Lutung Kasarung

[6] In the heaven called Svargaloka, there lived a handsome and powerful god named Batara Guruminda Kahyangan.

As punishment, he was cursed and banished from heaven and incarnated upon earth as a black lutung monkey, in which body he was condemned to live until he could learn humility and earn the sincere love of a woman.

Meanwhile, on earth, Prabu Tapa Agung, the aging king of Pasir Batang, had two daughters: Purbararang and Purbasari.

This illness was regarded as a curse from the gods, so Purbasari was exiled from the palace and driven to live in a shack in the jungle.

One of these was a black monkey named Lutung Kasarung, who was the cursed god Guruminda, and who had magical powers and could talk with humans.

One morning, Purbasari awoke and was surprised to find herself in a beautiful palace—Lutung Kasarung had transformed her humble shack into a palace overnight.

Purbararang then ordered Purbasari to make a dam and dry up the Lubuk Sipatahunan wetlands, so that she could catch the fish in them.

The man, who was Lutung Kasarung temporarily transformed back into his form as Guruminda, gave his fish to Purbasari, and then vanished.

Undaunted, Purbararang made a new demand to Prabu Tapa Agung: that he choose as his successor the daughter who had the most handsome fiancé.

This was a competition that she was confident she could win since she had the handsome Indrajaya and Purbasari had no man to support her—only an ugly black monkey.

The people ridiculed her decision; but at that moment, the curse was broken since he finally earned the sincere love of Purbasari, and Lutung Kasarung resumed his form as Guruminda.

In one last effort, Purbararang asked Indrajaya to fight Guruminda in a pencak silat martial art combat.

[7][1][8][9] It was first brought to the public in 1921 by Bandung regent RA Wiranatakusumah in the form of gending karesmen; a drama using traditional music.