NAI MANGGALE

The folklore of Nai Manggale came from the Tapanuli tribe, which lives in the province of North Sumatra. Generally people in North Sumatra are referred as Batakese. This folklore is not famous (and I guess many average Indonesians don't know it. So was I.), but the story has a similar part to the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea in the ancient Greece.

Datu Panggana was a famous sculptor. When he got an order, he went to the forest to look for the most suitable wood. One day he got an inspiration to craft a wood he found (not to complete an order, just his own desire), and in his workshop he carved the wood to be the statue of a beautiful woman.

Then a merchant named Bao Partigatiga passed by, and he decorated the statue with stunning clothes and jewels. Then those items were permanently attached to the statue.

Bao Partigatiga, angry that his trading items were sticked to a statue, ordered Datu Panggana to destroy the statue so that he could get his clothes and jewels back. Datu Panggana refused, so Bao Partigatiga walked out in rage.
Datu Panggana, however, was also unable to move the statue from its place. He also left the statue in sadness.

Then a druid named Datu Partoar saw the statue, and he prayed to God. Later the statue became alive, and Datu Partoar embraced his newly existed daughter. His wife name their step daughter as Nai Manggale.

The news about Nai Manggale's spread rapidly. She honestly told the villagers that she was actually a statue who/which became a living woman by the grace of God. Datu Panggana went after Datu Partoar to claim his own creation, Nai Manggale. And Bao Partigatiga also claimed his right for the living statue.

A village elder, Aji Bahir, solved the dispute between those three men and made an agreement about the relationship of those three men and Nai Manggale: Datu Partoar is the father, Datu Panggana is the uncle, and Bao Partigatiga is the brother.

Mario Rustan

Datu Panggana
Datu is "Lord." This title is also used in other parts of Sumatra Island as well in Malaysia. BACK

Bao Partigatiga
Tiga is Indonesian for three. Note that Tiga in Indonesian, Three in English, Tri in Sanskrit, and Trio is really similar.BACK

Batakese God
Ancient Batakese God is also believed as the father of all Batakese.BACK

Nai Manggale
I guess 'Nai' is a variation of 'Nyai' title which is used in Java Island. Needless to say, the meaning of 'Nai' is 'Madam.'BACK


TANGKUBAN PARAHU MALIN KUNDANG THE QUEEN IN SOUHERN SEA INDONESIAN GHOSTS JAYABAYA QUEEN SIMA CURSED SWORD, KERIS LORO JONGGRANG
LANDORUNDUN MOUSE DEER AND OTTER'S CHILD WHY DOESN'T A BEAR HAVE A LONG TAIL? BIWAR KILLS A DRAGON FUNERAL CUSTOMS CARVING MOTIFS KYAI JEGOD QUEEN AJI BIDARA PUTIH
WANEBAKA, SON OF TUNDE NYI RORO KIDUL POTTALA

INDONESIAN MYTH HOMEPAGE

ANCIENT WORLD CLUB HOMEPAGE