The Legend of Telaga Biru
Telaga Biru is a lake situated in Mamuya Village, Galela District, North Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia. It was named so because the water is pure and bluish (“Telaga Biru” means “Blue Lake”). Based on the story, the lake was formed by the tears of a lady called Majojaru, which were shed over the adversity that befell her lover, Magohiduuru. What is the misfortune? Find out in the following story of The Legend of Lake Telaga Biru!
In ancient time, there was a hamlet called Lisawa in Galela region, North Halmahera, North Maluku. The hamlet was quiet, being inhabited by only few families. Water was scarce for the people, since the area was covered with rocks. To get clean water for drinking, cooking, and bathing, they had to walk far away. The people’s life, nonetheless, was always safe, peaceful, and calm.
In the hamlet lived a young man, Magohiduuru, and a beautiful lady, Marjojaru. They loved each other very much. Magohiduuru wanted to propose Majojaru right away, but it was hard for him to do that. He realized that it was difficult for him even to feed himself, let alone a family. The young man decided to go abroad. He would come back once he could earn a proper living, and marry Majojaru. After his parents allowed him to go, he rushed to see his lover.
“Dear, there is something I need to tell you,” said Magohiduuru.
“What is it? Tell me,” urged Majojaru.
“I’m thinking of going away to make more money for us. Soon as I could do that, I will get back here to propose you. Would you wait for me?” asked Magohiduuru.
Majojaru was dumbfounded for a moment. She was speechless; her eyes showed an empty look. Her mind was flying away, imagining herself left by the man she loved so much. She could not help feeling sad, but after a while, she became calm. She seemed to understand the situation. It was for the good of them.
“Well, then. I won’t hold you back. I will always be waiting for you. You’re the one I love. You’re the one I want to spend my life with,” said Majojaru.
“But come back soon, will you?” she said, wishing.
Mahohiduuru was so glad and relieved to hear that his lover would be faithful to him.
“Sure. I will come back as soon as I can. You’re my only love, you will always be. May God hear our vow to live together forever,” said Magohiduuru.
Next morning, Magohiduuru left. Their temporary separation turned out to be so hard to face for both. But Magohiduuru was firm. He should go for their future. So he went on a ship that was sailing overseas.
One year on, Magohiduuru had not come back. Majojaru was growing anxious. Then, one day when walking near the fort, she saw a ship docking. Wishfully, she came to the ship to see if her lover was among the passengers. She observed every face that came out of the ship, none of them was the face of the man she loved. Losing patience, she took her heart to ask one of the ship crews about Magohiduuru.
“Excuse me, sir. I need to ask you something, if you don’t mind,” said the lady.
“Sure, what is it about?” asked the ship crew.
“Do you know a man named Magohiduuru? Have you ever met anyone with that name? He went sailing with you a year ago,” asked Majojaru.
“Oh, that unlucky young man!” answered the man.
Majojaru was a bit shocked, feeling something bad had befallen her lover.
“What do you mean ‘that unlucky young man’, sir? What happened?” Majojaru could not stay calm anymore.
The man then told her a story of what happened a month ago, when Magohiduuru was killed during work. It struck her like a lightning out of the blue. She could not believe that. Her hope vanished; their vow to live together forever no longer meant anything.
Dejectedly, Majojaru staggered to her house. Before entering her kampong, she decided to find a place where she could spend some time on her own to calm down. She took a seat upon a stone under a banyan tree, lamenting over the death of her lover. She cried her heart out for three days and three nights. Her tears flowed like water running out of a collapsed dam. Finally, her tears swamped the place that she drowned herself to death. Not long after that, a small lake was formed. Its water was pure like tears and bluish.
Several days later, a villager was collecting firewood around the place. He was surprised to see the lake.
“Why is there a lake? I’ve never seen it before,” he said to himself.
Without thinking long, he told his neighbors in Lisawa Hamlet about the lake. It apparently caused a little uproar among the people. The hamlet chief hurried to go to the lake with some people. There, they were startled and confused at the same time.
“Anyone know since when the spring emerged?” asked the chief to the people.
“No, sir. Does this stand for something bad for our hamlet?” asked one of them.
“I don’t know. But we should find out how this lake was formed,” said the chief.
The hamlet chief and the people headed back home. The chief hit the dolodolo, a wooden drum, to gather up his people. Before long, many people came to his yard.
“O, my people! You should know that here around us, something odd has just happened. A small lake appeared mysteriously. For that, we should hold a ceremony!” announced him.
The elderly prepared for the ceremony right away. They would call the spirits of their ancestors and worship God Jou Giki Moi. A moment later, the ceremony was started. Then, there was a mysterious voice saying:
“Timbul dari sininga irogi de itepi sidago kongo dagulu de I uhi imadadi ak majobubu. It came from a heart that is crushed, shedding tears that keep flowing like a spring.”
It was the answer. The chief closed the ceremony by hitting the dolodolo and said, “People, the lake came from the tears of a girl whose heart was broken following the death of her lover.”
The place became silent. Everyone wondered who were the poor couple. Breaking the silence, the hamlet chief spoke again.
“Is there any of you who have any family members overseas or not in this kampong?” asked the chief.
It was when an old man stepped up. He was Magohiduuru’s father.
“My son left a year ago, chief,” said the man,
The man went on telling that a year ago, his son Magohiduuru went abroad. He had not heard anything from him until that day. After that, another man came forward and told that his daughter, Majojaru, had not been around for three days. He had looked for her anywhere but could not find her. What was surprising was when he told them that his daughter and Magohiduuru had been a couple for quite a long time and had planned to get married soon as the young man returned.
The case began to come to light after Magohiduuru and Majojaru’s fathers revealed the story. Later on, the people were informed that Magohiduuru was killed during work and that Majojaru, after hearing the bad news, went home crying. They knew now that the lake came from Majojaru’s tears that were shed over Magohiduuru’s departure.
The lake is now called Telaga Biru. Looking at its water, anyone will remember the legend. It is so pure, just like Majojaru’s love for Magohiduuru.
***
That is the story of The Legend of Lake Telaga Biru from North Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia. Nowadays, Telaga Biru has become one of tourism resorts in the area. They say, leaves that fall down into the water will not get sunken. The leaves will be swept aside, as if sucked by the stones on the lakeside. This makes the pond always clean. Young couples of Galela and Tobelo areas come there regularly to vow and make a wish that their relationships will last forever.
The moral of the story is that faithfulness is what matters in human relationships. It is not easy to keep it, though, for it often requires sacrifice. Just like what Majojaru does. (Samsuni/sas/170/10-09)
The moral of the story is that faithfulness is what matters in human relationships. It is not easy to keep it, though, for it often requires sacrifice. Just like what Majojaru does. (Samsuni/sas/170/10-09)
Translation by Reza Daffi
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