Mysterious grave in the city centre
Saturday, April 7, 2007
MANY people have walked past the walled area containing a small roofed structure opposite the General Post Office in the car park of the TAIB Building in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Many people have even parked their cars beside the structure. But I think not many realise that they are in the vicinity of a grave.
So mysterious is this grave that it is not known if it really holds a person's remains.
It was said that the site was originally a huge mound some nine metres tall. It was blown up by a bomb during World War II, and the mound was found to be empty even though according to legend, there were a few people who were supposed to have been buried there.
The grave was said to belong to a lady by the name of Dang Ayang, Dang being the colloquial term for the modern day "dayang".Some have called it Kubur Raja Ayang, as it was said that the lady buried there was actually of royal parentage.
Legend has it that this was a tragic tale of a woman and her brother who were caught in an incestuous relationship (sumbang mahram).
At that time, the punishment for such a crime was death by stoning, but apparently, no one had the heart to carry out the sentence.
So the authorities compromised. The sentence was commuted to banishment and they built a cavern in the middle of the forest. In this period, most Bruneians lived along the river and this grave was about a mile inland then sufficiently far from the living to be a place of exile.
Some versions of the legend say that only Dang Ayang lived in the cavern while other versions tells of both the siblings being in exile together.
They must have been kept there for a long while until everyone presumed that she or they had died.
Nobody knows when the graveyard was to be walled, but site continues to be tended as graves are. Until now, the grave exists as a rather sad testimony to the indiscretion of a young Brunei couple.
If one were to visit the grave, there is a broken tombstone which tells the story of the woman.
According to a paper written by the Principal of the History Centre, she was most likely a member of the aristocracy whose father was of Arabic origin and said to be related to Sultan Sharif Ali.
It was most likely too, that the crime was committed in 1452 during the reign of Sultan Sulaiman (circa 1432-1485).
Legend also has it that upon realising the enormity of her sin, the lady and her whole entourage voluntarily went to their deaths.
Given the context of the time and the parentage, the deed perpetrated was deemed to be very serious and merited such serious punishment.
The tombstone also has Arabic inscriptions which says that it is hoped that the punishment meted out is sufficient compensation for the sin that was committed for the body (bodies) of those who committed the sin and pray that they are in peace so that the Al-Mighty will forgive them.
Based on the writings on the tombstone, it is understood that for every sin committed, the authorities must carry out the punishment necessary for it.
It also reflected the strength of the religion then to the point that the punishment has to be meted out regardless of who the perpetrator was.
The Brunei Times
Many people have even parked their cars beside the structure. But I think not many realise that they are in the vicinity of a grave.
So mysterious is this grave that it is not known if it really holds a person's remains.
It was said that the site was originally a huge mound some nine metres tall. It was blown up by a bomb during World War II, and the mound was found to be empty even though according to legend, there were a few people who were supposed to have been buried there.
The grave was said to belong to a lady by the name of Dang Ayang, Dang being the colloquial term for the modern day "dayang".Some have called it Kubur Raja Ayang, as it was said that the lady buried there was actually of royal parentage.
Legend has it that this was a tragic tale of a woman and her brother who were caught in an incestuous relationship (sumbang mahram).
At that time, the punishment for such a crime was death by stoning, but apparently, no one had the heart to carry out the sentence.
So the authorities compromised. The sentence was commuted to banishment and they built a cavern in the middle of the forest. In this period, most Bruneians lived along the river and this grave was about a mile inland then sufficiently far from the living to be a place of exile.
Some versions of the legend say that only Dang Ayang lived in the cavern while other versions tells of both the siblings being in exile together.
They must have been kept there for a long while until everyone presumed that she or they had died.
Nobody knows when the graveyard was to be walled, but site continues to be tended as graves are. Until now, the grave exists as a rather sad testimony to the indiscretion of a young Brunei couple.
If one were to visit the grave, there is a broken tombstone which tells the story of the woman.
According to a paper written by the Principal of the History Centre, she was most likely a member of the aristocracy whose father was of Arabic origin and said to be related to Sultan Sharif Ali.
It was most likely too, that the crime was committed in 1452 during the reign of Sultan Sulaiman (circa 1432-1485).
Legend also has it that upon realising the enormity of her sin, the lady and her whole entourage voluntarily went to their deaths.
Given the context of the time and the parentage, the deed perpetrated was deemed to be very serious and merited such serious punishment.
The tombstone also has Arabic inscriptions which says that it is hoped that the punishment meted out is sufficient compensation for the sin that was committed for the body (bodies) of those who committed the sin and pray that they are in peace so that the Al-Mighty will forgive them.
Based on the writings on the tombstone, it is understood that for every sin committed, the authorities must carry out the punishment necessary for it.
It also reflected the strength of the religion then to the point that the punishment has to be meted out regardless of who the perpetrator was.
The Brunei Times
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