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Unveil the legend of Nyi Roro Kidul and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, the mystical Queen of the South Sea, including their origins, roles, and differences.
Two Different Figures: Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and Nyi Roro Kidul
Many people assume that the Queen of the South Sea refers to only one figure: Nyi Roro Kidul. However, this title actually refers to two different entities: Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and Nyi Roro Kidul.
Kanjeng Ratu Kidul: The Goddess from Heaven
Kanjeng Ratu Kidul is believed to be a sacred spirit possessing noble and benevolent qualities. In Javanese mythology, she is a creation of the third god (dewa kaping telu). She inhabits the realm of life as Dewi Sri (the rice goddess) and other nature goddesses. According to various beliefs:
- She originates from the highest level of heaven
- She has descended to various places in the world, taking on the identities of local sacred figures
- She only reveals herself to give signs or warnings of important upcoming events (natural disasters, regime changes, etc.)
- She commands the great waves of the Indian Ocean
- Her palace is located in the heart of the ocean
According to Javanese belief, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul is the spiritual wife of kings, beginning with Panembahan Senopati through the Sultans of Mataram. President Sukarno once stated that this tradition has existed since the Islamic Mataram era. A king or leader can only be powerful if they are “married” to the Queen of the South Sea.
Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX once recounted his spiritual encounter with Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, stating that the queen could transform her appearance. She appears as a very beautiful young woman during the full moon and as an old woman during other months.
Theories of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul Origin
1. Nimas Ratu Angin-Angin: Queen of all supernatural beings in Java who has a kingdom in the southern sea.
2. Dewi Nawang Wulan: A goddess from heaven who descended to bathe in a river. Her shawl was stolen by Jaka Tarub, preventing her return to heaven and forcing her to marry him. After finding her shawl, she returned to heaven but was expelled for being deemed impure. Disappointed and sad, she decided to defile herself at the southern beach and became its ruler.
3. Biding Laut (Batak Version): The daughter of Guru Tatea Bulan, who was very beautiful and kind-hearted. She was deceived by her jealous siblings and abandoned on an island. After marrying a king in Java, she was accused of infidelity. The king, deeply in love with her, told her to flee to Banten by sea, but her ship sank. The Batak people believe that Biding Laut became the Queen of the South Sea.
Nyi Roro Kidul: From Royal Princess to Sea Ruler
In Javanese mythology, Nyi Roro Kidul was originally human, a princess of the Pajajaran kingdom. The most popular version tells of Nyi Roro Kidul as Dewi Kadita, the beautiful daughter of the Sundanese Pajajaran kingdom in West Java, or the only daughter of King Munding Wangi, nicknamed “Sun Goddess.”
Her story begins when the king remarried Dewi Mutiara and had a son. Worried that Dewi Kadita would be chosen as heir to the throne, Dewi Mutiara ordered a shaman to curse her. The princess’s body was covered with scabies, boils, foul odors, and incessant itching that wouldn’t heal.
Although the king summoned all healers and shamans, none could cure her. Finally, under pressure from Dewi Mutiara, the king was forced to exile his daughter from the kingdom.
Dewi Kadita wandered for seven days and seven nights without direction until she reached the South Sea. There, she heard a supernatural voice commanding her to plunge into the ocean. After jumping in and swimming, the ocean water erased her skin disease without a trace, and she became even more beautiful. From that moment, she gained power over the South Sea and became the goddess known as Nyi Roro Kidul.
In local belief, Nyi Roro Kidul is the loyal assistant or prime minister of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul.
The Relationship Between Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and Nyi Roro Kidul
In Javanese belief, Nyi Roro Kidul is the prime minister or loyal assistant of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, leading the army of supernatural beings in the southern sea. According to the testimony of a spiritualist in 1998 who claimed to meet both at Parangtritis Beach:
- Kanjeng Ratu Kidul: Has yellowish skin with a bright white aura sparkling like diamonds surrounding her body
- Nyi Roro Kidul: Has darker brown skin with a milky white aura like thin neon light following her body contours
The spiritualist also stated that Nyi Roro Kidul is a supernatural being, a type of jinn who serves and studies under Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, tasked with controlling and calming the anger of mystical creatures along the southern coast of Java.
Places Considered "Gates" to the Mystical Kingdom
Yogyakarta's Philosophical Axis
The South Coast, especially Parangtritis Beach, holds extremely important symbolic value in Javanese culture. This beach is part of an “imaginary line” or philosophical axis of Yogyakarta known as the Mystical Trinity (Tritunggal Gaib):
- Mount Merapi (north) – symbolizes the upper world
- Yogyakarta Palace (center) – symbolizes the human world
- Parangtritis Beach (south) – symbolizes the lower world
This line is a symbolic and philosophical concept depicting the harmonious relationship between the spiritual world, humans, and nature.
