Seven Princesses From Heaven Folktales from Maluku
By Dwi Elisa
The story begins in the forest at the foot of Mount Ternate, where a man is walking exhaustedly. His most-green, long flowing robe is soaked from the rain. The man is a prince, name Djafar Shidiq. He is searching throught the dense jungle, in quest of a princess to be his wife. Before setting out on his journey, he fasted for seven days for divine inspiration. On the seventh day he had a dream that he should go to the forest below Mount Ternate. He has already been searching in the jungle for forty days, with out finding any women. Now he is beginning to doubt if the future mother of his children is really to be found in this silent jungle?
Suddenly the prince hears the sound f a waterfall, like beautiful music to his ears. He is intriqued and wants to rest for a while. The waterfall and its pool would be the perfect spot, peaceful and beautiful. He wants to wash and swim and refresh his tired body. He starts towards the waterfall, following the rainbow in the sky to its end. When he reaches the waterfall, he is amazed to find seven beautiful girls happily frolicking in the water. He observes them from behind a bush, his heart beating rapidly. He tries to quiet his breathing (so as not to betray his presence). The seven girls are lovely, with soft golden skin and hair that falls to their waists. He wants to shout with joy! The prince is certain that he has found his princess!
While he spies upon them, he wonders, where did the seven princesses come from? Is it possible that his future wife is a goddess? The prince examines his surroundings carefully. Yes, he is sure that the girl are goddesses who came down from heaven on the rainbow. Hey! Look! Near the bush, close to where the girl are bathing, he spots their clothes and their shining wings. The prince moves moves stealthily toward the wings. He dicides that he will take only one pair of wings. If he takes all of them aas his wives, he would not be able to be fair to them all. He does not want to hurt anyones’s heart. He only want to have one wife.
The prince carefully takes one pair of wings, than sneaks away.whoops!!! they almost saw hit; the seven goddesses are coming this away! Prince djafar’s heart is pounding! It seems that they have finished their bath and will soon be returning to the heavens (before the sun set and the rainbow disappears). With his arms fll of the stolen pair of wings, he hides behind the tree. His heart is still beating rapidly. This is the first time he has ever stolen anything, and he is sweating with fear. He tries to calm himself.
The seven goddesses wil soon disappear. They do not want to be cut off from the heavens when their rainbow ladder fades. They want to get home safely. One of the most beautiful goddesses is nervously looking for her wings. “oh, where are my wings” how can they have disappeared?”. “where didi you put them little sister yome?” asks one one of them. “over here, where all you elder sister put yours!” said the goddess yome. “little sister yome, are you sure you didn’t put them some where else?” “I am sure" “Okay, hurry up everybody, we will help Little Sister Yome look for her wings.” “But Elder Sister, the rainbow will disappear soon. If we do not go home, our father the king will worry. He will not know where to find us. We did not ask his permission to come down here, did we?” asked another goddess. “Right. Sorry Little Sister Yome, we must leave you here alone. Take care of yourself and if the rainbow comes back to this place, we will come back forr you.”
They embraced tearfully, and then flew up to the heavens. Yome waved after them, she was very sad to be left behind by her sic sisters. She could not stop crying. She did not know when she would ever be able get back ome to see her father, who loved her very much. She cried woefully. As it begin to get dark, djafar siddiq emerged from his hiding place. Slowly, he approached the goddess yome. He bowed his head and respectfully addressed her. As the day slipped into months, yome laiwui began to fall in love with djafar sidiq. Then, she saw only his kindness to her, his politeness, and his devoutness. Later, they agreed to be married. The sultan of ternate was very happy and blessed their marriage. He gave yome laiwui a new name, nursyafah. Fifteen years later, djafar and nursyafah had three children. They thought their children well, and they were smart and devoutly religius. One day, nursyafah was giving their youngest child a bath in baileo house. She was washing him indoors because it was raining. To make si Bungsu (name of their youngest child) happy, she fetched a big tub and filled it with water. He usually bathed in the river behind their house. Si bungsu played happily in the tub.
