Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/157



Gumbaʾ Meuïh (XXI).

Gumbaʾ Meuïh (goldenhead) is the daughter of king Hamsōykasa, who rules in the country of Gulitan Sagōb (in Sumatra, according to the Achehnese). His first two wives gave him no children; the third on the other hand, a woman of humble origin, after 12 months of pregnancy gave birth on one and the same day to ninety-nine boys and one girl whose hair was of pure gold and diamonds. The barren wives, full of envy, had all these children thrown into the water in a chest. They then exhibited to their spouse all manner of ordure as being that which was born of their rival, and so worked on him that he had her imprisoned as a witch.

The hundred children fell into the hands of a pair of gògasi (gěrgasi), man and wife, who tended and brought them up. Goldenhead is subsequently enlightened by a celestial bird as to the true descent of herself and her brothers, and after an adventurous journey she and they succeed in reaching their father, who thereupon restores his imprisoned consort to honour and banishes the other two.

Goldenhead, long urged in vain to marry, finds at length in the celestial (adara) prince Lila Bangguna the man whose piety makes him worthy of her hand. With him she goes to the aërial realm, but is there tormented by Bangguna's sister and the second wife whom he has married by this sister's advice. In the end however these envious ones are unmasked. In her conflict with them Goldenhead is assisted by her ninety-nine brothers. She returns with her husband to the world below, and the latter succeeds his step-father on the throne.

The wedded happiness of this heroine, as of so many others in Achehnese hikayats is assailed by the king of China, whom Lila Bangguna defeats after a protracted struggle.

The son whom Goldenhead in due time brings into the world is called Miraʾ Diwangga. He marries a princess from the kingdom of Atrah (the territory of Shah Kubat; see N°. XXVII) named Cheureupu Intan (Diamond Sandal); the correspondence which results in this marriage is conveyed to and fro by a well-disposed bayeuën bird.

The hostile role played by the king of China against Goldenhead is fulfilled in the case of her daughter-in-law by the raja of Siam, who