Balinese have many love stories that are interesting to be read in Valentine day. I use the word interesting here since most of these stories are tragedy. Death is important element in these stories. It befell either on one or both of the couple. Death in this stories serves as the ultimate test to love.

Here is the most popular Balinese love story that has a touch of tragedy in it

Jayaprana and Layonsari

Once upon a time, mthere was a family consisted parents and their 4 children. They lived in Kalianget village, North Bali. One day deadly plague attacked the village. The members of that family dead except the third child, named Jayaprana.

He became an orphan. Nonetheless, the King took him to the palace and let him lived there. Year after year he grew to be a handsome young man. The king forced him to get married soon. One or two suggestion did not change Jayaprana’s mind. But, after the King forced him so many times he could not refuse it again.

Jayaprana, finally, fell in love with Layonsari, a beautiful young girl. She was chief Banjar Sekar’s daughter. The king was happy because Jayaprana had chosen a girl to be his wife. The king, who loved Jayaprana very much, set up a glamour wedding party for Jayaprana.

Then the day of Jayaprana and Layonsari’s wedding came. The King saw Layonsari, for the first time on that day. Ironically, the King felt strong affection to Layonsari, who would be his beloved young man’s wife and could not control himself at all. He wanted to make something so bad that the wedding party is failed to be celebrated. But, because of his subordinate’s suggestion the King let the wedding party goes on.

Jayaprana and Layonsari were very happy. However, they did not know what the king’s plan for them. They only knew that the King loved them as if they were the King’s children.

Then Jayaprana was Layonsari’s husband officially. They loved each other and they run their household happily. Nonetheless, the King still had love to Layonsari. He could not control his feeling result in he set up a plan to grab Layonsari.

Jayaprana was sent to Terima Gulf, to save it from the tribes attack. After he arrived there suddenly he was stabbed by I Saunggaling (king’s subordinate). On that time, thunder rumbled so many times and rain fell, and the earth was shaking, and the sky was full with lightning.

Those were signs. Signs, that someone wise had been killed without any faults. Jayaprana died.

The king, who had known that Jayaprana had been killed, started to seduce Layonsari. But Layonsari was a determined woman. The king tried again to seduce her but failed. Because of her strong mind and her love to her husband and she was annoyed by what the King did to her, she decided to suicide. Layonsari died.

When the King found her body, the King realized that he had done something wrong. He felt so sorry that he also suicide. After his death, his people put the blame on each other. Then they fought and killed each other. So many people had been killed.

Popularity: 24% [?]