queen comfort her son.

Several days later, Putra Mayang told his mother that he was thinking of going to the town to see his father. He left the next morning and reached the town after threading through the jungle for days. He knew that he should not hurry to several the truths. To start with, he came in the palace as a chef.

“Hay, young man, are you a new chef of my palace now?” asked the King to Putra Mayang

“”You’re absolutely right, My Lord.” Answered Putra Mayang

“Hmmm...” said the King nodded his head

One night, when everyone was asleep, there was a sudden tumult within the palace. A baby was kidnapped. It was not the first time, though, as the same thing had happened to a minister family a few nights before. The following night, Putra Mayang watched the palace secretly. He wanted to find out who was the kidnapper. He did see him that night. He ran after him and cornered him near the palace fort.

“Hey you! Stop!” shouted Putra Mayang

The mysterious villain took no more steps. With a baby in his arm, he turned to Putra Mayang. He challenged him to fight one on one.

“And take this adorable baby if you can...” asked the kidnapper.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” asked Putra Mayang.

“Ha...who am I? How dare you are! Alright...I’ll be honest to you but don’t be surprised. I’m the son of Putri Siluman and the King” answered the kidnapper while laughing.

“Are you joking?” asked Putra Mayang  astonishingly

“What’s benefit I’ll get for telling you lie.” Said the kidnapper

Actually, it turned out that several days before Putra Mayang’s arrival; the man had come to the palace to see his father. The King recognized him as son but did not know that the young man inherited the nature of his mother: he savored eating human beings.

Putra Mayang understood who the man was. In a lightning speed, he launched a blow towards him. For the whole night they clashed, no one heard a sound. At dawn, Putra Mayang stood alone in the palace yard, carrying the baby. As for his stepbrother, he lay dead on the ground.

“Oh no...” Putra Mayang cried

The death of her son infuriated Putri Siluman. She appeared in the palace again after a long time. She wanted to get even with Putra Mayang. They fought violently, restlessly attacking each other. Putra Mayang was fortunate that time for Putri Siluman was not as strong as she was. He did not need a long time to defeat the woman.

“What does make you so weak, the devil woman? I heard that so many heads are on your stomach.” Mocked Putra Mayang

“You...” Putri Siluman got angry

The death of the devilish mother and son allowed the people of the kingdom to finally relieved. The kingdom restored its peacefulness.

After that Putra Mayang decided that it’s time to reveal everything to the King.

“Your Honor, do you remember of your old wife you drove out away twenty years ago?” inquired Putra Mayang.

The King opened his eyes widely, looking a bit surprised, and trying to observe the young man.

“Do you know her? Is she still alive?” asked the King.

“Yes, I really know her more than you think. She...who give a birth of me, who take care of me for almost twenty years, alone... no one help, she is my mother, and I am your son”

“What did you say? Don’t play with me, young man. She was sterile”

Putra Mayang then told the King what was happened and eventually convinced him. The King was touched, in tears, he hugged Putra Mayang.

“It’s alright father. Let bygones be bygones” said Putra Mayang wisely.

“Please forgive me, son. I was wrong” begged the King

“I have before you said it. Now, we had better pick up mother. She must be missing both of us” said Putra Mayang

The next day, they left for the jungle to take the old Queen back to the palace. In the end, the King could live together with his family again.

 

Hope, this usefull for you !