Fossil is an authentic source showing reconstruction of human and environment in the past, for thousand even million years ago. Sangiran’s local community calls the fossil they found as Balung Buto which means giant bone. They believe such Balung Buto can cure various diseases like fever, stomachache, stiff, boil, diarrhea, headache, toothache, itch, sprained, poisonous bites, and also to help delivering baby.
There is a legend relating to such myth and the name Sangiran written on “Balung Buto, Warisan Budaya Dunia dalam Perspektif Masyarakat Sangiran” by Bambang Sulistyanto:
“Once upon a time, Sangiran was a hilly forest area occupied by a group of people living in harmony. One day, the peace changed into a mess as a group of giants arrived. They destroyed plants and killed animals as well as human especially children. The Sangiran’s people were scared running to the reverse side of a hill and asked for a help to a brave knight, Raden Bandung.
Then, he agreed to persuade the giants to leave Sangiran, but they did not want to. They even asked for a kind of offerings in the form of a child to be consumed by their king. Raden Bandung could not accept such situation so that a war occurred between them. The war was won by the giants and Raden Bandung was almost killed by their King, Tegopati.
His defeat enforced Raden Bandung to escape into a forest. While in his escape, he got wangsit (inspiration) from god to meditate for eight years. When the day had come, there was a wisik (whisper) telling him to drown himself into a lake with many banyan tress surrounds. Whereas doing the order, he met Dewa Ruci who gave him learning about life essence and ways to defeat the giants. In his guidance, Dewa Ruci told Raden Bandung, “ Sangir (trim) your nails on that stone for a weapon to beat the giants”. After the nails were sharpened, Raden Bandung emerged from the lake looking for Tegopati. It was surprising for Raden Bandung to find the kingdom of Tegopati in Glagahombo along with the constantly increasing troops. Stately gates were built as the entrance as well as fortification. Afterward, Raden Bandung and his troops attacked Glagahombo until the giants run away and finally were killed including Tegopati who was died by Raden Bandung’s nails. It was such a tragic death that his body was thrown far away (Javanesse: jepapang) in a place called Bapang which is now belongs to Krikilan Village, Kalyambe District. The rest of the giants are believed to be down in a dam made by Raden Bandung’s people. Therefore, their blood was poured out everywhere flooding a place which is now called as Saren Village (Saren: blood). The remainmg bones spread out in Sangiran area and were called as balung buto (balung: bone, buto: giant) (Duwiningsih, Ratna Sri Panglipur, Ike Wahyuningsih, Gunawan, Iwan SB) Please click here
