Enduring Lesson From Legend

Being tired of Malaysian damm Politics. Its just the best time to shift and move to thehistory of the Sarawak.  Its just enduring lesson from legend.

I’m sure most Sarawakian would know Gunung Santubong and have heard stories about it from one source or the other.  As I was driving with my friend Fred who is Iban from nearby Longhouse, to Sarawak Cultureal Village, she excitedly pointed out Gunung Santubong from afad and asked my opinion on what it looked like.  Without waiting for my answer, he continues that it looked like a pregnant women lying on her back.  Indeed i t look like pregnant women lying on her back and ever since that day, I’m intrigued by the legend of Puteri Santubong after being teased by Fred, who refused to tell me what the legend is all about.

Apparently, i just read that history of Puteri Santubong from one of the history book when I was a child.  Back to my home, I researched the legend and found quite a lot of informative websites dedicated to the legend. Brief info about Gunung Santubung, it is located 35km north of the Kuching and is approximately 2,658 above sea level. 

 My collegue Margaret who is local Bidayuh told me that the name “Santubong” originated from an Iban word “Si antu ubong” or the “spirit  boat”.  The spirit boat is actually a coffin shaped like a boat carved from a single wooden log to represent a vessel use by the spirit of the dead to travel o other world and when Gunung Santubung is mentioned, inevitably Gunug Sejinjang would surface too.

Determined not to toy by Fred the next meeting we met, i took the chance more to learn about the legend from Margaret and also from websites.  There is also folk song related to the lagend that i found interesting, sang in local Sarawak Malay, the Lyric is something like this,  “Puteri Santubong Puteri Sejinjang, menjaga Gunung negeri Sarawak”(Hope I can sing in with proper voice and strong Vibrato :)

There are few version of the legend and the one that Margaret emphasized as the original history is Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang were daughters of the King of heaven and were the most beautiful princesses in the world and they descended from their heavenly places to take care of the mountains in Sarawak and people who lived there.  On earth the work just as normal people did, as Puteri Santubong work as weaver while Puteri Sejinjang work as Paddy thumper.  They were best friend and they did things together. 

One day, a handsome price from Afar came to Sarawak.  His name was Putera Jaya and the price, after meeting Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang, fell in love with the former.  This not goes well with Puteri Sejinjang as she also fell in love with the prince.  At first there was no conflict between both Puteri but eventually the things changed when Puteri Santubong fell in love with the prince.  She spent most her days with the prince while ignoring Puteri Sejinjang.

It’s not just Puteri Santubong neglect Puteri Sejinjang, she was also careless in carrying out her job as the warden of the mountains and its people including her job as a weaver.  This did not bode well with Puteri Sejinjang as not only had she lost her best friend but also had shoulder extra responsibilities guarding the mountain and its people. Now both princesses no longer talked to each other and the only time the two princesses did was when they hurled and accusation at each other.  The people suffered from this and natural disasters came one after the other.

Puteri Seinjang finally decided that enough was enough and went to see Puteri Santubong.  When they meet all hell broke loose an the people suffer a great thunderstorm that lasted for days.  Puteri Sejinjang slapped Puteri Santubong’s face so hard that dislocated Puteri Santubong jaw and this can be seen when one looks at Gunung Santubung, the manifestation of the great slap by Puteri Sejinjang.  Not wanting to be outdone, Puteri Santubong took a sharp pole and threw it towards Puteri Sejinjang and it hit her head that shattered into pieces.  That is why when one passes Gunung Sanubong, one can see a group of small islands beside it, the remnants of Puteri Sejinjang.  The Group of small islands are called Pilo Kerak (Isle of Monkey).

Deep remorse flooded Puteri Santubong after killing her best friend and Putera Jaya, upon learning about the killing, deserted Puteri Santubong and went back to her own country.  The people rejected Puteri Santubong and in great despair, she went to Puteri Sejinjang’s body and cried for many days. As day passed, Puteri Santubong was on the brink of death and she called to the heavens for her father and not to avail.

During the final moment, she was cursed to become mountain Gunung Santubong, as a lesson for all. Such is the sad and tragic legend of Puteri Santubong that I Learned.  Indeed one need to treasure one’s loved ones without neglecting other.

Good Day everyone..Pleasure