LegendofBadang,AncientSingapuras

Titanandwarchief

SoyouhaveseentheSingaporesNDP2016?AndyouwerescratchingyourheadastowhoBadang
was?Oryouthinkthestorydisplayedwastoooverthetop?Therewereseveraldifferencesofthat
storysversiontotheoriginalone.LetuspeerintothemistsoflegendsandlearntheLegendofBadang
asitwastrulydescribed.
BadangwasoriginallyaslaveinSayong(locatedatwhatisnowthestateofJohor),whosejobwasto
cleartheforestforsettlement/growingcrops.Hehadsetafishtrapintherivertocatchfishesforhimto
eat.Oneday,hediscoveredonlyfishscalesandbonesinsidehisfishtrap.Thiswentonforseveraldays.
Totallyfedupwithsomebodyseatinghiscaughtfishes,Badanghidhimselfandwatchedhisfishtrap
fromafar.Theculprit,ashesoondiscovered,wasawaterspirit.Withfieryeyes,hairsofrattananda
longbeardcomingdownhisnavel,thewaterspiritlookedformidableindeed.
Nevertheless,Badangresolvedtoconfrontthethiefandso,armedwithaparang,herushedforward
andmanagedtocatchthewaterspiritbyhisbeard,threateningtokillhim.
UnabletoreleasehimselffromBadangsgrasp,andtrulyfearingforhislife,thewaterspiritoffered
Badangachoiceofthreegifts:wealth,invisibilityorsuperhumanstrength.
Badangchosethelastoption,tobesostrongthatheisabletopullouthugeandtallgrowntreeswith
theirrootsoutofthegroundandbreakthemintotwo.
ThewaterspiritinformedBadangthattogainthatsuperhumanstrengthability,hehadtoeatthewater
spiritsvomit.Notdauntedbythisrevoltingrequirement,Badangagreed.Andsowhateverthewater
spiritvomitedout,Badangateitinreturn.
Oncethewaterspirithadfinishedvomiting,Badang,notlettinggoofthewaterspirit,proceededtotest
hisnewlygainedsuperhumanstrength.Afterconfirmingthatheindeedhassuperhumanstrength,he
releasedthewaterspirit.
Badangthenproceededtocleartheforest,anareasowidewithinashortspanoftime.Hismastersaw
thisvastnewlyclearedareaandaskedBadanghowhedidit.Badanginformedhimofthegiftfromthe
waterspirit.GratefulforBadangsservice,hismasterfreedhim.
Thenewsofhissuperhumanstrengthspread,BadangwassoonsummonedbytheKingofSingapura,
SeriRanaWikrama,andwasmadeahulubalang(warchief).Oneofhisfirstorderswastolayathickand
heavysteelchainacrossaspotattheSingapuraRiver,sothatshipswereunabletopassoverit.

