A historical record reveals a unique side of Indonesia-US diplomacy in the 1960s: Marshall Green, the right-hand man of the American President in Jakarta, turned out to have repeatedly rejected President Soekarno's invitation to Pelabuhan Ratu. The reason for his rejection was not due to political tensions, but rather an extraordinary fear of the myth of Nyi Roro Kidul.
This fear stems from the tragic death of a foreign diplomat who was swept away by waves on the south coast while wearing green clothes. This incident strengthens the myth of the prohibition of green that is believed by local people.
In the book "Basoeki Abdullah: The Hanoman Keloyongan", Marshall Green even joked to Bung Karno that he was worried that his name would attract the Queen of the South Seas and make him reluctant to visit there.
"Mr President, I'm worried that my green name will attract Ratu Kidul. I still want to play on the Florida Beach," he said.
Green's fears were even more justified because Soekarno officially built Room 308 at the Samudra Beach Hotel as a tribute to the Queen, complete with all-green decorations that were identical to the diplomat's last name.
This phenomenon shows how strong the influence of Indonesian cultural narratives is that they can touch the logic of Western diplomats. This mystical issue was not only discussed in the palace, but was also recorded by big figures such as the painter Basoeki Abdullah and the writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who saw this myth as a construction of power since the Mataram era to assert dominance in the southern region of Java.
However, behind the veil of mystery, science provides a different answer. Research from Diponegoro University (2015) explains that the real threat to Pelabuhan Ratu is not supernatural forces, but rip currents, strong currents from the coast to the open sea which are formed due to the steep morphology of the coast.
This is the logical cause of the large number of drowning victims in the area.💥
Dubes AS, Marshal Green Mengaku Takut Ke Indonesia, Bukan Senjata Nuklir Tapi Nyi Loro Kidul
Sebuah catatan sejarah mengungkap sisi unik diplomasi Indonesia-AS era 1960-an: Marshall Green, tangan kanan Presiden Amerika di Jakarta, ternyata pernah berkali-kali menolak ajakan Presiden Soekarno ke Pelabuhan Ratu. Alasan penolakannya bukan karena ketegangan politik, melainkan ketakutan luar biasa terhadap mitos Nyi Roro Kidul.
Ketakutan ini bermula dari tragedi t3w4snya seorang diplomat asing yang terseret ombak di pantai selatan saat mengenakan pakaian hijau. Kejadian ini memperkuat mitos larangan warna hijau yang dipercayai masyarakat setempat.
Dalam buku "Basoeki Abdullah: Sang Hanoman Keloyongan", Marshall Green bahkan sempat berseloroh kepada Bung Karno bahwa ia khawatir namanya akan memikat sang Ratu Laut Selatan dan membuatnya enggan berkunjung ke sana.
"Pak Presiden, saya khawatir, jangan-jangan nama saya yang green, hijau, memikat Ratu Kidul. Saya masih ingin bermain-main di Pantai Florida, katanya,"
Ketakutan Green makin beralasan karena Soekarno secara resmi membangun Kamar 308 di Samudra Beach Hotel sebagai penghormatan bagi Sang Ratu, lengkap dengan dekorasi serba hijau yang identik dengan nama belakang sang diplomat.
Fenomena ini menunjukkan betapa kuatnya pengaruh narasi budaya Indonesia hingga mampu menyentuh logika para diplomat Barat. Isu mistis ini tidak hanya menjadi obrolan di istana, tetapi juga dicatat oleh tokoh besar seperti pelukis Basoeki Abdullah hingga sastrawan Pramoedya Ananta Toer, yang memandang mitos ini sebagai konstruksi kekuasaan sejak era Mataram untuk menegaskan dominasi di wilayah selatan Jawa.
Namun, di balik selubung misteri tersebut, sains memberikan jawaban yang berbeda. Penelitian dari Universitas Diponegoro (2015) menjelaskan bahwa ancaman nyata di Pelabuhan Ratu bukanlah kekuatan gaib, melainkan rip current, arus kuat dari pantai ke laut lepas yang terbentuk akibat morfologi pantai yang curam.
Inilah penyebab logis banyaknya korban tenggelam di kawasan tersebut.💥