Bawang Merah Bawang Putih

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Bawang merah dan bawang putih (Malay/Indonesian for Shallots and Garlic) is a popular traditional folklore originated from Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago), about two siblings with opposite characters; one good and one bad, and an unjust step mother. The folklore has the same theme and moral as the European folktale Cinderella.

The story centers on a pair of half-sisters named Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah. Bawang Putih is the Indonesian name for garlic, while Bawang Merah is the Indonesian name for onion or shallot. This naming convention is in the same vein as the Western fairy tale sisters Snow-White and Rose-Red although the previous do not get along as well. The use of these names for the female protagonist and her antagonist is symbolic of their physical similarity (both girls are beautiful) but have completely different personalities. Since the original folktale was passed on orally, different variations of the story exist. In some versions, Bawang Putih is the good and kind daughter, while Bawang Merah is the cruel and vindictive one.[1] While in the 1959 black and white Malay movie, it is the other way around, the shallot being waterly bringing tears to the eyes and garlic being pungent.[2] There are several version about the story of Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih, one involving a magic pumpkin and the other involved a magical fish. Curiously the second version is very similar to Sundanese folktale of Leungli the magical fish.

The origin of the story is obscure and unclear, some suggest that it was a Riau Sumatran Malay folktale that later transmitted into Malay Peninsula, while some holds that it was originated from Yogyakarta in Java.[3] Nevertheless despite its unclear origin, the story is a popular children folktale in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

The story[edit]

First version[edit]

In a village, live a widow with her two beautiful daughters, Bawang Merah (Red Onion or Shallots) and Bawang Putih (White Garlic). Bawang Putih's real father which was also the widows's husband died long ago. Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih had opposite characters and personalities. Bawang Putih was diligent, kind, honest and humble. Meanwhile, Bawang Merah was lazy, glamorous, proud and envious. Bawang Merah's bad personality was worsened because her mother spoiled her. The widow always gave her everything she wanted. It was Bawang Putih who did all the work in the house. Doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning, essentially all of the work were carried out by herself. Meanwhile, Bawang Merah and the widow just spent times making themselves up, because when they needed something they could just ask Bawang Putih.

Bawang Putih never complained the bad fate she had to face. She always served her stepmother and sister happily. One day, Bawang Putih was doing her stepmother and sister's laundry. Bawang Putih didn't realize it when a piece of cloth belonging to her mother was washed away by the river. How sad was she, thinking that if the cloth couldn't be found she would be blamed, and it wasn't impossible that she would be punished and expelled from home.

Being afraid that her mother's cloth could not be found, Bawang Putih kept looking and walked along the river with its strong current. Every time she saw someone by the river, she always asked them about her mother's cloth which was washed away by the river, but everyone didn't know where the cloth was. Eventually Bawang Putih came to a place where the river flowed into a cave. Surprisingly, there was a very old woman in the cave. Bawang Putih asked the old woman if she knew of the cloth whereabouts. The woman knew where the cloth was, but she made a condition before she handed it to Bawang Putih. The condition was that she had to work assisting the old woman. Bawang Putih was used to working hard so that her work pleased the old woman. It was late afternoon and Bawang Putih was saying goodbye to the old woman. The woman handed the cloth to her. Because of her kindness, the old woman offered her a gift of pumpkins. There were two of them, one was larger than the other. Bawang Putih was asked to choose the gift she wanted. She wasn't greedy, therefore she chose the smaller one.

Returning home, the Step-Mother and Bawang Merah were furious because Bawang Putih was late. She told them what happened from the time her mother's cloth was washed away until her encounter with the old woman in the cave. Her stepmother was still furious because she was already late and only brought one small pumpkin, so the mother smashed the pumpkin to the ground. "Whack..." and the pumpkin was broken, but it was miraculous that in the pumpkin there were beautiful golden jewelry and diamond ornaments. The Widow and Bawang Merah were very shocked. They could get very rich with that much jewelry. But greedy they were, they yelled at Bawang Putih asking why she didn't take the large pumpkin instead. In the Widow and Bawang Merah's minds, if the larger pumpkin was taken, they should get much more jewelry.