Soon,thefameofBadang,possessorofsuperhumanstrength,spreadtoIndia.AnIndiankingordered
hisgreatestandstrongestwarriortotraveltoSingapura,bringingalongsevenshiploadsworthof
treasure.TheIndianwarriorwasorderedtochallengeBadang,withthesevenshiploadsworthof
treasureasthestake.IfBadanglost,thenSingapurawillneedtoconcedesevenshiploadsoftreasureof
herown.
HavingarrivedatSingapura,theIndianwarriorwastednotimeinchallengingBadang.Infrontofthe
palacecourt,therewasahugeboulder.SoBadangandtheIndianwarrioragreedtotesttheirstrength
toseewhocanlifttheboulderlongerandhigherthantheother.
TheIndianwarriorwentfirst,andaftermuchexertion,managedtoliftthebouldertohisknees.Whenit
wasBadangsturn,hetookadeepbreath,liftedthebouldertoabovehishead,andhurleditmightily
acrosstherivertothelandonthemouthoftheSingapuraRiver.TheIndianwarriorconcededdefeat,
andhiskingdomssevenshiploadsworthoftreasurewashandedovertoSingapuraasthevictorsprize.
NewsofBadangwinningthecontestofstrengthspreadthroughouttheMalayStraits.IntheMalay
KingdomofPerlak(locatedatwhatisnowtheeasterncoastoftheislandofSumatra),thereliveda
warriorcalledBendarang.Acompetitiveman,hewasproudofhisowngreatstrengthandwassurethat
heisabletodefeatBadanginanevencontestofstrength.TheKingofPerlakagreedtosendBendarang
toSingapura,accompaniedbyaMangkubumi(Minister)TunPerpatehPandak.
TunPerpatehPandakandBendarangsailedtoSingapura.Oncetheyarrive,theypaidtheirrespectsto
theKingofSingapura,SeriRanaWikramainhisCourt.SeriRanaWikramaenquiredthepurposeoftheir
visit.TunPerpatehPandakexplainedthatPerlakwouldliketohaveBendarangtesthisstrengthagainst
thatofBadang.Whomeverloses,thekingdomwhichlostwouldneedtoconcedeawarehousefullload
of(valuable)contents.SeriRanaWikramaagreedtoacceptthechallengeanddeclaredthecontestwill
takeplacethenextday.
SeriRanaWikramatheninformedBadangofthechallengebythewarriorfromtheKingdomofPerlak.
BadangrepliedthatBendarangisnomeanwarrior,heisfamousthroughouttheStraitsforhisstrength
aswell.HewishedtotesthisstrengthagainstBendarangdiscreetly,soastoascertainwhetherhecould
winthecontest.
SeriRanaWikramaagreedwithBadangssuggestion.Whennightfell,heorderedafeasttobeheldat
thepalaceandinvitedthepartyfromPerlaktojoinin.BendarangandBadangwereassignedtositside
byside.Beingseatedcrossleggedcheekbyjowlwithoneanother,Bendarangdiscreetlypressedhis
kneedowntothatofBadang.BadangmanagedtoliftBendarangskneeeffortlessly.Then,itwashis
turntopresshiskneeagainstthatofBendarang.Triedashemight,Bendarangwasunabletolift
Badangskneefromhisown.
Hiddenbythetable,thediscreetunofficialcontestofstrengthbetweenBadangandBendarangwasnot
noticedbytheotherswhoattendedthefeast.Onlybothofthemwereawareofwhathadtakenplace.
Afterafewhours,whenthemenofPerlakhadsatisfiedthemselveswiththefoodanddrinksandgotten
themselvesdrunkaswell,theyseekpermissiontoreturntheirship.

AfterthePerlakspartyhadleftthefeast,BadanginformedSeriRanaWikramathenheisableto
proceedwiththecontest.
AtthePerlaksship,BendarangmetwithTunPerpatehPandakandrevealedtohimwhathadhappened
earlieratthefeastbetweenhimandBadang.TunPerpatehPandakreassuredBendarang,sayingthathe
wouldtakecareofthesituation.
Thenextmorning,thePerlaksmenwenttopaytheirrespectstoSeriRanaWikrama.TunPerpateh
Pandaksmoothlyrequestedtocancelthecontest,soastopreservethegoodrelationsbetween
SingapuraandPerlak.SeriRanaWikramasmileddiplomatically,andwithoutfurtherado,agreedwith
TunPerpatehPandaksrequest.
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TheabovestorywaswhatthebooktitledSulalatusSalatin(TheDescent/RuleofKings)ormore
commonlyknownastheSejarahMelayu(MalayAnnals)hadnarratedaboutBadang.Sounds
suspiciouslylikefiction,right?
Beforeyoudecide,therewasonelastinformationaboutBadangthatwasmentioned.
WhenBadangdied,hewasburiedNOTinSingapura,asperwhatwasbelieved,butatBuruIsland.
WhereisthisBuruIslandyoumightask?Here,letmeshowyou.

Asyoucansee,theBuruIsland(orPulauBuruinMalay)islocatedsouthwestofSingapore,westof
BatamandBintanislands.

Whyareweinterestedinthisnuggetofinformation?
Well,atthecentreoftheisland,liesagrave.Whosegraveisthat,youmightask?

NoneotherthanthatofBadangs.
AndwhatabouttheSingaporeStone,alsomentionedduringtheNDP2016?
Well,thatsanotherstoryforanothertime.

==AnderiguruBugis==
==LaksamanaSriwijaya===
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