It looked as if the rain had stopped-the sun came throught the wall of rumbai leaves. Suddenly remembered her parents, as nursyafah lifted bungsu from the tube, she saw reflection of her wings shiningon the roof of baileo house, and then says “oh, my wings!”. And she asked her husband about the wings, and prince djafar lied to her for the second time. Prince djafar said, the wing he found in the jugle. Then he bought them to home and put in the roof of baileo house. But nursyafah has finished her job, and her must go home to the heavens now. After nursyafah put on her wings, her husband and children watched her fly away. Djafar sidiq was very sad at his lovely wife’s departure. The children all cried too, especially the youngest.
A years passed, djafar was unable to bear being separated from his wife. And he could not stand to hear his children crying. He prayed to the God. Djafar prayer was answered. You can takeA garuda with two heads (a magical bird) was sent to take him to the heavens. As he arrived in the heavens, prince djafar was greeted by seven goddeness. One pf them was his wife, nursyafah.
Djafar was overjoyed. His sorrow dissolved as he saw nursyafah and his heart was full of gladness. Si bungsu was very happy too! Djafar had broughthis youngest son with him purpose. Nursyafah don’t want to come back to they family, and she say ”I am sorry, but take this lock of hair to remember me by…if you niss me, stroke the hair, I will feel it. Actually, princess nusyafah loved djafar and their children. To express her love she gave them her crown and her hair. With a woeful heart, Djafar returned to the earth, carrying Nursyafah’s crown and hair. Djafar was very sad because he could not tempt Nurhsyafah into coming back with him. Later on his youngest son inherited the crown and hair. Si Bungsu became a wise Sultan of Ternate. Later on, the other children were to become rulers in Bacan and Tidore. Prince Djafar was to become the Sultan of Jaiholo.
Until this day, the crown and hair are still on display at the Sultan’s palace in Ternate. They are regarded as sacred. Supposedly the hair is still growing and must be cut form time to time. If you go to the Moluccas, spend some time in Ternate and be sure to visit the Sultan’s palace (Kedaton Sultan) to see the crown and hair that is still growing and must be trimmed occasionally.
Suddenly the prince hears the sound f a waterfall, like beautiful music to his ears. He is intriqued and wants to rest for a while. The waterfall and its pool would be the perfect spot, peaceful and beautiful. He wants to wash and swim and refresh his tired body. He starts towards the waterfall, following the rainbow in the sky to its end. When he reaches the waterfall, he is amazed to find seven beautiful girls happily frolicking in the water. He observes them from behind a bush, his heart beating rapidly. He tries to quiet his breathing (so as not to betray his presence). The seven girls are lovely, with soft golden skin and hair that falls to their waists. He wants to shout with joy! The prince is certain that he has found his princess!
While he spies upon them, he wonders, where did the seven princesses come from? Is it possible that his future wife is a goddess? The prince examines his surroundings carefully. Yes, he is sure that the girl are goddesses who came down from heaven on the rainbow. Hey! Look! Near the bush, close to where the girl are bathing, he spots their clothes and their shining wings. The prince moves moves stealthily toward the wings. He dicides that he will take only one pair of wings. If he takes all of them aas his wives, he would not be able to be fair to them all. He does not want to hurt anyones’s heart. He only want to have one wife.
The prince carefully takes one pair of wings, than sneaks away.whoops!!! they almost saw hit; the seven goddesses are coming this away! Prince djafar’s heart is pounding! It seems that they have finished their bath and will soon be returning to the heavens (before the sun set and the rainbow disappears). With his arms fll of the stolen pair of wings, he hides behind the tree. His heart is still beating rapidly. This is the first time he has ever stolen anything, and he is sweating with fear. He tries to calm himself.
