Myth of Ratu Kidul

Along time ago there was a famous king, by the name of King Mundingsari, who ruled the Kingdom of Pajajaran, West Java. He had a beautiful daughter, called Dyah Retno Suwedho.

The princess wanted to have greater power than her father, which incurred her father's displeasure. Therefore, he changed her daughter from a common human being into a spirit, ruling over the South-Sea. These were all the consequences of the curse uttered by the king: first, his daughter's power would be greater than his, but only there, in the South-Sea or Indian Ocean between Central and East Java; and second, later on the she would become the guardian of the kings of Java.

Ratu Kidul or the Queen of the South was extraordinarily beautiful, as beautiful as the fairy Wilutama, in the heavenly kingdom of the gods, and she was able to appear differently several times a day. Sometimes her face appeared old; at sunrise, she would appear as a maiden; at 9 a.m. as a bereaved widow; at 11 a.m. as a fairy at noon as Dewi Ngurawan, a goodess; and, exactly 12 o'clock as the Princes of Kediri. When the sun was setting in the west, she would look like Banowati, the Queen of Hastinapura; and, about 3 o'clock she would appear like Dewi Ratih, the goddess of love, and when in a blue mood she would appear like Dewi Kemuda.

The Queen of South was indeed more powerful than all genii or spirits, and she was able to change herself into a man as well as a woman. All spirits on the island of Java were submissive to her, except the King of he Spirits of Galuh. His name was Begawan Krendawahana, a Brahman at Guwatrusan. However, the bare fact was that the Queen of the South was spirit who had the appearance of a giantess as it was written in the History of Demak. At the time Sunan Kadilangu escorted Senopati to Kraton Kidul or Southern Place, he saw the Queen sleeping and snoring. Her body wa huge, with very large breasts, and, moreover, she was caked. Sunan Kadilangu advised Senopati was enchanted by her beauty, and made love to her, and even married her.

Up to now, it is believed that the Queen of the South has always been close to the kings of Java. For example, during the coronation of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X in 1989 some of the guests who attended the ceremony had seen her. It was said that she wore a transparent green "Kebaya" with a red inner cloth, a kind of long torso, and that she was very beautiful. She was said to present right among the guests.