For those who have just joined us: The article is the continuation of a series of the rulers of Santubong told us by a Dukun in Kampong Panglima Seman Llama near Kuching. For earlier rulers, see BorneoHistory.net.

The ruler Junjunan is connected with a fable about him and his hideous birthmark. One must always remember these stories were told in the kampongs before the advent of movies, television and the internet. The name Junjunan also appears in a sea Dayak dirge and in a pantun. This tells us there was a man named Jujunan who was a ruler in Santubong. These accounts are part of the Malay world.

Saganda Junjunan  (Indrana Junjunan) ~1242-1277

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NOTE

The name Raja Jenjenang appears in a Sea Dayak Dirge. (Howell 1911 p. 11 v. 21) The name also surfaces in Pantun Peransang by Ganjar anak Igu

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After the death of Indraka Sigat, he was replaced by Pangiran Sri Panduka Tuan Indranajunjunan. In the Tuca Kerabat he was known as Saganda Junjunan. He was married to Puteri Melan daughter of Datu Sagambal Petinggi of Semat Rotan (Sematan). They had a son named Pangiran Paduka Tuan Siagasangsana.

The Legend of Naga Ngemas Mirah Kunin

Towards the end of his rule, something unbelievable happened to the descendants of the Raja of Sri Indera Purik. This incident is known as the “Legend of Naga Ngemas Mirah Kunin”.

Saganda Jujunan had a huge birthmark on his face. The birthmark was called “bana api”. The bana api was only visible during the full moon. When the bana api appeared on his face, it looked frightening. The birthmark was not known to the public, only by the parents and the Dukun in the Astana. During the full moon, his parents hid him. After getting married, he asked his wife where in Semat Rotan there might be Dukun that could cure his weird disease.

According to the wife, there is a Dukun that has got supernatural power who mediated at a place called Tanjong Tumboh. He could perform miracles. His name was Datok Sarabang who moved from the Tanah Kayong area in Tanjompura (Tanjungpura) with his followers. He opened a place with the permission of Datu Sagambal on a beach fronting a bay. After listening to his wife, Saganda Junjunan sailed to Semat Rotan with his wife and father-in-law. He left his wife in Semat Rotan and told his father-in-law of his intention to travel to see Datok Sarabang and his father-in-law accompanied him to see the Dukun. When they arrived, he asked his father-in-law and his followers not to go with him to see Datok Sarabang. He asked Datok Sarabong if he could be rid of the birthmark. Datok Sarabang said that the cure for the birthmark was through Semengat Laut. (the spirit of the sea). He then taught Junjunan a mantra of how to communicate and ask a cure of the sea spirit. Junjunan was so happy that there was a cure. With that, he changed the name of the place where the Dukun lived to Telok Sarabang after the Dukun’s name.

The Raja went back to Santubong. He practised the chant that was given to him by Datok Sarabang. During the full moon, he isolated himself from people for seven days. When he was small, he would isolate himself in a secluded room and continue until he married. During the early part of his marriage, he told his wife he was meditating until he found a way to cure his problem. He secretly went to the beach to communicate with the Spirit of the Sea to achieve the cure. This ritual continued for many months for seven days during the full moon. 

Meanwhile, his wife gave birth to a child. The wife did not suspect anything until the child reached six years old, when, one night during the full moon, his wife saw Junjunan sneaking out of the meditation room. At first, the wife didn’t care, but the following month, the wife peeped in his room to see whether he was there or not. The first night of the full moon, she saw him sneaking to the beach. On the second night, she saw him again and became suspicious. She thought he was having an affair with someone. During the fourth night after the full moon, the wife quietly followed him. She saw that Junjunan went to the sea and sat on a “Batu Boyak”. (a huge bolder shaped like a crocodile) When he sat down, he talked to the spirit. She became jealous because she thought he was talking to a lover. She really thought he was having an affair. Furthermore, she walked down to him and when he turned, the wife saw his face in the moonlight, It was a very frightening face and she fainted.

Junjunan carried his wife back home. When they reached the Astana, (palace) he told the helpers that his wife had fainted. Her conditioned worsened and she was felled by a stroke. She could not move or talk. After the third last day of his meditation, he came out of his room to see his sick wife. When the wife noticed her husband, she fainted again. This time she lay in a coma for three days. Then she died.

