Thursday, July 17, 2008

Mount Bromo, Indonesia

Another one of the set of Indonesian cards

Mount Bromo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in East Java, Indonesia. It is an active volcano, and part of the Tengger massif, and even though at 2329 meters it is not the highest peak of the massif, it is the most well known.


A Legend

According to a local folk tale, at the end of the 15th century, princess Roro Anteng from the Majapahit Empire, started a separate principality together with her husband Joko Seger. They named it Tengger by the last syllables of their names. The principality did prosper, but the ruling couple failed to conceive children. In their despair they climbed Mount Bromo to pray to the gods, who granted them help, but requested the last child to be sacrificed to the gods. They had 24 children, and when the 25th and last child Kesuma was born Roro Anteng refused to do the sacrifice as promised. The gods then threatened with fire and brimstone, until she finally did the sacrifice. After the child was thrown into the crater, the voice of the child ordered the local people to perform an annual ceremony on the volcano, which is not held today.

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