The Legend of Banyuwangi
Orientation
Once upon a time,
there was a king reigned in East Java named Sindureja. He had a prime
minister named Sidapaksa. Sidapaksa had a very beautiful wife.Sidapaksa loved his wife deeply. They lived in complete happiness.
However, Sidapkasa’s mother didn’t like her daughter in law. Each day she tried
to think a way to separate Sidapaksa from his wife.
Complication
One day, King Sindureja asked
Sidapaksa to search for a bud of a magic flower on Mount Ijen. It was a long
journey. The assignment from the king was so important and urgent. Sidapaksa
had to leave his pregnant wife.
Not long afterwards, a son was born. The baby’s birth gave much
happiness to the young mother.
However, one day, while young
mother was bathing, her evil mother–in-law threw the baby into the river.
Knowing that her baby had disappeared, the young mother was very sad. She could
neither eat nor sleep. She became very ill.
Two years passed and Sidapaksa returned from his journey. He
succeeded in doing his duty. Just as he was about to enter his house, her
mother told him that his wife had thrown their baby into the river. Sidapaksa
believed her mother’s story. He was too angry to use his common sense. He drew
his keris and
approached her wife who was lying weak on her bed.
“Ah, Wicked woman. Tell me why you threw our new-born child into
the river. Tell me!” he said in a rough and angry voice.
“Oh
my dearest husband, I am innocent. I love you, and our baby. I didn’t kill our
child. If you don’t believe me, carry me to the river. I will prove that I
didn’t do it” replied his wife calmly.
Sidapaksa
took her wife to the edge of the river. Suddenly, his wife leaped up and threw
herself into the river.
“Oh my God! How will I know who killed my child?” moaned Sidupaksa.
Resolution
Then he looked down the water.
Suddenly, two pure white flower buds appeared, one longer and taller than the
other. A sweet fragrance came from them.
“Sidapaksa, come and have a look here! Beside me is our child. He
himself will tell you who drowned him,” the taller one spoke.
“Father, my mother is innocent. Grandmother threw me into the
river. Now I am happy because my beloved mother has come with me,” The smaller
one spoke. Then, the two flowers vanished into the water. They left their
fragrance behind.
Since then, people call the city on its banks of the riverBanyuwangi. Banyu means water and wangi means fragrant.
