Place: Harau Valley
There are a couple of theories about the etymology of the name, according to the Indonesian wikipedia page for Harau Valley.
- Harau is related to the word "parau," which means hoarse. This name came about because residents in the past suffered frequent floods and landslides, which caused panic. Frequent histerical screaming resulted in hoarse voices over time (translation from the Indonesian).
- Another popular legend about the formation of Harau is related to the legend of Puti Sari Banilai.
In the past times, before setting sail, Maulana Kari, the Hindustani King along with this queen, Sari Banun, celebrated the engagement of their daughter Sari Banilai with Bujang Juaro. They took an oath that if Sari Banilai reneged on her promised engagement, she would turn into stone. if Bujang Juaro broke his vows, he'd become a naga (a kind of mystical serpent). The ship carrying Maulana Kari, his wife, and his daughter was swept away, landing stuck between two big hills. So they don't drift away, Maulana Kari tethered the boat to a rock. The sailing ship was safe. Rajo Dara Putiah, the ruler of the Harauu Valley at the time, gave permission for the family of Maulana Kari to stay. He became resigned to the fact he wouldn't be able to return home. Because he didn't know the fate of his daughter, he took the initiative to marry Sari Banilai with Rambun Pada, a youth of Harau. They married and gave birth to a child.
One day the game of this child fell into the sea and s/he called to their mother to fetch the game. Sari Banilai threw herself into the sea to fetch it and was swept away by big waves. She was dragged along until she became stuck between the big rocks. Then she prayed that the water around her would recede. She was reminded of her oath, worried sh was destined to be condemned to become a stone. While she prayed to God, she requested her household goods be brought to her and place beside the stone that trapped her. Gradually her feet became stiff and turned into stone. However, her body was different. The stone which takes the shape of a mother swaddling her child in one section of the Harau Valley is believed to be Sari Banilai who fell victim to her oath. This story is still alive in the community that lives in the Harau Valley and is known as Randai Sari Banilai and has become one of the traditional arts of the Harau Valley community.
This mythic story has been translated and paraphrased from the story presented on the wikipedia page cited above. The stories that people tell about places are significant.
