THE LEGEND OF KEBO IWA
Good morning everyone..
The honorable judges and my lovely audience
Ladies and gentlemen…My name is Dewa Komang Revan Hastina Triantara and I am from SMA
Negeri 1 Tabanan
And now I am gonna tell you an interesting story, a legend from our lovely island, Bali. But before
that I have a question for you!!
Have you ever heard a story about a tall, big, strong figure who always guarded Bali Island from
the attack of enemies in his era???
Yup…it is Kebo Iwa
Now let me begin the story…..
Once upon a time, a man and his wife were praying. They have been married for a long time but
haven't had any children. They asked God to give them a child.
“Oh God, I humbly come before you, with a heart full of hope and longing. Please bless us
with the gift of a child, a precious soul to fill our lives with joy and love”
The God finally answered their prayers. The wife, then, got pregnant and they had a baby boy. They
were very happy.
The baby was extraordinary. He was very much different from other babies. He ate and drank a lot.
Day after day, his body was getting bigger and bigger. And by the time he was a teenager, his body
was as big as a buffalo. People then started to call him Kebo Iwa.
Because of his eating habit, Kebo Iwa’s parents spent a lot of money buying his food in large
amounts. They finally went bankrupt. The villagers noticed and started to help them to cook and
build a big house for Kebo Iwa. He was like a giant. He could not stay in his parents’ house anymore
because of his big body.
As an expression of his gratitude to the villagers, he built a dam, dug wells, and protected the
villagers from animals and people who wanted to attack their village.
Because of his strength, Kebo Iwa was appointed to the position of chief or Patih in the Blahbatuh
region by King Sri Astasura Bumi Banten. Kebo Iwa promised “I swear As long as I am still
breathing, Bali will never be conquered by the enemies”.
Meanwhile, the Majapahit Kingdom was ruled by King Tri Bhuwana Tungga Dewi with Patih Gadjah
Mada. Patih Gadjah Mada was famous for his Palapa Oath, in which he vowed not to enjoy the world
until the entire Nusantara was united under the banner of Majapahit.
During Kebo Iwa's time as chief, Majapahit never succeeded in conquering the Bali region. Kebo Iwa
was too powerful for them.
Eventually, Patih Gadjah Mada set a strategy to defeat Kebo Iwa. He invited Kebo Iwa to Majapahit.
“We have a problem, we love water. And I heard that you are very powerful. Would you help
us to dig wells in a short time? If you help us then I promise to introduce you to a girl that
you could marry” , said Gajah Mada.
Kebo Iwa, with his honest heart, agreed to the request. He traveled to the Majapahit Kingdom and
began digging wells at the location indicated by Patih Gadjah Mada. Suddenly, Majapahit soldiers
buried Kebo Iwa alive in one of the wells.
But, from the heap of earth, Kebo Iwa burst forth with valor and shouted, "Bali is not yet defeated,
as long as my breath still flows." He attacked Patih Gadjah Mada. In the midst of the battle, Patih
Gadjah Mada cried out “Waaaiitttt Kebo iwa, I do apologize for what I have done to you. This
is because of my vow to unify Nusantara”. Kebo Iwa began to understand the noble intent of
Patih Gadjah Mada.
However, Kebo Iwa didn’t wish to betray his own kingdom. He intentionally revealed his weakness to
Patih Gadjah Mada, “alright then. if you want to defeat me kill me by sprinkling my body with
lime powder”. Said kebo iwa. Gadjah Mada was stunned upon hearing Kebo Iwa's statement. He
exploited Kebo Iwa's weakness and defeated him. In his dying moments, Kebo Iwa stuttered, "May
Nusantara unite and stand strong, so that my death is not in vain."
After the death of Kebo Iwa, Bali was conquered by Majapahit. People still remember Kebo Iwa
because he did so much for Majapahit and Bali. The stone head of the legendary Kebo Iwa can be
found in Pura Gaduh temple in Blahbatuh.
