Kisah Gunung Mekongga
Folklore from Southeast Sulawesi
THERE was a beautiful village. The villagers were farmers, They lived happily and peacefully. Their cattle grew well. The land was fertile and the villagers harvested regularly.
Recently, the villagers had a terrible rumor. They heard that there was a giant eagle coming to their village. The eagle was so big that it could grab a cow with its giant claws.
The villagers were restless. They hoped the rumor was not true. Sadly, they were wrong. The giant eagle was indeed coming. It was flying above the village and looking for something to eat.
The villagers were hiding inside their houses. The parents asked their children to immediately go home and they also saved their cattle inside the cages.
Sadly, one cow was left in the field. The eagle saw the cow. It flew very fast then grabbed the cow with its giant claws. The eagle flew away and brought the cow!
The villagers were extremely shocked! They had never seen such horrible thing like that. They soon had a meeting to find the solution.
"We have to kill the eagle. Sooner or later the eagle will eat our cattle. And if there is no cattle left, the eagle will eat us!" screamed one villager.
"He's right! We have to kill the eagle. I think I know the solution. I heard there is a wise man who is very small. He knows all solutions to any problem. Let's meet him," said another villager.
Some villagers went to another village. It was quite far and they had to spend days to meet the wise man. When they finally met the wise man, they told him about the giant eagle and asked him how to kill it.
The wise man said, "It's easy. just find one man who is willing to be the bait. Surround the man's body with sharp bamboos. Don't forget to cover the bamboos with deadly poison. When the eagle tries to catch the man, the bamboos will stab the eagle's body."
The villagers understood what the wise man said. They soon went back home and asked one man who was willing to be the bait.
Unfortunately, no one wanted to be the bait. The head of the village even promised to give lots of money to a man who was willing to be the bait.
Finally a poor man took the challenge. He wanted to use the money to help his poor parents. The man's name was Tasahea.
The head of the village immediately asked the villagers to prepare the sharp bamboos. They also put the bamboos with some deadly poison. After that they attached the bamboos around Tasahea's body.
Later, Tasahea was standing on the open field. The villagers were hiding inside their house. All the cattle were also kept safely in the cages.
Not long after that, they heard the eagle coming. The eagle saw Tasahea. It flew closer then tried to grab Tasahea.
But before the claws grabbed Tasahea's body, the bamboos stabbed the eagle's body. The eagle was screaming in pain. Tasahea saw a good opportunity to kill the eagle. He took one big spear that he had prepared earlier, then threw it against the eagle's body.
The spear hit the eagle! The eagle was still able to fly away. However it was bleeding badly and it finally landed on the top of a big mountain, The eagle lost too much blood. The eagle finally died.
Everybody was happy and as promised, the head of the village gave Tasahea lots of money. He and his parents were rich! Meanwhile, people later named the mountain where the eagle died as Mekongga Mountain. It means the mountain where the giant eagle died. ***
Folklore from Southeast Sulawesi
THERE was a beautiful village. The villagers were farmers, They lived happily and peacefully. Their cattle grew well. The land was fertile and the villagers harvested regularly.
Recently, the villagers had a terrible rumor. They heard that there was a giant eagle coming to their village. The eagle was so big that it could grab a cow with its giant claws.
The villagers were restless. They hoped the rumor was not true. Sadly, they were wrong. The giant eagle was indeed coming. It was flying above the village and looking for something to eat.
The villagers were hiding inside their houses. The parents asked their children to immediately go home and they also saved their cattle inside the cages.
Sadly, one cow was left in the field. The eagle saw the cow. It flew very fast then grabbed the cow with its giant claws. The eagle flew away and brought the cow!
The villagers were extremely shocked! They had never seen such horrible thing like that. They soon had a meeting to find the solution.
"We have to kill the eagle. Sooner or later the eagle will eat our cattle. And if there is no cattle left, the eagle will eat us!" screamed one villager.
"He's right! We have to kill the eagle. I think I know the solution. I heard there is a wise man who is very small. He knows all solutions to any problem. Let's meet him," said another villager.
Some villagers went to another village. It was quite far and they had to spend days to meet the wise man. When they finally met the wise man, they told him about the giant eagle and asked him how to kill it.
The wise man said, "It's easy. just find one man who is willing to be the bait. Surround the man's body with sharp bamboos. Don't forget to cover the bamboos with deadly poison. When the eagle tries to catch the man, the bamboos will stab the eagle's body."
The villagers understood what the wise man said. They soon went back home and asked one man who was willing to be the bait.
Unfortunately, no one wanted to be the bait. The head of the village even promised to give lots of money to a man who was willing to be the bait.
Finally a poor man took the challenge. He wanted to use the money to help his poor parents. The man's name was Tasahea.
The head of the village immediately asked the villagers to prepare the sharp bamboos. They also put the bamboos with some deadly poison. After that they attached the bamboos around Tasahea's body.
Later, Tasahea was standing on the open field. The villagers were hiding inside their house. All the cattle were also kept safely in the cages.
Not long after that, they heard the eagle coming. The eagle saw Tasahea. It flew closer then tried to grab Tasahea.
But before the claws grabbed Tasahea's body, the bamboos stabbed the eagle's body. The eagle was screaming in pain. Tasahea saw a good opportunity to kill the eagle. He took one big spear that he had prepared earlier, then threw it against the eagle's body.
The spear hit the eagle! The eagle was still able to fly away. However it was bleeding badly and it finally landed on the top of a big mountain, The eagle lost too much blood. The eagle finally died.
Everybody was happy and as promised, the head of the village gave Tasahea lots of money. He and his parents were rich! Meanwhile, people later named the mountain where the eagle died as Mekongga Mountain. It means the mountain where the giant eagle died. ***
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| Mekongga Mountain |
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