Background of the Study

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Indonesia is an archipelago country which has a beautiful nature that makes people of other countries interested in coming to Indonesia. Indonesia also has many tribes and ethnic groups with their own living cultures. One of them is Malay Langkat. Malay Langkat has rich cultures such as dancing, wedding ceremony, legend, hikayat, Games, and the others. Among the cultures mentioned about Malay Langkat. The writer chooses the legend for topic in this paper. Mois 1991:261 says, “Legend is a description or statement which is usually patterned story or narrative, the background or historical period that is still remembered by the community concerned, which may connect past experience with the contemporary, which is usually believed to be true by those who deliver it, and also by those who accept delivery of the story especially when the form of signs on the face of nature that seemed to validate the original content of the story or narrative”. The quotation means that the history of Dewi Rimba is one of the legends in Indonesia. Her life was taken place long time ago, and it is still believed by the society. So it is very important to write and discussed about the Dewi Rimba life to keep it well known by the young generation. Sometimes, the term legend is much abused synonymously with myth, tall tale, and history. Legend is different from myth. Myth to be focused on explaining natural phenomena answering in the natural world and legend is focused on individuals and their accomplishments. Legend is also different from tall tales who focus on hyperbole and innovations to a hero whom they do not belong for Universitas Sumatera Utara the sake of the history. Finally, legend is separated from history by the fact that its content. The legend of Dewi Rimba is one of traditional stories found in Tanjung Lenggang, Langkat. The writer is interested to raise the legend of Dewi Rimba as her topic since the writer wants to know deeply and also to give useful information to the public.

1.2 Problem of the Study