1. Badang was a legendary Southeast Asian strongman from the Malay world.
26 Facts About Badang
1. 2.
Badang was active in the court of the Raja Sri Rana Wikrama of the Kingdom of Singapura.
3.
Badang was associated with several geographical locations and historical artefacts, most notably the Singapore Stone; though this has no basis from historical records.
4.
The written record of the legend of Si Badang is found in the Malay Annals, an important collection of oral folklore from the Malay World.
5.
Variations of the legend of Badang exist due to the oral nature of its transmission, and its popular use in children's literature.
6.
Badang was a Malay boy from Batu Pahat, in the northern part of the Sultanate of Johor.
7.
Badang was the only son of two poor farmers who worked hard until the day they died.
8.
Badang set his fish-traps along the stream every evening and gathered the net the following morning.
9.
One day, Badang found that the fish-traps he laid in a river contained bones and scales.
10.
Badang prepared the fish-traps again, but the same incident went on for several days.
11.
Badang seized the demon and tied its hair to a rock.
12.
Badang wished for strength so that he would not tire working.
13.
The demon said that if Badang wanted great strength, he would have to swallow whatever he coughs up.
14.
Nira sura found that a large section of the forest was cleared so quickly and Badang explained everything that had transpired.
15.
When news of Badang's feat reached the Kingdom of Singapura, the Raja Sri Rana Wicrama invited Badang to the kingdom, to appoint him a Raden.
16.
Badang continually offered to help but the men refused, saying that no one so small would make any difference.
17.
Badang often helped farmers and villagers carry their goods in place of a horse and carriage.
18.
The king once asked him to gather the tasty kuras leaves from Kuala Sayong in Sumatra, so Badang set off in a boat by himself.
19.
When he climbed the kuras tree, its branch broke and Badang fell a long way, his head hitting a rock.
20.
Over time, Badang had become known in other nearby countries as well.
21.
Badang competed against Nadi Bijaya in several contests of strength and wrestling but the result was always tied.
22.
Badang then lifted the rock to his knees and immediately dropped it.
23.
When it was Badang's turn, he lifted the rock above his head and threw it, where it landed at the mouth of the Singapore River.
24.
Badang spent many years in the Kingdom of Singapura defeating challengers from other countries, including the champion of Java.
25.
When Badang eventually died, the king of Kalinga sent for two stone pillars to be placed at his grave.
26.
Badang's grave is told to be located in Buru Island, part of the Riau Archipelago administered by modern-day Indonesia.