Fulfilling their greed, Bawang Merah followed the steps told by Bawang Putih. She willingly drifted her mother's cloth, walked along the river, asked people and eventually came to the cave where the old woman lived. Unlike Bawang Putih, however, Bawang Merah refused the old woman's order to work and She even arrogantly ordered the old woman to give her the larger pumpkin. And so the old woman gave it to Bawang Merah.

Bawang Merah happily brought the pumpkin that the old woman gave, while imagining how much jewelry she would get. Returning home, the Widow welcomed her beloved daughter. Not long after, the pumpkin was smashed to the ground, but instead of jewelry, various terrifying poisonous snakes appeared. The Widow and Bawang Merah finally realized what they had been doing all this time was wrong and asked Bawang Putih to forgive them.[4]

Second version[edit]

The story takes place in a simple village household. The head of this family has two wives, and each wife has their own daughter. The older of the two is Bawang Putih, while the younger one is Bawang Merah. Bawang Merah and her mother are jealous of the attention the father gives Bawang Putih and her mother, who is also older than her co-wife. When the father dies, Bawang Merah and her mother take charge of the household and bully both Bawang Putih and her mother into servitude. Bawang Putih’s mother stands up for her daughter but she soon dies prematurely. One day, while washing the family's laundry in the river, Bawang Putih's mother pushed her into the water and left her to drown.





The Prince and his advisors eventually find the home of Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah. (In some versions this happens immediately after the Prince's first sighting of Bawang Putih, but in other versions it happens after a long search made by the Prince's advisors). Bawang Merah's mother, seeing the opportunity, orders Bawang Putih to stay hidden in the kitchen. The Prince asks about the swing and the girl who sat in it. Bawang Merah's mother says that the girl he heard is her beautiful and talented daughter Bawang Merah. Though the Prince agrees that Bawang Merah is beautiful, he requests that she show him how she sang in the magical swing.

Bawang Merah and mother reluctantly follow the Prince and his advisors back to the magic swing. Bawang Merah sits in the swing and attempts to sing so that it will move, but she cannot. The Prince, now angry, ordered Bawang Merah's mother to tell the truth. Bawang Merah's mother is forced to confess that she has another daughter hidden in her house.


Popular culture[edit]

The theme has become the inspiration for Bawang Merah Bawang Putih (TV drama), a popular Indonesian sinetron (TV drama) also popular in Malaysia. There are some adaptations of this story.

  • Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, 1959 Malaysian live-action musical, starring Latifah Omar as a good Bawang Merah, Umi Kalthom as a bad Bawang Putih, and Mustapha Maarof as the Prince. In this film, the adaptation is twisted where Bawang Putih as a bad stepsister, whilst Bawang Merah as a good sister.
  • Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, 1986 made-for-television Malaysian remake of the 1959 version.
  • Putih, 2001 Malaysian animated musical, starring the voices of Erra Fazira as Putih, Raja Azura as Merah and M. Nasir as Putera Aftus.
  • Bawang Merah Bawang Putih, 2005 Indonesian television serial starring Revalina S. Temat as a good Bawang Putih and Nia Ramadhani as a bad Bawang Merah.
  • Pohon Ajaib Berdaun Emas, 2006 Indonesian film starring Penty Nur Afiani, Chaterine Pamela, Afdhal Yusman, Sally Marcellina and Al-Indra.
  • Bawang Merah Bawang Putih: The Movie, 2006 Indonesian film starring Laudya Cynthia Bella, Eva Anindita, Nana Khairina and Ferry Irawan.
  • Bawang Merah Bawang Putih dan Dua Raksasa, 2007 Indonesian film starring Naima, Vina Kimberly, Lestya, dan Lysewati.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Putih
  2. ^ Bawang Putih Bawang Merah
  3. ^ "Bawang Merah dan Bawang Putih" (in Indonesian). Cerita Rakyat Nusantara. Retrieved 9 July 2012. 
  4. ^ "Indonesian Folktales Series 2006". Indonesia Stamps. 2006. Retrieved 2010-07-12. 

External links[edit]