Mythology and Beliefs Surrounding the Sea
📌 70% of the Earth's surface is water, much of which remains unexplored, fostering marine mysteries and ghost stories.
👻 Local beliefs include the Suanggi guarding the seas in Raja Ampat and Moloimbu (Ghost King) protecting the waters around Tomini Bay in Banggai.
🔱 Ancient Hindu cosmology features the Samudra Mantana (Churning of the Ocean of Milk), where gods and Asuras churned the ocean using the serpent Naga Basuki wrapped around Mount Mandara, supported by Vishnu in the form of a giant tortoise (Kurma).

Javanese and Madurese Sea Guardians
🐟 Older Javanese texts mention the Gajah Mina, a large fish monster symbolizing religious power, referenced in temples near Mount Penanggungan.
👑 In modern Javanese and Madurese traditions (Probolinggo, Bangkalan, Sumenep), fishermen often speak of Raja Mina (King of Fish) as the ruler of the seas.
🎣 The story of Raja Mina is linked to Jaka Mursada, who showed kindness by releasing the giant fish he caught, who later helped him find the Tirta Amerta (Elixir of Immortality) to heal his mother.

Regents of the South and North Seas
👑 Feminine figures rule other coasts; Dewanjar is known as the ruler of the North Coast of Java.
👸 The most familiar guardian is Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, the Queen of the South Sea, whose alliance was sought by Panembahan Senopati to establish the Mataram Kingdom.
⛰️ Rituals (labuhan-labuhan) by the Yogyakarta and Surakarta Keratons honor both Ratu Kidul (South Sea) and Kiai Sapu Jagad (Mount Merapi guardian), symbolizing the kingdom's existence between the mountain and the sea.

Geological and Tsunami Knowledge Embedded in Lore
📜 Researcher Adam Bobete's thesis views the relationship between Ratu Kidul and Kiai Sapu Jagad as crucial to geology and plate tectonics, noting that the South Sea plate impacts volcanic activity (the magma chamber).
🌊 Around 2015, researcher Eko Yulianto utilized ancient texts (Babad Tanah Jawi) featuring Ratu Kidul accompanied by high, rolling, destructive waves to study paleotsunamis (ancient tsunamis).
🧠 This research suggests that communal memory regarding massive tsunamis, like those present at the founding of Mataram, may have been embedded within magical myths to promote awareness of natural hazards.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The ocean, seen as a source of life-giving water (Irta Pawitra) in tales like Dewa Ruci and Samudra Mantana, requires wise and respectful treatment for human preservation.
➡️ Traditional narratives, like the Jaka Mursada story, emphasize the positive return on acts of compassion, such as freeing the Raja Mina.
➡️ Geopolitical power in Java historically relied on cosmological alignment with natural features, specifically mountains and seas, as demonstrated by the Mataram kingdom's dual reverence for Merapi and the South Sea Queen.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 21, 2025, 13:12 UTC