Sacred Places
1. Parangtritis & Parangkusumo Beach (Yogyakarta): Known as the gateway to enter the kingdom of the Queen of the South Sea. Every night of Satu Suro, people offer sesamen (ritual offerings) as a form of respect.
2. Hotel Inna Samudra Room 308 (Pelabuhan Ratu): This hotel has Room 308 specifically reserved for Nyi Roro Kidul. The room is designed with the queen’s favorite colors, complete with paintings, offerings, and a keris (ceremonial dagger).
3. Gua Langse (near Parangtritis): Believed to be one of the entrances to the southern sea kingdom. Many people come to meditate, especially on Friday nights and Tuesday Kliwon.
4. Panggung Sanggabuwana at Surakarta Palace: A place where the Sultan of Surakarta converses with Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, especially during the full moon.
5. Karang Hawu Beach (Sukabumi): Believed to be Kanjeng Ratu Kidul’s residence. The name “Karang Hawu” or “Karang Wahyu” means “stone of revelation” or “stone that gives guidance,” adding to the sacred impression of this place.
Testimonies of Those Who Claim to Have Met Her
When interviewed, Anshori recounted his spiritual experience. He claimed to have fasted for 41 days and met the ruler of the South Sea (Nyi Roro Kidul). The figure was described as wearing all green clothing and smiling charmingly at him. Anshori mentioned that they only looked at each other and the figure smiled. When journalists asked further about what the figure did or details of their conversation, Anshori reportedly only smiled and chose to keep it secret.
In an interview, Ninik (who was about 50 years old at the time, originally from Bandung but residing in Banyuwangi) recounted that the figure visited her while she was sitting relaxed in her living room. According to her, the woman had smooth white skin, beautiful features, and a height exceeding that of normal women. She wore ancient Javanese traditional clothing fit for a queen with white patterns (liris), not green as in popular myth. She also wore a “Kupluk Kencana Emas” or golden crown on her head. There was a scarf wrapped around her neck that “always flew” between her hands, as if alive.
In the interview, she was quoted saying:
“She was beautiful, had smooth white skin, tall and large… Not the same as what’s on television.”
This statement is interesting because Ninik emphasized that the figure of Nyi Roro Kidul she saw wore white clothing, different from the popular depiction in soap operas or paintings that are associated with the color green.
Rituals and Traditions
Satu Suro Night
The night of 1 Suro is believed to be a sacred night in Javanese belief, symbolizing self-purification to become closer to the Creator in the new year and receive blessings. At Parangtritis Beach, this ritual includes:
- Prayers
- Casting offerings into the sea (melarung sesaji)
- Jamasan (cleansing sacred heirlooms)
- Tirakat (fasting, restraining desires, silence)
Labuhan Ritual
Derived from the word “labuh” meaning to throw away, place, or cast adrift. This ritual is performed in several places such as Parangtritis Beach, Mount Merapi, Mount Lawu, and Parangkusumo Beach.
The Labuhan Ritual is directly connected to the Yogyakarta Palace because of a mystical pact between Panembahan Senopati and Nyi Roro Kidul. It is performed annually or during important events such as the coronation of a new king.
Procession:
- The palace prepares ubarampe (agricultural produce, flowers, sultan’s belongings)
- Procession from the palace to the beach accompanied by gamelan
- Recitation of prayers
- Offerings are cast into the sea
The purpose is to maintain good relations between the Sultan and the mystical realm, to request protection and blessings from Nyi Roro Kidul for the palace, society, and nation. According to belief, if the ritual is not performed, bad things will happen, such as tourists going missing, declining marine yields, and ship crews drowning.
Believe It or Not?
The legend of the Queen of the South Sea, both Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and Nyi Roro Kidul, is an inseparable part of Indonesia’s cultural and spiritual wealth, especially in Java. Regardless of debates about its truth, these stories have been deeply rooted in people’s beliefs for centuries.
For some, this is merely a myth born from the ferocity of the Indian Ocean and ancestral respect for nature. For others including many fishermen, guardians, and even Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, Nyi Roro Kidul is real, and her taboos must still be respected.
Every time you set foot on the South Coast, the sea breeze seems to whisper:
“Don’t wear green… and don’t challenge me.”
What’s most important is respecting the beliefs held by local communities. This legend is not just about a mystical figure, but also contains philosophical values about:
- Harmonious relationships between humans and nature
- Respect for the forces of nature (especially the ocean)
- The importance of maintaining spiritual and physical balance
- Cultural heritage that must be preserved
Believe it or not, the legend of the Queen of the South Sea remains one of the most fascinating and enduring stories in Indonesia’s cultural treasure. A mystery that continues to spark curiosity from generation to generation.
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