THE LEGEND OF PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG (Princess of Ledang Mountain).

Most people in Malaysia knows the legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, however, not many realised this legend happened in the district of Muar, north of Melaka. According to Malay belief in the old days, there was a beautiful jin princess who lived on top of Ledang Hill and was called Puteri Gunung Ledang. The princess had seven sisters originated from Java. Her other relatives in Malay peninsular were Puteri Gunung Banang in Batu Pahat, Puteri Gunung Panti in Kota Tinggi and Puteri Gunung Beremban in border of Johor and Pahang. These jin princesses cannot be seen by human beings. However, some people like Malay traditional medicine man and people who lost their way in the forest, sometimes meet and talk to them. According to the Malay story told verbally, Puteri Gunung Ledang stayed at the top of Gunung Mahligai (Mahligai Mountain). She had a lover who lived on top of Gunung Rundok (Rundok Mountain). Every night the mountain top of Gunung Rundok will approach near Gunung Mahligai, and the two lovers met and spend the time until early morning. After a few years, one night, while spending the time together, they did not realised the time had passed early morning. The act was against the curse of jins causing the mountain top of Gunung Rundok slanted (condong) until today. If we were to climb Gunung Ledang from Kampung Asahan (Asahan Village) in Melaka, we will encounter a deep crater before reaching the mountain top. This large crater was belief to saperate the mountain top of Gunung Rundok and Gunung Mahligai along Mount Ledang.

The mountain top of Gunung Rundok cannot straightened itself. So the jin prince have to stay at the top of Gunung Mahligai together with Puteri Gunung Ledang and were married. After the wedding, they went for honeymoon to Pulau Besar (Besar Island) at the Straits of Melaka. One day, while Puteri Gunung Ledang was sewing under a coconut tree at the seaside, her husband came from behind to surprise her jokingly. She was shocked and accidently stabbed her husband's hand with her sewing pin. Immediately, her husband fell to the ground and died, as it was a curse on him to die if stabbed by a pin. She was very sad and hug her husband's body and said: "Oh my love, Putera Mambang,I swear I will never marry again until I die." She went back to Gunung Ledang soon after. MARRIAGE PROPOSAL TO PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG. As the story goes, wife of Sultan Mahmud of Melaka died and he mourned for her death for quite a while. This caused some concern among the heads and ministers of Melaka. They asked the sultan to get married again. Quite a number of beautiful princesses and daughters of ministers and nobles were presented to His Majesty. he refused them all with all kind of reasons. His Majesty still loves his late wife. One day, while His Majesty was missing her late wife, his Bendahara (Prime Minister) came and presented the story of Puteri Gunung Ledang to him. The Bendahara suggested to His Majesty to marry Puteri Gunung Ledang and becomes his queen. His Majesty agreed. A few days later, His Majesty send a team of messenger to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang. The team consist of

his famous general Hang Tuah and Sang Setia. Tun Mamat was the sherpa. During their journey, they reached the foot of the mountain. There was heavy storm and they could not climb up and Hang Tuah have aged. Tun Mamat went alone through rough terrain and through deep forest, until he managed to reached the mountain top of Gunung Ledang. He was surprised to discovered a beautiful garden full of flowers with birds chirping and flying around it. The garden gives a very extraordinarily beautiful and happy feeling. While Tun Mamat were impressed with the beauty he encountered, an old lady came an called him. "Who are you, and where are you going?" asked the old lady. "I am Tun Mamat from Melaka, instructed by His Majesty Sultan Mahmud to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang, and may I know who are you?" asked Tun Mamat curiously. "I am Dang Raya Rani, servant ot Puteri Gunung Ledang. If that is what you wish, please wait a moment, while I refer this to Her Majesty." answered the old lady. She disappeared for a moment and came reappeared after a while and said, "Tun Mamat, please send Puteri Gunung Ledang's regards to His Majesty . Her Majesty said, if His Majesty want to make her his queen, His Majesty must grant her these special presents that is 7 trays of mosquito's heart, 7 trays of germ's heart, one barrel of tears, one barrel of young pinang juice, one bowl of His Majesty's blood and one bowl of blood of His Majesty's son, Raja Ahmad. She also requested His Majesty to build a silver bridge connecting Melaka and Gunung Ledang. Tun Mamat went down to Hang Tuan and Sang Setia and they return to Melaka. The wishes of Puteri Gunung Ledang were presented to His Majesty and he agreed to grant it all except to give one bowl of his son Raja Ahmad's blood.

Puteri Gunung Ledang's nonsensical wishes for those special gifts were just an excuse not to accept the marriage proposal from His Majesty the Sultan of Melaka as she is still loyal to her late husband who died in Pulau Besar. Contributed by Hassni Bin Hussin's Web Site (Bahasa Malaysia)