The seven goddesses wil soon disappear. They do not want to be cut off from the heavens when their rainbow ladder fades. They want to get home safely. One of the most beautiful goddesses is nervously looking for her wings. “oh, where are my wings” how can they have disappeared?”. “where didi you put them little sister yome?” asks one one of them. “over here, where all you elder sister put yours!” said the goddess yome. “little sister yome, are you sure you didn’t put them some where else?” “I am sure" “Okay, hurry up everybody, we will help Little Sister Yome look for her wings.” “But Elder Sister, the rainbow will disappear soon. If we do not go home, our father the king will worry. He will not know where to find us. We did not ask his permission to come down here, did we?” asked another goddess. “Right. Sorry Little Sister Yome, we must leave you here alone. Take care of yourself and if the rainbow comes back to this place, we will come back forr you.”
They embraced tearfully, and then flew up to the heavens. Yome waved after them, she was very sad to be left behind by her sic sisters. She could not stop crying. She did not know when she would ever be able get back ome to see her father, who loved her very much. She cried woefully. As it begin to get dark, djafar siddiq emerged from his hiding place. Slowly, he approached the goddess yome. He bowed his head and respectfully addressed her. As the day slipped into months, yome laiwui began to fall in love with djafar sidiq. Then, she saw only his kindness to her, his politeness, and his devoutness. Later, they agreed to be married. The sultan of ternate was very happy and blessed their marriage. He gave yome laiwui a new name, nursyafah. Fifteen years later, djafar and nursyafah had three children. They thought their children well, and they were smart and devoutly religius. One day, nursyafah was giving their youngest child a bath in baileo house. She was washing him indoors because it was raining. To make si Bungsu (name of their youngest child) happy, she fetched a big tub and filled it with water. He usually bathed in the river behind their house. Si bungsu played happily in the tub.
It looked as if the rain had stopped-the sun came throught the wall of rumbai leaves. Suddenly remembered her parents, as nursyafah lifted bungsu from the tube, she saw reflection of her wings shiningon the roof of baileo house, and then says “oh, my wings!”. And she asked her husband about the wings, and prince djafar lied to her for the second time. Prince djafar said, the wing he found in the jugle. Then he bought them to home and put in the roof of baileo house. But nursyafah has finished her job, and her must go home to the heavens now. After nursyafah put on her wings, her husband and children watched her fly away. Djafar sidiq was very sad at his lovely wife’s departure. The children all cried too, especially the youngest.
A years passed, djafar was unable to bear being separated from his wife. And he could not stand to hear his children crying. He prayed to the God. Djafar prayer was answered. You can takeA garuda with two heads (a magical bird) was sent to take him to the heavens. As he arrived in the heavens, prince djafar was greeted by seven goddeness. One pf them was his wife, nursyafah.
Djafar was overjoyed. His sorrow dissolved as he saw nursyafah and his heart was full of gladness. Si bungsu was very happy too! Djafar had broughthis youngest son with him purpose. Nursyafah don’t want to come back to they family, and she say ”I am sorry, but take this lock of hair to remember me by…if you niss me, stroke the hair, I will feel it. Actually, princess nusyafah loved djafar and their children. To express her love she gave them her crown and her hair. With a woeful heart, Djafar returned to the earth, carrying Nursyafah’s crown and hair. Djafar was very sad because he could not tempt Nurhsyafah into coming back with him. Later on his youngest son inherited the crown and hair. Si Bungsu became a wise Sultan of Ternate. Later on, the other children were to become rulers in Bacan and Tidore. Prince Djafar was to become the Sultan of Jaiholo.
Until this day, the crown and hair are still on display at the Sultan’s palace in Ternate. They are regarded as sacred. Supposedly the hair is still growing and must be cut form time to time. If you go to the Moluccas, spend some time in Ternate and be sure to visit the Sultan’s palace (Kedaton Sultan) to see the crown and hair that is still growing and must be trimmed occasionally.
( sebenarnya, ini tugas dari kuliah, kita di beri tugas mencari sebuah novel, baik dalam atau jg luar, untuk meresensi dari cerita rakyat ini... tapi karna menarik dengan cerita2 rakyat makanya saya coba berbagi juga… ).
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