After the death of his wife, he could not hide his affliction anymore. He ordered his people not to look at his face during the full moon. He had to wear a mask to deal with people during the week. Ever since then, every full moon of every night, he would go to the seaside to continue seeking a cure from the spirit. His effort continued until his son, Pangiran Molia Tuan Siagasangsana, reached 18 years old.

When he was calling upon the spirits on the seventh night, he saw a white thing under a bright light on the surface of the sea. A wave hit the beach, brought it to the shore. It was round and as big as a human head, and white in color. He picked it up and saw it was a huge egg. “Is this cure that the Spirit of the Sea has sent to me?” he asked himself. He brought that egg back to the palace and waited for the next full moon to occur. While waiting for the full moon to come, he dreamed of being approached by a very pretty lady. The lady told him the cure was to eat all the egg white without drinking water, but to avoid the yolk. He was sure the egg was the cure for his affliction.

Before the full moon, when his birthmark was not visible on his face, he took the egg and put it on a “Panggo” table. Junjunan became so kejeron (excited) and impatient for the full moon to arrive. However, he was so excited that he forgot how to eat the egg correctly. The night came, and he broke the egg and ate part of the egg white. He left the rest of the egg white together with the egg yolk. However, the ugly birthmark still appeared upon the rise of the full moon. He looked at his face and when he saw the birthmark was still there, he became angry and upset. He then ate the rest of the egg, yolk and all. 

He did not know it at first, and he became enraged that his birthmark was still there. In his angry state, the officials in the palace asked why he was so furious. He told him he had eaten the whole egg, but his face was still so frightening. When one of the ministers, Indra Amar, heard him, and he said there was no birthmark and your face looks normal. After listening, he looked into the mirror and found the birthmark was gone. He was so overjoyed that he gazed at his face until he fell asleep.

When the dawn came, he felt very feverish and his throat was dry. He was so thirsty. His skin became scaly. He drank water and wet his body. But the heat and thirst were still there. Junjunan drank all the water in the palace. The palace officers advised him not to drink anymore. He became very weak and lifeless. His followers took water from the palace well for him to drink. When daylight came, the water in the well was gone. He then asked his followers to bring water from the town well. He drank all of that. Furthermore, he kept on asking for water. The water in the wells dried up. The officers told him to go to the river or the sea to drink. When he was given the river water, the fever and thirst was still there, but when he was given the seawater, his thirst and fever was gone. He asked what he was given to drink, and he was told it was seawater. When he reached the seaside, he soaked in the sea and kept on drinking the seawater. At some point, he transformed. His body became long, his head turned into a snake head with a wad of thick hair. He also had four legs. He walked up to the beach as he didn’t realize he had changed into a beast.

When he walked up the beach, he turned to look at his son and officers and was surprised to see the fright on their faces. He asked them why they looked so scared. His son cried out in fear and told him he had transformed. He looked at his body and then realized he had changed form into “Srisakti”, a magical dragon like beast, and he was known as Naraga (dragon).

The incident made all the people of Sri Indera Purik sad, so they went back home and Junjunan and the son went back to the palace. Junjunan could not enter the palace because of his form and he stayed outside the Astana, and he cried all day until he fell asleep.

He dreamed of being approached by a white dragon. It changed into a beautiful lady. The lady said he will not go back to his original form because Junjunan had violated the law about eating the yolk. With that, he was appointed as guidance of Laut Kaliman (Kaliman sea), the parts of the South China Sea (the sea stretched from Kalaka to Pulau Sarasan now) by the ruler of the Southern Sea. He lived in the sea near Pulau Lakir, and he was given the title “Nahaga Ngemas Mirah Kunin”. (a red and gold colored dragon)

The following day, he called for his son to call the family members, persons of the palace and all the people of Indera Purik. Junjunan told them of his experiences and that he could no longer be their King. He ordered that his son Pangiran Indra Molia to become King of Indra Purik. Whoever disrespects his son will be killed. He also taught his son the “Tuca Manunggah” (taught by Datok Sarabang). He also told the son that whenever Indera Purik needs help, he was to recite the “Tuca Manungah”  together with the burning of 99 Ikan Sembilang (fish) at the sea side at Sri Indera Purik. He also said he will come and visit Sri Indera Purik when the sky is yellowish and red. He told them to please have seven bowls of water mixed with salt. It was almost dusk and he went back to the sea. The atmosphere changed to red and yellow. The son and everyone were so sad.

BorneoHistory.net