Mount Merapi, which is in the middle of the island of Java, was originally Mount Jamurdwipa, a towering mountain located in the southern sea of ​​Java.

How did Mount Jamurdwipa move to the middle of the island of Java and become Mount Merapi?

Follow the story of the origin of Mount Merapi below:

According to the folklore of Central Java, long ago the island of Java was not yet inhabited by humans.

The area of ​​the island of Java at that time was still a lot of wilderness inhabited by wild animals and supernatural beings.

Only a few parts of the island of Java are inhabited by humans in groups and live on the move due to its inhospitable natural conditions.

The small number of human inhabitants of the island of Java did not know that the condition of the island of Java at that time tilted to the south. Read also The Origin of Mount Merapi.

Java Island Leaning
The slope of the island of Java began to worry the gods in heaven.

They worry that the whole island of Java will sink into the southern sea.

Not only humans will drown, but also wild animals.

The gods finally negotiated to find a solution to this problem.

After a long deliberation, the gods finally agreed to use Mount Jamurdwipa as a ballast for the island of Java.

The gods planned to move Mount Jamurdwipa to the center of the island of Java so that the soil conditions would be balanced.

The gods then told the supernatural beings that inhabited Mount Jamurdwipa to move, because Mount Jamurdwipa would be lifted and moved to the island of Java.

Likewise with the island of Java in the middle, the gods sent Dewa Panyarik and Batara Narada to tell the inhabitants of the place to move.

Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama Refuse to Move
In the central part of the island of Java, which is a jungle, there are only two master kris-making masters named Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama.

Both of them were currently making keris.

When Dewa Panyarik and Batara Narada met Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama, the two messengers of the gods were amazed by the skill of making the keris of the two masters.

They mixed various types of metal using their bare hands, twisted and hammered them together without the aid of any tools.

Amazingly, the two hands of the master were not at all burned by the hot flames.

When the messenger of the gods told the two masters to move immediately, the two masters refused.

They reasoned that keris making had to be done until it was finished, otherwise the safety of mankind would be threatened.

Dewa Panyarik explained that the condition of the island of Java had tilted so that the location had to be vacated immediately to plant Mount Jamurdwipa as a balance.

But Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama still refused the requests of the gods.

After all this time of arguing, a fight was inevitable.

Dewa Panyarik and Batara Narada attacked the two masters, assisted by the heavenly soldiers.

Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama also fought back by exerting all their powers.

This battle lasted a long time and dragged on considering the supernatural powers of Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama were apparently able to balance the powers of the messengers of the gods.

The Origin of Mount Merapi
While in heaven, Batara Guru was annoyed by this situation.

If allowed to drag on, the island of Java will sink into the southern sea.

Finally, Batara Guru ordered Dewa Bayu to move Mount Jamurdwipa to the center of Java without paying attention to the safety of Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama.

Dewa Bayu departed to the south.

With his supernatural powers, Dewa Bayu blew Mount Jamurdwipa so that it flew in the sky and fell right in the middle of the island of Java.

Mpu Permadi and Mpu Rama died when they were hit by Mount Jamurdwipa.

Because they had dared to oppose the gods to move from that place, Mpu Permadi's spirit and Mpu Rama's spirit were not accepted in the afterlife.

So the two masters became the guardians of Mount. This is the origin of Mount Merapi.

Even though they have died, the powers of the two masters are still there.

The keris that they were working on, still emitted a flame.

The embers could not be extinguished except by the two masters.

Over time, the embers of the fire continued to grow and burned the rocks and soil of Mount Merapi to make a large hole.