The Legend of Sentani Lake

THE LEGEND OF SENTANI LAKE

Long ago, in the year of 1800 lived Sentani people who  had strong body  and “pua-pua” hair as they named it for their curly hair. They lived very close with the nature and their livelihood was hunting for animals such as pig, deer, and others in the forest. Affer hunting, they would go home and made a big celebration in the chief of the tribe’s house.

Near the mountain or by the hills there lived a husband, his wife and two daughters. The old daughters’ name was Holo Maengge and her younger sister was Robhong. From both girls Holo Maengge was a kind girl eventhough she had bad face.  Robhong was very arrogant, conceited, and stingy, always be proud by her parents and other people because she was pretty. Hollo Maengge was always  isolated herself in her bedroom so that anyone couldn’t talk about her face.

From day to day, month to month, and year to year the people of  Sentani lived and did  the same hunting  activities in the forest. In the month of  twelve the night when the full moon appeared, the people hit on “kelamut” (some things made of wood when we hit can make sound) that means that people of Sentani had to come together to that place. When the people had been assembled, the chief of the tribe said that they had to thank God for the gifts to the people of  Sentani. For that reason, all men went  to the forest and looked for some animals to make celebration  in the traditional home (the house of  the chief).

Six days all men went for hunting in the forest, from morning till evening but they didn’t find anything. They asked themselves why they didn’t find any animals. They thought that there had to be something happened. Then, one day came a man with thin body and scabies skin asking for food to the people from the village. They drove him out of the village. In his hand he hold piece of coconut shell and also  a piece of wood, but that old man went away with sadness.

The old man came to Robhong and asked for food but the girl pushed him away. He came to Holo Meangge’s house, and she gave him some food.  As the return, the old man gave her a coconut shell and a piece of wood and said : “When the problem appear to this village  don’t forget to use this two things, that I have given to you.”  After that he went away.

The sixth day after that, when the people of the village went to the forest for their food,  they were  very tired and  took rest under a big tree, the banyan tree with laden of leaves and  strong and big root.

Then, Holo Meangge’s father cut the root of the tree and suddenly the water come out of the root. They drank form that but the water couldn’t stop anymore. It became bigger and bigger and finally the water flew from high place to the low place and it became river.. The Sentani people evacuated to the mountains to save them from the flood. But they lived Hollo Meangge. They said, “You must stay home. You don’t go with us. You have bad face and you must die.” And Hollo Meangge stayed at home and waited for  her death.

The river became bigger and bigger and then it was turned into a lake. Holo Meangge remembered her wood and coconut shell given by the old man. She climbed into the coconut shell and it was changed into a boat and the wood became oar.

So Hollo Meangge was saved from the danger while all Sentani people and her families passed away.. Holo Meangge was very sad.  She remembered her family and all village people. She cried all day when she saw the carcass or human corpse from her family that became  islands like ayapo, ifale, etc.

When she felt lonely, she sang beautiful song with her sweet voice. Suddenly behind her standing a young man, a hunter from PNG. He heard the song of loneliness from the girl. They fell in love and finally they got married and had two daughters, Hollo Meangge and Robhong. They lived in Cyclop, and two hills they called Hollo and Robhong. The Hollo had a fertile soil  but Robhong  was  not fertile.