The Story of Panji Semirang

The Story of Panji Semirang
A Folklore from East Java, Indonesia

Long time ago, there was a big kingdom named Kauripan Kingdom.The king had a son. His name was Raden Inu Kertapati. The prince was engaged with a princess from Daha kingdom. Her name was Dewi Candra Kirana.

One day, Raden Inu Kertapati planned to visit Daha kingdom. He wanted to meet his fiance.

Raden Inu Kertapati went to Daha kingdom with his guards. While they were riding the horses, suddenly a group of people from Asmarantaka stopped them. The leader was Panji Semirang. Upon hearing their place of origin, Raden Inu Kertapati and his guards were alert. They heard that Asmarantaka was a place of thieves.

Panji Semarang would like to meet him. Raden Inu Kertapati agreed. However, Panji Semirang greeted him nicely. Raden Inu Kertapati almost not believe it.

"Don't believe what you heard, Raden. We are not thieves," said Panji Semirang.

Raden Inu Kertapati felt so strange. He felt he already met and knew Panji Semirang for a long time. He was really familliar with Panji Semirang.

Raden Inu Kertapati then continued his trip to Daha kingdom. When he arrived, the king welcomed him nicely. The king was accompanied by his concubine. Dewi Liku, and their daughter. Her name Dewi Ajeng. However, his fiance was not there. He asked Dewi Liku,

"Where is Dewi Candra Kirana?"

"Your fience is going crazy. She left the kingdom and went to the jungle."

While talking to Raden Inu, Dewi Liku put a spell on him. She was doing black magic to him. She would make Raden Inu Kertapati forget his fience. She wanted him to marry her daughter, Dewi Ajeng.

Her planned worked. The king set a wedding party. Dewi Ajeng and Dewi Liku were extremely happy.

Suddenly people were screaming.

"Fire! Fire!"

Yes, the palace was on fire. Everybody ran for help. The soldiers were trying to extinguish the fire. And some of them were rescuing the king and his family.

While Raden Inu Kertapati was leaving the palace, his memory of Dewi Candra Kirana came back. He and his guards were looking for his fience. He then remembered something. He knew why he was so familiar with Panji Semirang. He really looked like Dewi Candra Kirana. He was so sure that Panji Semirang was Dewi Candra Kirana!

Raden Inu could not find Panji Semirang anywhere. He finally arrived in Galenggang kingdom. The people there were restless. A group of thieves were stealing their property. Raden Inu and his guards helped the people. They were fighting with the tieves.

Raden Inu and his guards won the fight. The thieves ran away.

The king of Gelanggang kingdom was happy. To honour his great help, he held a party. He asked a poet to perform. His name was Jaka Asmara. His poetry was titled A very Sad Love Story. Raden Inu was touched. He felt that the poetry was about his life.

He was looking at Raden Asmara carefully. He felt so familiar with him. Suddenly he realized that Raden Asmara was Dewi Candra Kirana. She was also under the spell. The spell broke when she met Raden Inu. They were happy. Raden Inu asked her to go to his home in Kuripan kingdom.

Later, they got married and lived happily ever after.