Before television, let alone smartphones, Osing children in Banyuwangi grew up on folktales told directly by their anang-adon (parents) at bedtime. These weren't just stories to lull children to sleep — they were how the Osing community passed down values, history, and worldview from one generation to the next, long before the internet became today's primary source of stories for children.
This article covers the range of Osing folktales passed down through generations, including lesser-known variant versions, along with the real challenges this oral tradition faces in today's digital age.
Understanding the Range of Osing Oral Folklore
According to a framework proposed by American folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand, cited in a study by the East Java Provincial Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), oral folklore can be grouped into six forms: folk speech, traditional expressions, traditional riddles, folk poetry, folktales, and folk songs. In Banyuwangi, all six forms exist side by side, though folktales — including dongeng, legends, and myths — are the most widely known among both locals and tourists.
Osing folktales themselves generally fall into several categories: origin legends of places (such as the story behind Banyuwangi's name), personal legends (stories of figures believed to have actually existed, such as Semi in the history of Gandrung and Seblang dance), and myths related to belief in supernatural beings or natural forces.
Sritanjung: One Legend, More Than One Version
The legend of Sritanjung is already widely known as the origin story behind Banyuwangi's name, but interestingly, more than one version of this story circulates within the community — a natural phenomenon in an oral tradition passed down by word of mouth without a standardized written text.
The most commonly known version features Prabu Sulahkromo as the king who falls for Sritanjung, the wife of his regent, Sidopekso. But another circulating version exists, in which the figure who marries Sritanjung isn't a regent named Sidopekso at all, but rather a prince named Raden Banterang, son of Prabu Menak Prakosa — a figure depicted in this version as quick-tempered and struggling with self-control from the very start of the story, rather than a separate king coveting his regent's wife.
Differences like these are a defining characteristic of folklore: since it's passed down orally without one authoritative written source, each storyteller — whether a grandmother, grandfather, or anang-adon — has the freedom to add or change small details according to the version they received from the generation before them.
A Folktale Born from a Real Story: Semi and the Origin of Gandrung-Seblang
Not all Osing folktales come from the era of ancient kingdoms. Some arose from much more recent stories yet are still passed down the same way: by word of mouth, until they come to resemble legend.
The story of Semi, for example, tells of a young girl who suffered a severe illness in childhood, then recovered after her mother made a vow to make her a Seblang dancer. Semi later grew up to become the first recorded female Gandrung dancer in history, performing for the first time in 1895 at age 10. Though this event is relatively more recent than the kingdom-era legends, the way its story is passed down — mouth to mouth, fully believed by the community — makes it part of the living body of Osing folktales today.
The Function of Folktales for the Osing Community
These folktales don't just tell stories for entertainment's sake. Each carries a particular moral message — loyalty and the danger of slander in the Sritanjung legend, sacrifice and vows in Semi's story, or courage and devotion in various other personal legends. These values become life guidance instilled from an early age, even before children can read formal textbooks at school.
A Real Threat: Folktales Slowly Disappearing
Unfortunately, this tradition of storytelling faces serious challenges. According to a study published by the East Java Provincial Development Planning Agency, one major cause is that today's parents no longer have time to tell folktales due to work demands — a shift in parenting patterns that's slowly severing the chain of oral storytelling across generations.
Academic research published in the Paramasastra Journal (Surabaya State University) notes an equally concerning phenomenon: many students assigned to write Banyuwangi folktales for school now rely on internet searches and copy-pasting, rather than hearing them directly from their parents or grandparents. Although folktales remain a required core competency in the high school curriculum, how younger generations access these stories has shifted far from their oral-tradition roots.
Why Preserving These Folktales Matters
Keeping Osing folktales alive isn't just about nostalgia. Each slightly different version — like the two circulating versions of Sritanjung — is a valuable trace of how the Osing community interprets and passes down its own history. When these folktales stop being told mouth to mouth and can only be accessed through a search engine, part of the richness and warmth that accompanies them risks disappearing along with it.Before television, let alone smartphones, Osing children in Banyuwangi grew up on folktales told directly by their anang-adon (parents) at bedtime. These weren't just stories to lull children to sleep — they were how the Osing community passed down values, history, and worldview from one generation to the next, long before the internet became today's primary source of stories for children.
This article covers the range of Osing folktales passed down through generations, including lesser-known variant versions, along with the real challenges this oral tradition faces in today's digital age.
Understanding the Range of Osing Oral Folklore
According to a framework proposed by American folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand, cited in a study by the East Java Provincial Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), oral folklore can be grouped into six forms: folk speech, traditional expressions, traditional riddles, folk poetry, folktales, and folk songs. In Banyuwangi, all six forms exist side by side, though folktales — including dongeng, legends, and myths — are the most widely known among both locals and tourists.
Osing folktales themselves generally fall into several categories: origin legends of places (such as the story behind Banyuwangi's name), personal legends (stories of figures believed to have actually existed, such as Semi in the history of Gandrung and Seblang dance), and myths related to belief in supernatural beings or natural forces.
Sritanjung: One Legend, More Than One Version
The legend of Sritanjung is already widely known as the origin story behind Banyuwangi's name, but interestingly, more than one version of this story circulates within the community — a natural phenomenon in an oral tradition passed down by word of mouth without a standardized written text.
