Contoh Cerita Legenda Bahasa Inggris beserta Ciri-Ciri dan Jenis-jenisnya

Ilustrasi membaca cerita legenda bahasa Inggris. Foto: Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock

Legenda adalah cerita atau prosa rakyat yang dianggap berasal dari kejadian nyata. Biasanya, legenda berkaitan dengan asal-usul terbentuknya suatu tempat. Misalnya, legenda Sangkuriang yang dipercaya sebagai kisah di balik terciptanya Gunung Tangkuban Perahu.

Dalam bahasa Inggris, legenda disebut juga dengan legend. Legenda termasuk jenis cerita fiksi yang disampaikan dalam bentuk narrative text. Itu adalah teks yang menceritakan rangkaian peristiwa dengan tujuan menghibur pembaca.

Agar lebih memahaminya, simak ciri-ciri, jenis-jenis, dan contoh cerita legenda bahasa Inggris dalam artikel berikut.

Baca juga: Jenis Narrative Text dan Penjelasannya Lengkapnya

Ciri-Ciri Legenda

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Mengutip buku Pengantar Ilmu Sosial dan Budaya Dasar karangan Zainal, legenda merupakan cerita rakyat yang memiliki ciri-ciri sebagai berikut:

Baca juga: Cerita Mite: Ciri-ciri, Jenis, dan Fungsi

Jenis-Jenis Legenda

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Legenda dibagi menjadi empat jenis, yaitu:

1. Legenda Keagamaan

Sesuai namanya, ini merupakan legenda yang ceritanya berkaitan dengan kehidupan keagamaan. Misalnya, cerita tentang para penyebar Islam di Jawa yang dikenal dengan sebutan Wali Songo.

Wali songo merupakan tokoh yang benar-benar ada. Namun, dalam uraian ceritanya mereka ditampilkan sebagai figur yang memiliki kesaktian di luar kemampuan manusia biasa.

2. Legenda Alam Gaib

Berbentuk kisah yang dianggap benar-benar terjadi dan dialami seseorang, legenda alam gaib bertujuan untuk meneguhkan kebenaran takhayul atau kepercayaan rakyat. Legenda ini umumnya menceritakan pengalaman mistis seseorang yang berkaitan dengan makhluk gaib, hantu, siluman, dan sebagainya.

3. Legenda Perorangan

Legenda perorangan menceritakan tokoh-tokoh tertentu yang dianggap benar-benar terjadi. Misalnya, legenda Lutung Kasarung dari Jawa Barat, Si Pahit Lidah dari Sumatera, serta Rara Mendut dan Jaka Tingkir dari Jawa Tengah.

4. Legenda Lokal/Setempat

Legenda ini berhubungan dengan nama tempat terjadinya gunung, bukit, danau, dan sebagainya. Contohnya, legenda terjadinya Danau Toba di Sumatera, Rara Jonggrang di Yogyakarta dan Jawa Tengah.

Baca juga: Contoh Cerita Rakyat Bahasa Inggris Singkat dan Pesan Moralnya

Contoh Legenda bahasa Inggris

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Agar lebih memahaminya, berikut cerita legenda bahasa Inggris yang dikutip dari laman English Bix:

1. The Legend of Bali Strait

Long time ago in Daha Kingdom, lived a great Brahma named Sidi Mantra. He had a son named Manik Angkeran who fell in big debt due to gamble. Sidi Mantra knew about the treasure in Agung Mountain that was safeguarded by Besukih Dragon.

With a bell in his hand, Sidi Mantra recited a spell to call the dragon. Once the dragon came out, Sidi Mantra asked for help. The dragon agreed to give him gold.

Manik Angkeran was so happy to see the gold but greed made him want more. He stole his father bell and go to Agung Mountain to meet the dragon himself. After the dragon gave him gold, he became greedier and cut the tail of the dragon to get more. The dragon got angry and burnt him to death.

Sidi Mantra felt so sad and ask the dragon to bring his son back to life. The dragon agreed as long as he could get tail back. With his power, Sidi Mantra got the dragon’s tail back and Manik Angkeran alive.

Although Manik Angkeran felt sorry, Sidi Mantra knew they could not live together again. He put a stick on the ground between him and his son. Suddenly, water came out from the ground and became strait, which separates Bali Island and Java Island.

2. The Story of Bau Nyale in Lombok

Once upon a time, in Lombok, there was a kingdom named Kuripan that was led by a wise king. The princess or the daughter of the king was so beautiful. Her name was Princess Mandalika.

There were many princes wanted to marry Mandalika. However, the king was confused because too many princes came and proposed. Because of that reason, the king held an arrow competition. He promised that the winner had the chance to marry with his beloved daughter.

Just like expected, on the competition day, many princes came and participated. They had a good skill on arrow, so all of them were perfectly hit the target. The king became more confuse. Because there was no clear decision, the princes started to fight each other.

Princess Mandalika was desperate. The beautiful princess did want to find anyone got killed. So, she then decided to go to the beach. She cried and thrown her body into the deep sea.

