Nyi Roro Kidul, the Queen of the South Sea

The story of the queen of the South Sea, known as Nyi Roro Kidul, is very familiar amongst the people in Yogyakarta and Surakarta, Central Java and is also known in East and West Java. In Yogyakarta, the story is always connected to the story of Mataram’s kings. While in Ngliyep Coast, South of Malang, East Java, Nyi Roro Kidul is called Kanjeng Ratu Kidul. In Ngliyep Coast, a traditional ceremony, called Labuhan, is often held. The ceremony is a dedication to Kanjeng Roro Kidul for her help in raising wealth for the people there. The myth connected to Nyi Roro Kidul is that a prohibition to wear green colored clothing in the coast. Those who wear green colored clothing will be fetched by the queen and taken into the bottom of the sea and they will never be brought back to the land. Another myth is that hotels in the coastal area of the South Sea provide a room decorated in green color which is dedicated to the queen of the South Sea.

The story related to Nyi Roro Kidul is as follows: Nyi Roro Kidul was a beautiful queen and she was like a fairy. Her beauty was never faded away all along the age. In the bottom of the South Sea, or nowadays called Indian Ocean – in the south of Java Island, she reigned a big and beautiful kingdom inhibited by supernatural creatures. In the beginning, the Queen of the South Sea was a beautiful young woman, named Kadita. Due to her beauty she was also known as Dewi Srengenge, which meant sweet goddess of the Sun. Kadita was a daughter of King Munding Wangi. Even Kadita was very beautiful, the King was sorrowful, because he did not have a son to be the crown prince as his successor. Then, the King married to Dewi Mutiara and he got a son from her. Dewi Mutiara, the king’s concubine asked some requests that her son to be the successor of the king. The second request was that Kadita should be thrown away the king’s palace. The first request was agreed but the king did not agree with the second request to drive away Kadita from the palace. The King was angry and he said, “This is far too much. I will not agree with your shameful request.” Listening to such an answer, Dewi Mutiara even smiled sweetly, so the king’s angry slowly subsided. But, still the king’s concubine hid her burning revenge.

The following days, in the early morning, Dewi Mutiara sent a nursemaid to fetch a witch craft. He asked the witch that Kadita should be ruined using magic. She ordered, “Make her body full of scabies. If you succeed, you will get big reward.” The Witch promised to do that. In the following night, when Kadita was sound asleep, the gentle wind came into her room. The wind brought bad odor, like the smell of a rotten body. When Kadita was awake, she cried out. Her body was covered inhibited with scabies, and was suppurated and badly smell.

When the King Munding Wangi heard the news the following morning, he was very sorrowful. He knew that his daughter’s illness was uncommon, but the victim of a witch. The King presumed and was sure that it was Dewi Mutiara’s plan. But, he could do nothing, how to prove it? In a heavy dizziness, he should make a decision.
What to do with Kadita. On his chief minister’s request, the king’s daughter should be thrown away in order not to bring disgrace.
So, Kadita leaf the palace by her own self, like a beggar, thrown out from her parent’s house. She was sorrowful. Her tear fell down. But, she still belief that the creator would not let It’s creature tortured by others. The Creator’s help would surely come. So, as her late grandmother told her that she should not take revenge and hate those who hate her.

Days and nights she walked and it was already seven days and seven nights. Lastly she arrived at the coast of the South Sea. Then, she stood by the sea and looked at the wide sea. As if, she heard a voice calling her that she should went into the sea. She followed the call and when she touched the sea water. Suddenly her scabies body recovered. Her beauty was back as before. Then she had a mythical power to reign the South Sea and its content. She established a new big kingdom where she was the queen, Queen of the South Sea.