NEPA

Nengon                                 Ata                               Suka

I came from an island in Indonesia named Flores. It has seven regencies including my regency East Manggarai, but my villages name is Waerana. We did not used to blend with others from other islands and regencies but because of the migration and searching for live is happening now. However we still keep our typical traditions, use our own language, and have our annual ceremonies, beliefs, and typical songs. Besides that we have lots of myths and among them is the myth of Nepa.

Nepa is a name of a species of snakes with typical colors and they are enormous and dangerous. Some of the clan eat its meat and sell the skin and oil in the market because they are very expensive. Now days for this reason, these snakes are scarce and difficult to find.

We had an essential prohibition and rules from our ancestors not to eat these meet of Nepa. We must to avoid killing these Nepa and selling its skin and oil. There was an agreement among Nepa and our ancestors and the consequent of breaking the agreement.

My clan name is Suka. A long time ago my ancestors used to live in a big house. This big house was a mother of many houses of this clan. Usually the old people, men and women used to blend and lived together in this big house. They hold an authority of speaking and statement, knowing everything, predicting the life, having a theory of life and death and so on. Before they had to work they will devise a plan for the next day or future. The men would go out for hunt and the women would stay in house to cook and take care of children.

One day they didn’t go hunting. They had lots of food to eat. It was raining and nobody went out except their leader. He went to another village. When he came back he found it hard to cross the flooded river. Suddenly Nepa appeared to him. It was visible and he started to fight. He eliminated all his anxiousness and been ready.

There was no reaction. My grandfather said there was a conversation between them. Nepa tried to persuade him for helping cross the flooded river but with a requirement. The requirement was they would not kill each other when they meet. If some members of our clan broke these rules they will get sick or lack healthy lives. Then Nepa vanished and never appeared as usual. This leader circulated among the family this new rule that must be followed by our clan and handed down from one generation to another until now.

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