The beach where princess Mandalika killed herself is in southern Lombok. Up to today, in February or March, people who live near the sea celebrate the moment.

On that day, there are thousands of seas worms appear to the surface. People call the worms as Nyale. They believe that the worms are the incarnation of princess Mandalika. The celebration is called “BauNyale”.

3. The Crying Stone

Once upon a time, in a small village in Borneo Island, there lived a mother and her daughter. The daughter was popular among villagers because of her beautiful face but she has a bad behavior.

She always spent her time in front of the mirror to admire her beautiful face. She never helped her mother to fulfill their daily needs. The daughter always made her mother sad. However, the mother still loved her very much.

One day, the girl asked her mother to buy her a new gown. The mother refused it because she had no money. Because the mother loved her daughter so much, she finally bought her a new gown.

Both went to the market. But the daughter asked her mother to walk behind because she was embarrassed if people saw them together. Once again, because of her love, the mother obeyed the daughter’s request.

Along the way home, the daughter still walked in front of her mother. People passing asked about the woman behind her. The daughter answer that she was not her mother but her servant. The mother kept silent. But inside her deep heart, she prayed to the God to punish her daughter.

Suddenly, her daughter’s legs turned into stone. The daughter realized that it was because she had hurt her mother’s feeling. She begged to her mother to forgive but it was too late. Slowly, her body also turned into stone. Though the daughter had become a stone, but the tears were still seen, which was why the stone was called Batu Menangis.

4. Story Behind How Animals Got Their Appearance

Long time ago, animals were very different from how they appear today. Some animals were taller, some were thinner and some even had more legs than they have today.

However, everything was boring and peaceful at the time until a red dragon saying that the world is going to end. Lion and chicken who had ever heard such issue before disbelieved.

The red dragon convinced both animals and said that the world is coming to an end within few days. Other animals who heard the issue asked the dragon where he found the information. Red dragon said that he had been told by a witch that the world is too old and would going to an end.

A rhino then asked to the dragon about what shall they do next. Red dragon said that all animals should climb onto his back and he would bring them fly to another world. All animals rushed to get on the red dragon’s back, except the lion. He said that he is a king and he never frightened of anything. He decided to stay.

The red dragon then flapped both wings and flew into the sky. Some animals felt uncomfortable because they never fly before. The animals started to fight each other.

Because there were too many movements on his back, the flight was unstable and finally all of them fell down from the sky. Some animals landed with their face, some were with their body and some other landed with their tail first. All of them were injured and got different appearance like what we saw today.

Contoh Cerita Rakyat Bahasa Inggris

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Selain legenda, narrative text juga bisa berupa cerita rakyat atau folklore. Dijelaskan dalam buku Jenis-Jenis Teks dalam Bahasa Inggris oleh Joko Prayudha S, folklore adalah cerita yang diturunkan secara turun-temurun hingga menjadi bagian dari tradisi masyarakat.

Mengutip buku Nilai Pendidikan: Intertekstualitas dalam Cerita Rakyat Buton tulisan Muhammad Yusnan, cerita rakyat dapat dikenali dengan ciri-ciri sebagai berikut:

Contoh judul cerita rakyat antara lain Malin Kundang, Timun Mas, dan Bawang Merah dan Bawang Putih. Berikut contoh cerita rakyat singkat dalam bahasa Inggris yang dapat disimak:

Pinocchio

Once upon a time, there was a puppeteer named Geppetto. He really wanted a boy but his wife has been died for a long time ago. One day, he had an idea. He wanted to make a puppet so he would never felt lonely again.

He made a puppet all night without resting. In the morning, finally he finished his work. He named the puppet, Pinocchio. He played whole day with Pinocchio. However, he felt lonely again because Pinocchio couldn’t talk or walk by himself.

In the middle of the night, Geppetto prayed to the God. His wish was Pinocchio became a real boy, human. He thought it on his mind in his dream.

In the next morning, he surprised. Pinocchio was alive. He really was happy. He tough Pinocchio how to walk, how to speak, how to read etc. like a teacher. Pinocchio learned fast. He entered an elementary school.

One day, Pinocchio felt bored. So, he went home late. Geppetto worried about him. When Pinocchio came to home, Geppetto asked him. He said he was on school but he didn’t. Suddenly, Pinocchio’s nose grow longer. It meant that Pinocchio lied.

The next day, Pinocchio got caught by thieves. The thieves was the owner of circus. Pinocchio became a slave for the circus. He was famous because he was a talking puppet. Geppetto worried him.

Pinocchio didn’t come home for 2 days. He found Pinocchio everywhere. When he discovered the sea, big wave smashed him. He was on whale’s stomach when he awoke. He couldn’t find the way out.

In different place, Pinocchio finally could get out from circus. He went to home but Geppetto wasn’t on there. He found Geppetto at sea. He had the same accident like Geppetto. He met Geppetto in whale’s stomach. They got out from its stomach by made a fire.

They went home back together. In the end, they lived happy forever after.

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