Princess of the South Sea
The
South Sea has witnessed its fair share of deaths and local residents and
fishermen often have to brave strong winds and high waves to bring in their
share of the spoils.
According
to popular myth, the sea comes under the dominion of a princess called the Princess
of the South Sea. It’s an obscure myth but local residents are observant and
careful not to offend the princess when ferrying on her waters.
The
myth may have originated in the Isle of Lombok where the princess is believed
to be the spiritual consort of the rulers of Mataram. Interestingly enough the
word Mataram is an extension of the Sanskrit word mantra. Loosely translated it
means spells.
Other
sources cite the Princess of the South Sea as being the once beautiful Dewi
Kadita who was born in Pajajaran which was part of the Sunda Kingdom (a Hindu
kingdom based in Western Java). Her unparalleled beauty invoked the jealousy of
her rivals, who cast an evil spell on her that resulted in her skin being
covered with malignant tumors. As a result, the princess turned hideously ugly
and unable to live with herself; she fled to the South Sea and upon reaching
its shores, threw herself into its swirling waters.
The
occupants of the sea rescued her and rid her body of the festering growth and
turned her into a maiden who was human from head to waist and fish below (a
mermaid) and crowned her the Princess of the South Sea.
Many
years later a young prince aspired to establish the Kingdom of Mataram and
overthrow the Pajang overlord that ruled Mataram. He went to the shores of the
South Sea and there he performed all manner of austerities. His penance caused
the sea to churn and it troubled the princess who resided within its deep
waters.
She
rose to the surface to determine the cause of the disturbance. There she
spotted the handsome prince and she fell instantly in love with him. The prince
stopped his penance and agreed to take her hand in marriage. With her
assistance he was eventually crowned the king of Mataram.
There
is another version of the myth that suggests that the princess was an unknown queen
who was suddenly stricken with leprosy. She left her kingdom to avoid being
seen by others and restricted herself to the shores of the South Sea.
She
became an ascetic and often said her prayers along the seashore. One day while
she was in the midst of prayer, she was grabbed by a huge wave that pulled her
to the depths of the sea and there she came in contact with sea spirits that cured
her of the disease and conferred upon her the throne of the South Sea.
There
is also a version of the myth that has the princess as the daughter of a
widowed local king who remarried. When his new wife fell pregnant, he was
forced to choose between his daughter and his new wife.
Wanting
to be spared the burden of choosing, the devious king employed the services of
black magicians to use their skills and have the skin of his daughter covered
with malignant tumors.
The
black magicians complied with the king’s wishes and thus lifted the burden of
choosing from his shoulders. The child became so grossly disfigured that the
king was forced to banish her.
He
had his guards abandon her in a jungle close to the sea. The young princess
wandered around for hours before she was compelled by a mysterious voice to go
to the shores of the South Sea and when she reached its shores, the voice
prompted her to throw herself into its waters. The spirits of the sea took
kindly to her and cured her of her ailments and had her installed as the Princess
of the South Sea.
The
final version of the myth has the princess as a Majapahit queen, who was gifted
with psychic abilities. In time the queen immersed herself in the waters of the
South Sea to become its ruler.
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