Book Review

Cerita Calon Arang

“Tiap-tiap waktu murid-murid harus berkeramas. Yang dipergunakan mengeramasi rambut adalah darah. Darah itu adalah darah manusia juga. Karena itu rambut murid-murid Calon Arang lengket-lengket dan tebal. Kalu mereka sedang berpesta tak ubahnya dengan sekawanan binatang buas. Takut orang melihatnya. Kalau ketahuan ada orang mengintip, orang itu diseret ke tengah pesta dan dibunuh dan darahnya dipergunakan keramas.” (Cerita Calon Arang, p.25-26).

Some sentences before are part of the story of Calon Arang which tells about the cruelty of Calon Arang. This story is rewritten by Pramoedya Ananta Tour. It is unlike his other books because in this book he tells about a tales that can also be read not only by adults but also children. 

It was a story about  cruel widow called Calon Arang who lived at Girah village in Daha. She lived with her beautiful daughter, Ratna Manggali. She also had followers such as Weksirsa, Mahisa, Wadana, Lendesi, Larung, Guyung, and Gandi. All of the villagers were afraid of them. It was because Calon Arang was very cruel. Besides, she had black magic which could kill anyone she wanted.

One day, Calon Arang was very upsed as she heard the rumor about Ratna Manggali. She couldn’t accept that the villagers talked about her lovely daughter at he back just because Ratna Manggali hadn’t married yet eventhough she was already 25 years old. Actually there was nothing wrong with Ratna Manggali. She was beautiful and she didn’t do something bas as her mom did. The fact that her mother was a woman who practiced black magic was the main problem. People got afraid to her mom since Calon Arang liked to spread disease and cause damage.

Calon Arang then decided to revenge by killing people as many as possible. In order to get what she wanted, she went to Durga’s temple to do a worship ritual. Durga is a goddess of devastation. She permitted Calon Arang to kill many people in every village except people who lived in the capital of Daha. Calon Arang agreed. She was very happy because she could take many people’s life. In a short moment, thousands of people died. There was no medicine can help. There were many corpse around.

A news about Calon Arang and her black magic then was heard by Erlangga, the King of Daha. He tried to kill Calon Arang by sending his cavalry to her home. Unexpectedly, Calon Arang cannot be killed easily as she was able to resist weapon. She was extremely magical. Knowing about it, Erlangga asked for gudance from the God. Then, it was known that it was only Empu Baradah who could kill Calon Arang.

Empu Baradah lived in Tulis valley with his daughter, Wedawati, from his first wife. After his wife passed away, hee got married with a woman and then got a son. As he was always busy to teach his students in Wisamuka seclusion, he didn’t know that his new wife always misconducted to Wedawati. Wedawati who could not do anything just could go to her mom’s tomb and became a hermit.

 

After Empu Bahula become Ratna Manggali’s husband, he lived in Calon Arang’s house. Calon Arang never suspected him even once. One day, he asked Ratna Manggali to steal her mom’s book. In that book, there was written all of Calon Arang secret including the way to defeat her. Ratna Manggali as a wife obey her husband request. She took her mom’s book when her mother was sleeping and then gave it to EEmpu Baradah.

After getting Calon Arang’s book Empu Bahula went to Tulis valley and then gave it to Empu Baradah. Empu Baradah read it carefully. After he knew about the weaknesses of Calon Arang, he asked Empu Bahula to return it before Calon Arang realize that her book was gone. He then tried to cure people from the disease based on the information he got from Calon Arang’s book.

Calon Arang still didn’t know that Empu Baradah had already known about her secret. However, she got forecast that danger was close to her. So, when she met Empu Baradah, she wanted to beg atonement from God. She asked Empu Baradah to purify her heart and her body who had done many bad things. On the other hand, Empu Baradah didn’t want to do it because Calon Arang had done many sins and couldn’t be forgiven. Next, Empu Baradah killed Calon Arang.

Lookiang at Calon Arang’s corpse, Empu Baradah changed his mind. He resurrected Calon Arang. He wanted to purify Calon Arang soul. After he purified her, he killed Calon Arang again. People could live safely again.

I like how the writer make this story easily to be read. On the other hand, I also notice that there are stereotypes about woman. First, the woman in this story is pictured as someone who brings badluck. It can be seen from the characters of Calon Arang who has no fear to kill people she doesn’t like, or Empu Baradah’s wife who become step mother for Wedawati and could love her as she did to her son. Second, the woman who doesn’t get married after she becomes 25 years old or more will be gossipped by society. They will give her negative label as spinster (perawan tua). It means there is something wrong with the woman. It is pictured by Ratna Manggali. For Indonesian people, especially for people who lived in remote area or small village, it still happen which then will bring worried to her family. Whereas in this modern era, it is something common for not getting married in the young age as they are still looking for career. For me, personally, I do not want to get married just because of my age or because people want mw to. I want to get married with someone I love that I feel comfortable so I will not end up in regret. Just make it once in a life time.

I like this story because this story tells about parents’ love to her child. It is pictured by Calon Arang who loves her daughter. She doesn’t mind to do anything for her child. It is also pictured by Empu Baradah who loves her daughter and wants to do anything which can make her daughter feel happy. So, no matter whether you are bad or good, you will still love your children and do the best you could for them.