Eggsquisitely Mythical #10: Indonesia
- Wera Niyom
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
Hello, fellow eggs and mythology lovers!
For our next Eggsquisitely Mythical issue, we are doing a deep dive on the myths and legends of Indonesia.
BACKGROUND
Indonesia, also officially known as the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia. It is the world's largest island country, the 14th largest country, and the fourth-most populous country. The capital is Jakarta. The official language is Indonesian, but is home to over 700 indigenous languages.
DEITIES
Acintya also called Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa and Sang Hyang Tunggal is the unimaginable or inconceivable / The Divine Order / The Divine Oneness. The Supreme God of Indonesian Hinduism.
Batara Guru also called Bhattara Guru, Debata Batara Guru, and Batara Siwa is a supreme god in but is also considered the avatar of Shiva, the ruler of the Kahyangan, and the god of revelations.
Batara Kala is the god of the underworld. He has also been named the creator of light and the earth, and the god of time of destruction who devours unlucky individuals.
Batara Sambu is the god of teachers.
Chen Fu Zhen Ren is an ancestral god of Chinese Indonesian people. He is worshipped by Chinese, Javanese, and Balinese individuals in East Java and Bali.
Dewi Danu is the goddess of water.
Dewi Lanjar is the ruling goddess of the North Sea.
Dewi Raith is the goddess of the moon.
Dewi Sri / Nyai Pohaci Sanghyang Asri is the goddess of rice and prosperity.
Hainuwele is hte goddess who gives origin to vegetable crops.
Indo' Belo Tumbang is the goddess of medicine.
Indo' Ongon-Ongon is the goddess of earthquakes.
Nyai Roro Kidul is the ruling goddess of the South Sea.
Pong Banggai di Rante is the god of the earth.
Pong Lalondong is the god of death.
Puang Matua is a creator god.
Refafub is the god of the rainforest.
Sunan Ambu is the mother goddess of the Sudanese.
Ze Hai Zhen Ren is a deity worshiped by Chinese individuals in Tegal and Central Java.
MYTHICAL CREATURES
Babi ngepet is a boar demon. They steal riches from surrounding neighborhoods. Usually someone will transform into the Babi ngepet where their partner will guard a candle in their home, the candle light shows if their safety is threatened.
Barong is a panther-like creature that is the king of spirits and the leader of good.
Hantu is a classification of spirits /ghosts.
Hantu Air are spirits that inhabit water.
Hantu Beruk is an ape demon.
Hantu Belian is a tiger spirit.
Hantu Bongkok is a bloodthirsty ghost or evil spirit.
Hantu Musang is a civet cat spirit that is invoked during a game of possession.
Hantu Pusaka is a grave demon.
Hantu Raya is a great demon that is considered one of the strongest of all evil spirits.
Hantu Rimba is a deep-forest demon.
Hantu Tinggi is a tall demon that usually possesses a tree.
Jenglot is a deformed humanoid creature that are about the size of living dolls. They have been called vampires and it was believed that they were formerly human beings.
Keong Emas is a princess who was magically transformed and contained in a golden snail shell.
Kinnara is a celestial musician that is part human and part bird.
Langsuyar is a type of vampire, which is usually a ghost of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth. They typically appear as a beautiful woman with long black hair that falls to her ankles or as a floating head with hanging entrails or a spinal column. They also have long fingernails and wear green robes. They do prey on humans, but prefer the blood of newborn mail children.
Leyak is another form of the Langsuyar.
Manohara is a half woman, half bird individual.
Orang bunian are beautiful creatures who look like humans. The term directly translates to "elves" and it is believed that they are invisible to most humans, but can be seen by those who have spiritual sight.
Orang Pendek are believed to be a bipedal primate or a creature that lives in remote forests of Sumatra.
Pocong is a shroud ghost that is usually the soul of a dead person.
Pontianak / Kuntilanak is the ghost of a child that died before or during birth. It has also been described as a vengeful female spirit that has become a vampire.
Raksasa is a supernatural being known as a "man-eater" and demigod. It also means "giant." (edit credit to: )
Rangda is the demon queen of the Leyaks.
Singa are part human, part water buffalo, and part crocodile/lizard creature with protective powers.
Suanggi is a malevolent spirit.
Toyol / Tuyul is an undead infant that is invoked as a helper by shamans through black magic. They are often used to rob people.
Warak ngendog resembles a rhinoceros carrying eggs on its back. It is celebrated during the Dugderan Festival. However, it has also been described to be part giraffe, part lion, part Chinese dragon, part horse, and part bird.
LEGENDS, MYTHS, AND FOLKTALES
Please note that this section doesn't cover all the legends, myths, and folktales. We thought we'd share the ones that would sound interesting and inspire you all! We may share more stories at a later time.
BAWANG MERAH BAWANG PUTIH (SHALLOT AND GARLIC)
There were two women who were half-sisters, Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih. Bawang Merah is known to be a lazy, greedy girl who has been spoiled by her mother whereas Bawang Putih is obedient and does all of the housework without complaining.
One day, Bawang Putih loses a scarf while cleaning the laundry in the river and it is picked up by an old woman. This old woman says she will return the scarf if Bawang Putih cooks for her. She does as she's requested and the old woman asks her to bring home one of her pumpkins as a gift for her help, a small or large one. She chooses the small one and discovers it's filled with jewelry.
Bawang Merah and their mother become jealous of Bawang Putih so they go to the river and lose their scarves on purpose. They go to the old woman's house and ask for a pumpkin. They select the big pumpkin but instead of finding jewelry, they find that it's filled with snakes.
BATU MENANGIS (THE CRYING STONE) / MALIN KUNDANG
Malin Kundang is known as a hard-working man who sails the world in order to get more money to support his mother. When he returns to land, he's a rich man and refuses to associate himself with his poor mother. As a result, his mother prays for him to be turned into stone.
In Batu Menangis, the protagonist is a young girl who never helps her mother and repeatedly tells people that her mother is her maid. Like in Malin Kundang's story, her mother prays that the girl be turned into stone.
LUNAR/SOLAR ECLIPSES
Batara Kala is the enemy of Batara Candra, who is his counterpart. He would devour the sun or moon to cause a lunar or solar eclipse. The villagers would try to save the sun or moon by offering sacrifices or banging drums in order to make him vomit and release the sun or moon.
That concludes today's discussion about Indonesian Mythology. We hope you enjoyed learning about the enchanting myths and legends of Indonesia and how it influences their culture today.
Check out these other articles written by former team members:
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