Long
long time ago there lived a couple in the village near the top of mount Bromo.
Joko Seger is his name. He lived peacefully with his wife Roro Anteng. But they
were not happy because after some time they did not have any children. Then
Joko Seger meditated in mount Bromo asking for god to give them children.
Some
times later Joko Seger had a dream. In his dream he was told that he would have
descendants but on one condition. The god asked him to sacrifice his children
to the crater of mount Bromo. If he refused to sacrifice, then the god will be
angry. Without thinking twice Joko Seger agreed to the condition.
After
that every year Roro Anteng gave birth to twenty five children. They were very
happy and they loved their children so much that they were reluctant to
sacrifice them to the crater. They did not give anything to the crater. Then
something happened.
One
day there was a big eruption of mount Bromo. Smoke, fire, hot cloud of ash came
out of its crater. The earth was trembling. The sky was dark. Animals ran away
from the mountain. People were very scared since some of them became victims of
the hot cloud.
Joko
Seger and Roro Anteng remembered their promise to god. He realized that god was
very angry. So he decided to sacrifice one of his sons. Then he went to the
crater with his youngest son Kusuma. Because Joko Seger did not really want to
sacrifice his son to the crater, he tried to hide him. But suddenly an eruption
began and made Kusuma fall. Afterwards, Kusuma, who had fell to the crater,
gave a voice, "I have to be sacrificed by my parents so that you will all
stay alive. From now on, you should arrange an annual offering ceremony on the
14th of Kesodo (the twelfth month of Tenggerese calender.)"
Since
then on Joko Seger and Roro Anteng gave offerings to the crater. Every year on
the 14th day of the month of Kesada the people of Tengger held a ceremony to
give offerings.