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Mytos@Johor National Parks

The Curse Of The Eagle

Long ago, in the days of our great­ great grandfathers, there lived in the Endau valley a giant by the name of Datuk Sang Kelamai. He was not only large but also wise and peace-loving. He married a strong maiden from Gunung Tahan and lived a contented life hunting and fishing along the Sungai Endau. One day a huge eagle descended from the sky to live among the men in the valley. The eagle would perch on a tall tree and swoop down to catch and carry away whosoever’s name had been called out loud. Before long the people in the val­ley and the neighbouring countryside were losing their wives, husbands and children as the eagle eagerly picked them up when their name was called by their loved ones. So the villagers and the people of the valley started to talk in whispers and lamented the loss of their loved ones carried away and never seen again. Thus the eagle became the curse of the village and everyone put their heads together to solve the problem of removing the dreadful curse afflict­ing them. A few foolhardy youths had tried and were killed by one swift sudden attack by the eagle. And no one had magic powerful enough to vanquish it.

Everyone was sad and at their wits’ end. The problem was brought to Datuk Sang Kelamai who thought of a simple plan relying on the eagle’s readiness to catch and carry off what­ever or whoever was called aloud by name.

Watched by the whole village, Datuk Sang Kelamai stood by the river. He pointed to a huge rock by the Sunga, Endau and called its name out loud, “Batu Penunggul'” (fixed rock). The eagle responded at once to the call and swooped swiftly down and grasped the rock in its talons to carry it off. But however much he flapped his mighty wings, the eagle could not lift the rock. After several days the rock still held fast and the struggles of the mighty eagle wea­kened until he died of exhaustion.

The villagers and all the people of the Endau valley were thus nd of the curse of the eagle, and thanks to the wisdom of Datuk Sang Kelamai life returned to normal and the people lived once more in peace. To this day Batu Penunggul stands by the Sungai Endau above Kampung Peta and is an important landmark of the river.

Mytos@

Johor National Parks

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