The local people of Sungai Silam (Silam River) narrate that the river is a forbidden fishing spot for a certan period. They may catch the fish in the river only with the consent of the adat leaders and the elders of the community. This tradition is named maawuo. Maawuo is one of the unique traditions of Melayu people in Riau. In the beginning, the prohibition by community leaders to catch fis…
Once upon a time in Lopian, a village in Central Tapanuli, lived a princess named Lopian. Princess Lopian is the daughter of a wise king, King Lopian. The king loved his only child very much. Every afternoon the king played with the princess in palace garden. One afternoon, as usual, Princess Lopian was running around in the garden. Her father was also there. Then, her father asked her to sit…
The sky on the Middle of Nowhere Kingdom was clear with white clouds stroking like a painting. A breeze winded up the leaves and flowers in the garden. King Kasmidun used to enjoy the beautiful ambience together with his daughter, but it was not so that afternoon. His only daughter named Princess Kumalasari fell ill. In her pavilion, Princess Kumalasari had been lying listless on her bed. The…
Once upon a time there was a small village named Tanjung Batu. There were not many people lived there. No one ever thought if the village would become one of trading centers of Berau Kingdom. Generally, it was a quiet village. There would only be a little hustle in the morning. When morning came there was indistinct sound of kitchen utensils used coming from the houses that were a little dist…
The bright sky and the fresh air had ornamented Bukit Arbi village, turning the nuance into the comfort and freshness. All the birds joyfully tweeted within the trees, which was so nice to be listened to. All the tweets touched everything near the river. There were some ladies who were enjoyable washing clothes. Many children also enjoyed the nuance by playing rope and chasing each other. The…
It was told that once upon a time, there lived a Sultan (common addressing for a leader at an Islamic kingdom), named as Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin. He was the first sultan in Banten who was very influencing for Islamic proliferation in Banten area. He was granted a title as Pangeran Sabakingking (Prince Sabakingking) or Seda Kinkin, from his grandfather named Prabu Surasowan, who used to be t…
Without any further consideration, Syekh Akhmad steadfastly packed all his stuff. His willingness and determination had perfectly said so. In the morning, after Subuh prayer (praying in dawn), he had all his children to get prepared. He was going to meet all his friends, the administrators of Masjid Al-Madani, the biggest mosque in the village. All his friends had been waiting for him in fron…
One day, alongside the tweets of the birds, the morning looked a bit flawless. The people around the kingdom were still falling asleep. At the bench on the terrace in front of his palace, there remained Ahwanda Jaya, sitting down and gazing at very thoughtfully. In that palace, he lived with his father and younger sister. His mind wandered. He recalled his mother, Queen Pani, who had just pas…
It was told, on Bukit Napo (Napo Hill) in West Sulawesi, there was a kingdom named as Balanipa. The Balanipa Kingdom was under the leadership of King Balanipa. He was the one with the firmly tough body. Also, he would like to take a lead for the kingdom forever. Everyone, furthermore, put respect to the king. In fact, Balanipa Kingdom was built around the composted area of land. The natural s…
It had been midnight, yet Panembahan Senopati was remained silent in the terrace of the kingdom. Once, he took a deep breath, looking around the darkness of the midnight. He was feeling a serious anxiety that remained in the deepest of his heart. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. You don’t need to be concerned with this matter. I agree with your planning of making an expansion for the Mataram K…