TH£ LEGENDS Oi' MEKANGKABAU. 



whicli was described &h dividing Palembang from 

 Jambi^ and thence to Pnangan, a word in Javanese 

 signifying " the land of wood-spirits " or fairies, and 

 at present the name of a kampong on the road from 

 this place to Padang Panjang, and situated on the 

 flanks of the Mi^rapi, near the wooded region. There 

 is little doubt that this kampong is the same as the 

 ancient one of the same name, for that was described 

 as being " near the gi'eat volcano." 



Another legend represents the founder of the 

 Menangkabau empii-e to have been Sang Sapurba (a 

 name compounded of bt)th Sanscrit and Javanese 

 words)j who is also j^aid to have come from Palem* 

 bang, which we know was a Javanese colony. The 

 Javanese and Sanscrit origins of these names at once 

 suggest the probability that a larger part of the 

 civilization which rendered this enijiire so superior 

 to all others in Sumatra, was not indigenous, but 

 introduced from Jav% and at a period subsequent to 

 the introduction into that island of Hinduism and 

 its accompanying Sanscrit names from India. The 

 names of many of the most remarkable mountains 

 and localities in this region are also found to be of 

 similar origin, and greatly strengthen this probabil- 

 ity. The word Menangkabau itself signihes in Java- 

 nese " the victory of the buffalo ; " and, as it has 

 been one of the favorif e epoits of the Javanese from 

 time immemorial to make buffaloes flglit with tigers, 

 we may presume this locality ac^piired its name from 

 its being the frequent scene of such a bloody pas- 

 time. 



When Eui'opeans fii'st anived on the northern 



