<!--QuoteBegin-Bharatvarsh+May 9 2009, 08:37 PM-->QUOTE(Bharatvarsh @ May 9 2009, 08:37 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Illustrated on the left is a drawing by I Lunga (c. 1995) depicting the story of Rajapala. Rajapala is often referred to as the first Balinese voyeur or âpeeping Tom.â According to the story, Rajapala catches sight of a group of celestial nymphs bathing in a pool. He approaches stealthily, and without their knowledge, steals the skirt (kamben) of the prettiest, Sulasih. As her clothing contains magical powers enabling her to fly, the nymph cannot return home. Rajapala offers to marry her. She accepts on the condition that she will return to heaven after the birth of a child. With time, she and Rajapala have a healthy young son. Years pass, and one day, Sulasih accidentally discovers her clothing hidden in the kitchen. Understanding that she has been tricked, she takes leave of her husband and son and goes back to her heavenly abode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_art<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This story has close parallels with an old Telugu Janapada of NTR called Jagadeka Veeruni Katha where the hero has to steal the sari one of the celestial nymph's to marry her & her companions but once she gets it back they leave but the hero manages to get them back at the end which differs from the ending of this story.
I wonder what the original source of the story is, perhaps one of the Sanskrit collections of tales such as Kathasaritsagara, Hitopadesha or Panchatantra.
[right][snapback]97119[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->The <i>Balinese</i> version is the same as the Russian fairytale of the Swan Princess (no, I am not talking about the lame American cartoon which only has the same name and dumped the fairytale).
The king chooses the prettiest of the women and hides her swan covering. But she makes no condition to leave him after any first son, though they do have one son (IIRC, same number and gender).
Even the ending matches: including how the swan-woman one day discovers her swan layer/cover hidden somewhere in an old chest in the palace and wears it and flies off back home. (She doesn't take leave of her husband and son though, as her discovery-transformation-departure is instant: she recollects who she was and leaves.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_art<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This story has close parallels with an old Telugu Janapada of NTR called Jagadeka Veeruni Katha where the hero has to steal the sari one of the celestial nymph's to marry her & her companions but once she gets it back they leave but the hero manages to get them back at the end which differs from the ending of this story.
I wonder what the original source of the story is, perhaps one of the Sanskrit collections of tales such as Kathasaritsagara, Hitopadesha or Panchatantra.
[right][snapback]97119[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->The <i>Balinese</i> version is the same as the Russian fairytale of the Swan Princess (no, I am not talking about the lame American cartoon which only has the same name and dumped the fairytale).
The king chooses the prettiest of the women and hides her swan covering. But she makes no condition to leave him after any first son, though they do have one son (IIRC, same number and gender).
Even the ending matches: including how the swan-woman one day discovers her swan layer/cover hidden somewhere in an old chest in the palace and wears it and flies off back home. (She doesn't take leave of her husband and son though, as her discovery-transformation-departure is instant: she recollects who she was and leaves.)
Death to traitors.