EF #16 Challenge: The Legend of Dampo Awang

‘Dampo Awang’ – Illustrated by fahrizal182.deviantart.com

Does anyone know about Dampo Awang Legend?

When BEC asked us to share what values we got from tales, I remembered this legend. Actually, I have so many tales from my school-life, especially when I was in elementary school. But, the one I remember the most is Dampo Awang Legend.

Here is the short story.

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Once upon a time, there was a poor widow who lived with her 4 sons. She worked hard to send her sons to school. She believed that education could help them someday.

One day, all of her sons wanted her to let them wander to the city. The woman didn’t want they left home because she didn’t have money to finance the travel. But, her sons begged the woman, “We will be okay without money, Mom. We will work hard there for you, to get a better life.”

Finally, the woman let them go. Of course without money. She brake a plate into 4 parts then gave each of her son a piece of plate. “If one of you gets success, please, do not forget your mother and your brothers. Use those pieces to find your brothers back by combining it.”

After a long time living alone, the woman could not work anymore. She was too old. In this situation, she remembered that someone told her about her sons a couple of weeks ago. Someone said that her sons have got a great success and became rich. The woman went to the city to find her sons. She wore bad clothes, because she didn’t have anything to wear.

Luckily, she found her eldest son. Her son asked her to live together, “Don’t go home, Mom,” he said.

“No, I want to see your brothers. I want to see all of them,” she said.

Then, her eldest son tried to reach all of people in the city to find his brothers by combining his piece of the plate. But, after found all of his brothers, one of them, his name was Dampo Awang, refused to concede the woman as his mother.

“She is not my mother. I’m ashamed to have mother like a tramp!”
Dampo Awang kicked out his brothers and mother from his home. The woman, and her 3 sons left Dampo Awang’s home.

“My son, storm will drown you and your richdom down into the sea,” cursed the woman.

Then, those words became truth. When Dampo Awang sailed to an island, his ship got an accident and sank into the sea. This is the result of Dampo Awang being seditious towards his mother he drowned deep into the sea.

***

I still remember that I used to read this story again and again. The story was written in Indonesian Language Course Book in elementary school. But, before rewriting that story here, to make sure I got the plots right, I browsed internet and found this version.

This story tells us not to disobey our parents. And never to give up our parents.

To me, almost of all tales that are available in my elementary school want us not to be a bad person to parents. I don’t know why. At time, it seemed like the government wanted my generation to honor our parents. The government had an issue about it and tried hard to put that value in our mind. I haven’t see yet which tales kids at the elementary school get nowadays. Is that about Tiger Man? Werewolf? Superheroes? Or even Vampire?

Although, I still crash into tales in my childhood. Like this Dampo Awang story, we can learn moral value, about loving our parents and working hard. Oya, I do like this legend maybe because there is an unique point. I like the woman’s idea by giving pieces of a plate, and using that things to find another sons. It was so traditional but cool! 😎

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Hey, this post was a submission for English Friday Challenge. It has been corrected by Mrs. Lorrain.