Sunday 22 may 2022Mount Merapi should not be the highest or largest mountain in Indonesia, but it always manages to grab the attention of many people. This volcano is known to be the most active and is located in the middle of the island of Java. Precisely located in 4 districts at once namely Magelang, Sleman, Klaten and Boyolali.
I also wrote about the beauty of Mount Merapi in my previous article, you can read about it here.
Not only is it known for its natural beauty and the tragedy of its eruption, Merapi also has many mystical stories. Interestingly, most of the myths were believed until now.
The following is the full story as summarized from various sources.
According to stories from ancient books, Mount Merapi was originally named Mushroomdwipa and is located in the South Sea of Java. This beautiful mountain towers, guarded by a pair of kris craftsmen.
Seeing the island of Java which was almost drowned because it was leaning towards the west, the gods intended to move one mountain to the middle as a counterweight. Mushroomdwipa Mountain was chosen, because it is not too far away.
Unfortunately at that time the two kris craftsmen had not finished their work. They asked for a little time, but the gods refused and immediately moved the mountain to the current location of Merapi.
The pair of kris craftsmen threatened that if they were forcibly moved with the fireplace still burning, eternal catastrophe would occur. Sure enough, the magma inside Merapi has been heating up until now.
It's just waiting for time to erupt and flow outwards. Not only the legend of the origin of the formation of Merapi, several places are believed by climbers to have a haunted atmosphere and have been proven to be true.
Here are the mysteries or myths that exist in Mount Merapi
1. Pasar bubrah/Market bubrah
The most famous haunted place on Mount Merapi is Bubrah Market. Bubrah Market is a ridge right under the crater of Merapi. The situation at this location is quite flat and dominated by rocks left over from previous eruptions.
There are also no large tall trees at this location. The distance is only one kilometer before the crater of the peak of Merapi, making Pasar Bubrah a favorite location to rest.
Many climbers set up tents here to spend the night and wait for the sun to rise the next day. Well, at night, climbers usually hear a commotion at that location. Below the peak of Mount Merapi is an area of rock and sand known as Pasar Bubrah.
Local people and climbers who have been there believe that the place is very haunted. Many people believe that the location is the big market of the Merapi Palace, and the large stones scattered around the area are considered as stalls and tables for choosing spirits and spirits. When climbers reach this area, they will be advised to guard their words and behavior
2. Bunker 'going on' the mystery story of Mount
Merapi There is a mystical story that visitors to this Merapi bunker often experience. At that time there was a tourist who took a lava tour and slowly approached the bunker. The bunker had stairs leading down to the door.
He went down and looked at the situation in the bunker which was indeed dark. When the heavy iron door of the bunker was pushed open, a spacious room the size of a classroom appeared inside the bunker.
The shape of the room is a semicircle, with hot lava marks that have been petrified in the center of the bunker. The only source of light was the light from the bunker entrance. A few moments later, he immediately stepped out of the bunker. Suddenly there was a cry from the bunker he had left.
3. Merapi Palace
It has been mentioned above that Mount Merapi is controlled by a magical kingdom which is often referred to as the Merapi Palace. The Merapi Palace has existed since the days of the Mataram Palace.
The difference is, the Merapi Palace is all inhabited and controlled by the jinn. The Merapi Palace is known to have a close relationship with the Mataram Palace in the past.
There is even a story that says that the Merapi Palace helped the Mataram Kingdom to defeat the Pajang Kingdom by killing the Pajang Kingdom's troops through its eruption. Kraton Merapi has many famous figures whose names are familiar to residents around Merapi.
Here are some figures who are believed to be residents of the Merapi Palace:
Grandmother Merapi Grandmother Merapi is a king alias leader of the supernatural beings who inhabit the Merapi Palace.
Grandmother Sweeps the Universe Grandmother Sapu Jagad is the guardian of the crater of Merapi and is the decision maker whether Merapi will erupt or not. Grandmother Sapu Jagad has two commanders named Kyai Grinjing Wesi and Kyai Grinjing Kawat.
Grandmother Megantara Grandmother Megantara is one of the leading figures who live at the peak of Merapi. His job is to control the weather and oversee the area around Merapi.
Nyi Gadung Jasmine As described above, Nyi Gadung Melati is the leader of the female troops of the Merapi Palace and is tasked with maintaining plant fertility and also looking after livestock around Mount Merapi.
Grandmother Antaboga The next character is Grandmother Antaboga who is assigned to maintain the balance of the mountain so that it does not sink into the earth.
Kyai Petruk, Kyai Petruk is responsible for the safety of the people of Merapi. He was assigned to notify residents when an eruption was about to occur so that they could save themselves.
Kyai Broom the Wind Kyai broom wind is one of the leaders of the spirits whose job is to regulate the direction of the wind.
Kyai Wola Wali, Kyai Wola Wali is one of the figures who live in the palace of Kraton Merapi. His job is to maintain and clean the terrace of the Kraton Merapi.
Kartadimejo Apart from being the commander of the troops, Kartadimejo is also tasked with guarding livestock and animals on the mountain. He also often provides information about the time of the eruption to residents around Mount Merapi.
4. Forests, hills, lakes, rocks, and caves are all haunted
Some of the forests that are considered haunted are the Patuk Alap-Alap Forest, which is used as a place for cattle grazing belonging to the Merapi Palace. There are Gamelan and Confusion Forests, as well as Pijen and Blumbang Forests. He said, several types of sacred animals live in the forest around Mount Merapi.
So that's the mysteries and myths that exist in Mount Merapi, in Indonesia myths are still very much attached to society. Therefore, there are still many who believe in this myth.
Therefore we must also always maintain our nature and behavior when we are in a foreign place. Because it is possible that the place has supernatural beings guarding it.
Lead image from unsplash.
