Toba Lake

Toba Lake

The Legend of Toba Lake tells the story of a young orphan farmer who lived in the northern part of Sumatra. Syahdan, the young man, earned his living from farming and fishing. One day while fishing, he caught a beautiful golden brown fish which transformed into a beautiful princess in his hands. This princess was cursed to turn into a creature if touched by a human, due to violating a prohibition. As a result of the young man touching her, she became a princess.

Mesmerized by her beauty, the young man proposed to her. She agreed, but with the condition that he must never reveal her origin as a fish. He agreed to this condition, and they got married and had a son. However, the son had a bad habit of always wanting more food and eating everything in sight.

One day, the son ate all the food that was supposed to be for his father, and in his anger, the young man revealed the secret of his wife’s origin. This broke his promise and caused his wife and son to disappear. From the land where they had stood, springs emerged, and the water from these springs continued to flow and grow larger, eventually becoming the vast Toba Lake that we know today.