THE LEGEND OF PUTERI SANTUBONG

THE LEGEND OF PUTERI SANTUBONG

Gunung Santubong is very well known in Sarawak. Most Sarawakians would have heard stories about Mt. Santubong from their parents, grandparents or from many other sources. If we drive towards the Sarawak Cultural Village located not very far from the Santubong fishing village, from the Santubong Bridge, we could see Mt. Santubong quite clearly. From afar Mt. Santubong looked like a pregnant woman lying on her back. Mt. Santubong is located about 35 km north of Sarawak capital city, Kuching. It is about 2,658 ft high. The mountain and the areas surrounding it are popular with tourists. According to studies done on Santubong it was stated that it was first inhabited by the Ibans. The name Santubong originated from an Iban word 'si antu ubong' or the 'spirit boat'. This spirit boat is actually a coffin shaped like a boat carved from a single log to represent a vessel used by the spirit of the dead to travel to the other world.When Gunung Santubong is mentioned inevitably the name Gunung Sejinjang would surface too. There is a legend associated with these mountains and there were a few versions of it. There is also a folk song written about the legend, called 'Puteri Santubong'. The lyric is in the local Sarawak Malay dialect.