BROMO MOUNTAIN

Long long time ago there lived a couple in the village near the top of mount Bromo. Joko Seger is his name. He lived peacefully with his wife Roro Anteng. But they were not happy because after some time they did not have any children. Then Joko Seger meditated in mount Bromo asking for god to give them children.
 

Some times later Joko Seger had a dream. In his dream he was told that he would have descendants but on one condition. The god asked him to sacrifice his children to the crater of mount Bromo. If he refused to sacrifice, then the god will be angry. Without thinking twice Joko Seger agreed to the condition.

After that every year Roro Anteng gave birth to twenty five children. They were very happy and they loved their children so much that they were reluctant to sacrifice them to the crater. They did not give anything to the crater. Then something happened.
 

One day there was a big eruption of mount Bromo. Smoke, fire, hot cloud of ash came out of its crater. The earth was trembling. The sky was dark. Animals ran away from the mountain. People were very scared since some of them became victims of the hot cloud.
 

Joko Seger and Roro Anteng remembered their promise to god. He realized that god was very angry. So he decided to sacrifice one of his sons. Then he went to the crater with his youngest son Kusuma. Because Joko Seger did not really want to sacrifice his son to the crater, he tried to hide him. But suddenly an eruption began and made Kusuma fall. Afterwards, Kusuma, who had fell to the crater, gave a voice, "I have to be sacrificed by my parents so that you will all stay alive. From now on, you should arrange an annual offering ceremony on the 14th of Kesodo (the twelfth month of Tenggerese calender.)"

Since then on Joko Seger and Roro Anteng gave offerings to the crater. Every year on the 14th day of the month of Kesada the people of Tengger held a ceremony to give offerings.