The People of Konawe

Title in Kulisusu: Miano Konawe

Told by: La Tunde

Date: March 1996


This story is the story of the people of Konawe. The people of Konawe came and settled in Kulisusu family by family.

At first they came and lived at the putting-in place of Sori, and they made gardens. But later they weren’t able to endure it there. They raised banana plants until they could be cut down, and they made fences with them because the garfish would swim so strong they would fly right into their houses.

After that, they moved to Ungka-ungkaya mountain. After they moved to Ungka-ungkaya mountain, the same thing happened there. They weren’t able to endure the garfish.

After that they moved to Doule. After moving to Doule, they built gardens there. They gardened, and they fenced their gardens with iron and they planted rice. Later those iron fences where they had planted rice were demolished by pigs. No one knew the way the pigs got there. So a person from Doule gathered dogs to hunt them, and he took his spear and departed.

Then he came down to a putting-in place, where he encountered a man staring up at the sun. That’s why Wamboule is named Mata Oleo (sun).

After that he kept going, and he came upon some people in a swamp collecting kluwak nuts. That’s why that place is named Epe (swamp).

After that he kept going, and he came to some people picking plumeria fruits. That’s why tha place is named Jampaka (plumeria).

After that he kept going, and here at Membuku he came across a man fixing the seat supports of his boat. That’s why that place is named Membuku.

After that he came and found a man asleep snoring. That’s why that place is named Mowuru.

After that he came and up there he found a putting-in place with three stones. That’s why that putting-in place is named Wacu Tolu Boto (three stones).

After that he arrived at the putting-in place of Komba and found people picking betel leaves. That’s why it’s called the putting-in place of Komba (betel).

After that he kept going, and he came across a man sitting on the sand, the seat of his pants were ruined. That’s why that place is named Moruta (ruined) beach.

He set out again, and he came to a beach. That beach was very broad. That’s why that place is named One Ea.

After that he set off again, and there he came across a man absorbed in anger because monkeys had overrun his garden. That’s why it’s named the putting-in place of Sampuna.

Then he went on, and he came across those monkeys, a large group. That’s why that place is named Wonua Ndoke (monkey region).

After that he set off again, and he came across some people sitting in a pig trail. That’s why that cape is named Koro (animal trail).

After this, he crossed over to Kotawo. When he arrived at Kotawo, he came across a crocodile that had buried itself in rice chaff. That’s why that place is named Kotawo.

After that he crossed over to Pina’o, where his dogs were thirsty. By what means could his dogs get a drink there? So he thrust his spear into the ground, and there came out water, a spring that is still there today, named Pina’o.

As for the pigs he was following, in reality in the morning they go to the island of Wanci. At night they return. From Tampuno Koro (the end of the trail) they travel underground. They re-emerge up there in the middle of the gardens.

Having settled in Doule, that person became known as the leader of Doule.


We hope you enjoyed this story. You can also listen to this story told in Kulisusu, or download a print version (pdf) which gives the story in all three languages. 


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