Petrifaction myths and legends appear in human cultures all around the world. Very often they carry a warning or are the result of a punishment. In many cases they can be either inspired by a geological feature such as a rock formation or the name given to the feature is inspired by folklore. Presented next is a retelling of a folktale from Sumatra, Indonesia that carries an important warning about how grown up children should respect their mother.
Malin Kundang
The story begins in a poor fishing village on the coast of Sumatra where a poor widow struggled to bring up her young son whom she had named Malin Kundang. They existed on a meager living scraped from fishing. Nevertheless the mother loved her son very much and worked hard to give him the best that she could. Thanks to her hard work, love and dedication Malin grew into a healthy and clever boy who was always willing to help his mother to earn some money. However, no matter how hard they worked they could not escape poverty.
One day Malin had an idea and went to his mother and. said,
“Mother, if I stay here I will never have a life. I don’t want to spend all my life in poverty and I want to be a rich and successful man. What would you say if I told you I wanted to leave the village and sail away to find my fortune?”
Although his mother was devastated at the thought of her only son leaving her alone she swallowed her bitter tears and told him,
“My son, If that us your heart’s desire I cannot stop you. Although it breaks my heart that you are leaving I will pray that you find happiness and your heart’s desire, but promise me that when you have found every thing that you dream of you will not forget me and come home again to your mother who will be waiting patiently for your return.”
Malin then told his mother he did indeed want to leave which broke her heart. In the morning he went down to the harbor and found a ship that would take him on a one of the crew. His mother came and bid him farewell and after embracing him for a long time said,
“Farewell my son, take good care. I will pray for you, but I fear you will forget me!”
Then he told his mother,
“You take good care of yourself mother! I promise I will keep in touch and will not forget you and return as soon as I can.”
Again his mother embraced him tightly not wanting to let go until finally he turned away and walked up the gangplank onto the ship. She watched as the ship carrying her only son slid silently over the horizon into the rising sun and then returned to her home alone.
His Mother’s Vigil
Three months passed and although Malin’s mother prayed every night and every morning for her son she received not a single word or token from him. The months turned to years and his mother still prayed day and night for her son’s safety and that he would find his heart’s desire. Every morning and every evening she would go down to the harbor to see what new ships had come hoping that one would bring her son back to her and would stand in silent prayer looking out over the horizon..
Several years passed in this way and one morning as she stood looking out to sea she was surprised to see an unusually big ship sail out of the blue and dock in the harbor at the point where she held her lonely vigil.
Malin Returns
By The original uploader was Geoethno at German Wikipedia (Original text: Amsterdam, Buffa) (Van de Velde: Gezigten uit Neerlands Indie) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
“Malin, Malin, my beloved son you gave come back to me!”
Shock and disappointment overcame her as the young man coldly stared straight ahead and showed no response whatsoever.
“I have prayed day and night for you and missed you so much and now my prayers are answered and you have returned to me!”
Rejection
In truth, Malin felt embarrassment at the sight of this poor old woman dressed in rags. He thought of his own wealth and fine clothes, he thought of all his servants and bodyguards and he thought of the beautiful young woman on his arm. Although he knew she was his mother he felt ashamed and embarrassed at her poverty and his own humble origins and did not want to let on about his past life to his companion.
Roughly, he thrust his mother away and glared coldly at her saying,
“You are not my mother! My mother would never wear such poor and ragged clothes. I don’t know you, go way!”
Shocked and distressed his mother stepped back, sobbing and said,
“Malin, I am your mother stop teasing me! I have waited so long to see you again you must know me!”
But Malin stared coldly and dispassionately ahead with his face fixed and his eyes cold. Turning to one of his bodyguards he said,
“Guard, take this ragged old beggar woman out of my sight! Give her some money to be rid of her!”
And the guard grasped the old lady by her arm and dragged her roughly away, all the time she was crying out,
“Malin! Oh Malin my long lost son! Why do you treat me so cruelly?”
Mail ignored his mother’s pleas and ordered the ship to make ready to sail. He and his beautiful lady returned to the ship which set sail and sailed stately out of the harbor.
Poor Malin’s mother was left distraught and sobbing upon the harbor as the ship sailing upon a calm and quiet sea and disappeared over the horizon. Anguish and hurt coursed through her body which turned to anger and she fell upon her knees and prayed,
“Dear God, if that young man was not my son bless him with a safe journey and a safe return home. If he was Malin, my son, I curse him that as soon as he sets foot on land that he may turn to stone.”
So it was that beyond the horizon the ship ran into a storm that whipped the calm and quiet sea into a frenzy. As thunder rolled and lightning flashed and the rain lashed down the ship was taken by the wild waves and was shipwrecked. Malin struggled against the giant waves but eventually made it to a beach called Air Manis, near Padang, West Sumatra.
Turned to Stone
The Malin Kundang Stone – By Crisco 1492 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
© 26/07/2017 zteve t evans
References, Attributions and Further Reading
Copyright July 26th, 2017 zteve t evans
- Malin Kundang – Wikipedia
- Indonesian Folklore (Folklore Indonesia): Malin Kundang
- Malin Kundang (a.k.a Si Tanggang) | Urban Legend Wiki | Fandom
- Pixabay – LoggaWiggler – CC0 Public Domain
- By The original uploader was Geoethno at German Wikipedia (Original text: Amsterdam, Buffa) (Van de Velde: Gezigten uit Neerlands Indie) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
- By Crisco 1492 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Malin Kundang Stone – By Crisco 1492 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Under the influence! 
![By The original uploader was Geoethno at German Wikipedia (Original text: Amsterdam, Buffa) (Van de Velde: Gezigten uit Neerlands Indie) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bild-Westkueste_Sumatra.JPG){kind=link}
Oh wow I really got into reading this one! So many myths to learn about, thank you 🙂
And thanks to you too, appreciated!
Hi is the stone real..? I heard it juz a carving man made..
I honestly have no idea but its a good story.
Embarrassed by his mother since she is poor… I wonder whether he is an entitled brat and killed families for their riches.
What ever he was he got what he deserved. Always look after your mother! Thanks for commenting.