The most commonly known version features Prabu Sulahkromo as the king who falls for Sritanjung, the wife of his regent, Sidopekso. But another circulating version exists, in which the figure who marries Sritanjung isn't a regent named Sidopekso at all, but rather a prince named Raden Banterang, son of Prabu Menak Prakosa — a figure depicted in this version as quick-tempered and struggling with self-control from the very start of the story, rather than a separate king coveting his regent's wife.
Differences like these are a defining characteristic of folklore: since it's passed down orally without one authoritative written source, each storyteller — whether a grandmother, grandfather, or anang-adon — has the freedom to add or change small details according to the version they received from the generation before them.
A Folktale Born from a Real Story: Semi and the Origin of Gandrung-Seblang
Not all Osing folktales come from the era of ancient kingdoms. Some arose from much more recent stories yet are still passed down the same way: by word of mouth, until they come to resemble legend.
The story of Semi, for example, tells of a young girl who suffered a severe illness in childhood, then recovered after her mother made a vow to make her a Seblang dancer. Semi later grew up to become the first recorded female Gandrung dancer in history, performing for the first time in 1895 at age 10. Though this event is relatively more recent than the kingdom-era legends, the way its story is passed down — mouth to mouth, fully believed by the community — makes it part of the living body of Osing folktales today.
The Function of Folktales for the Osing Community
These folktales don't just tell stories for entertainment's sake. Each carries a particular moral message — loyalty and the danger of slander in the Sritanjung legend, sacrifice and vows in Semi's story, or courage and devotion in various other personal legends. These values become life guidance instilled from an early age, even before children can read formal textbooks at school.
A Real Threat: Folktales Slowly Disappearing
Unfortunately, this tradition of storytelling faces serious challenges. According to a study published by the East Java Provincial Development Planning Agency, one major cause is that today's parents no longer have time to tell folktales due to work demands — a shift in parenting patterns that's slowly severing the chain of oral storytelling across generations.
Academic research published in the Paramasastra Journal (Surabaya State University) notes an equally concerning phenomenon: many students assigned to write Banyuwangi folktales for school now rely on internet searches and copy-pasting, rather than hearing them directly from their parents or grandparents. Although folktales remain a required core competency in the high school curriculum, how younger generations access these stories has shifted far from their oral-tradition roots.
Why Preserving These Folktales Matters
Keeping Osing folktales alive isn't just about nostalgia. Each slightly different version — like the two circulating versions of Sritanjung — is a valuable trace of how the Osing community interprets and passes down its own history. When these folktales stop being told mouth to mouth and can only be accessed through a search engine, part of the richness and warmth that accompanies them risks disappearing along with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Osing folktales?
Osing folktales are oral stories passed down through generations by the Osing community in Banyuwangi, including legends, myths, and stories that preserve cultural values and moral lessons.
What are the six forms of oral folklore according to Jan Harold Brunvand?
Jan Harold Brunvand classifies oral folklore into six forms: folk speech, traditional expressions, traditional riddles, folk poetry, folktales, and folk songs.
Does the Sritanjung legend have different versions?
Yes. Besides the well-known version featuring Prabu Sulahkromo and Sidopekso, another version tells the story of Raden Banterang and Sritanjung.
Why do Osing folktales have multiple versions?
Because they are transmitted orally, each storyteller may preserve or adapt details based on the version inherited from previous generations.
Who was Semi?
Semi was the first recorded female Gandrung dancer, whose story is closely connected with the Seblang tradition and has become part of Osing oral heritage.
What values do Osing folktales teach?
They teach values such as loyalty, sacrifice, courage, honesty, and respect for tradition through memorable stories passed down across generations.
Who traditionally tells Osing folktales?
Traditionally, parents (anang-adon), grandparents, and elders share these stories with children, especially before bedtime.
Why are Osing folktales becoming less common?
Modern lifestyles, limited family storytelling time, and the dominance of digital entertainment have reduced the practice of oral storytelling.
How do young people learn these stories today?
Many students now learn Banyuwangi folktales through books, school assignments, and internet resources rather than hearing them directly from elders.
Are Osing folktales still taught in schools?
Yes. Banyuwangi folktales remain part of language and literature learning in Indonesian schools.
What is the difference between legends and myths?
Legends usually relate to historical figures or places believed to have existed, while myths involve supernatural beings, spiritual beliefs, or sacred natural places.
Why is preserving Osing folktales important?
They safeguard Banyuwangi's cultural identity, preserve local wisdom, and keep oral traditions alive for future generations.
Osing folktales prove that cultural heritage doesn't always take the form of buildings or patterned cloth — sometimes, it lives through words spoken by a mother to her child at bedtime. Amid the real threat posed by shifting parenting patterns and easy internet access, keeping this storytelling tradition alive is one of the simplest yet most meaningful ways to nurture Osing cultural identity across generations. Want to read the full version of one of the legends mentioned in this article? Read The Legend of Sritanjung and Sidopekso: The Origin of the Word 'Banyuwangi', or discover another heroic tale from the land of Blambangan in The Folktale of Damarwulan: A Tale of Heroism from Blambangan.