The people of West Sumatra are known as orang ‘Minang’ or ‘Minangkabau’. The legend of the name is taught to small children across West Sumatra.
The legend goes…
About 600 years ago the King of Java sent a messenger to West Sumatra, informing the people that he would be taking control of their lands. He advised that they surrender immediately, as anyone who did not would be killed. The people did not want war, but refused to submit without a fight, and so they came up with a plan.
The messenger was sent back to the King to inform him that the dispute could be settled by a fight between two buffalo. If the Kings buffalo won, the people of West Sumatra would submit to his rule, but if the people’s buffalo won, the King’s soldiers were to leave West Sumatra and never return. The King agreed and a search went out across Java to find the largest, strongest buffalo in all the land.
Such a buffalo was found, and taken to the soldiers camp in West Sumatra to be looked after until the day of the fight. The people of West Sumatra had never seen such a magnificent beast, it was huge and incredibly powerful. They began to despair, for they didn’t have a buffalo who could match the buffalo from Java.
That night, a new plan was hatched. One of the local farmers had a calf, which was then separated from it’s mother for the next three days. On the third day, the Kings men were informed that a match had been found and the fight could proceed. The people of West Sumatra carefully fixed pieces of sharp metal to the horns of the calf and then led it to the field of battle.
The Soldiers laughed at the sight of the tiny calf trotting onto the field to meet their proud warrior, but the locals ignored the laughter; they knew their plan was a good one.
The large beast from Java, and the tiny calf from West Sumatra stood for a moment and observed one another. To the small calf the Javanese buffalo looked very much like his mother, whom he had been kept away from for the last three days. The little calf rushed forwards, desperate for his mothers milk. As he nestled into the underbelly of his opponent, the sharp metal which had been carefully attached to his horns tore open the flesh above his head. The Javanese buffalo, in incredible pain and badly bleeding from his wounds, tried desperately to run away, but the little hungry calf kept pace and continued to search desperately for milk.
The King from Java had no option but to admit defeat. His armies left Sumatra immediately and, as the deal had stated, were never seen here again.
As they left, the people of West Sumatra could be heard celebrating, with calls of ‘Menang Kabau! Menang Kabau!’ or, ‘The Buffalo wins!’
Today the people of West Sumatra, known as the ‘winning buffalo’, mark special days and celebrations (as well as, really, any day that they feel like…) with meals including large amounts of beef, buffalo bells are sold as a common souvenir, and the oldest buildings to be found in the area have roofs in the iconic shape of a pair of buffalo horns. While the story of the winning buffalo is almost certainly only legend, the people of West Sumatra display a strong affinity with the buffalo, and remain fiercely proud of their heritage.
Jen is an English girl who found herself in Sumatra one day and never went back. A wife, mother, traveler and book worm, she has lived in Padang long enough to speak the language and unearth plenty of useful hints and tips for the weary traveler…
