Sangkuriang (Sundanese: ᮞᮀᮊᮥᮛᮤᮃᮀ) is a legend among Sundanese people in Indonesia. The legend tells about the creation of Lake Bandung, Mount Tangkuban Parahu, Mount Burangrang, and Mount Bukit Tunggul. The legend of Sangkuriang tells the story of a young man who falls in love with his mother, which is somewhat comparable to the Greek tragedy Oedipus.
From the legend, we can determine how long the Sundanese have been living in Java island. Firmly supported by geological facts, it is predicted that the Sundanese have been living on Java Island since a thousand years BCE.
The legend of Sangkuriang was almost certainly a story of oral tradition before being written down. The first written reference to the Sangkuriang legend appeared in the Bujangga Manik manuscript written on palm leaves at the end of the 15th century or the early 16th century AD. Prince Jaya Pakuan, alias Prince Bujangga Manik or Prince Ameng Layaran, visited all of the sacred Hindu sites in Java island and Bali island at the end of the 15th century AD. Using palm leaves, he described his travels in archaic Sundanese. His palm manuscript was taken to England by an Englishman and put at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, in 1627.[1]
After a long journey, Bujangga Manik arrived in the current Bandung city area. He is the first eyewitness to report on the area. Below is a transcription of his report:
- Leumpang aing ka baratkeun (I walked forward to the west)
- datang ka Bukit Paténggéng (arriving at Mount Patenggeng)
- Sakakala Sang Kuriang (where the legend of Sang Kuriang is)
- Masa dék nyitu Ci tarum (in which he would dam Citarum River)
- Burung tembey kasiangan (he failed because a new day came)
- ^ Three Old Sundanese Poems. KITLV Press. 2007.