Asmat Folklore, 6

The Origin Of Yombot River

Along time ago, before people lived in this world, at a lower course of Uvit River lived sppirits whose names are Yombotsimbit and Jirpaut. This place had so many resource, such as sand, shells, snail and fish that lived in the water, while the birds flied above them, the jungle itself was so large.

I was said that there were a mother named Yiciwir and her daughter named Akat. They made a long journey to stay alive, Finally, they met Yombotsimbit and Jirpaut who lived in Uvit and they lived together.

On the other hand, the ancestor came in a boat to find out a living place. Theya are Yepemakap, Ewerakap, Dendewakap, Uwusakap, Amberepakap, and Sondewakap. When they saw places that are comfortable to live, they stopped there one by one. Finally, Yepemakap found a comfortable place to live and then he made a sign by an arrow at the river. Then Yepemakap followed Ewerakap and Dendewakap to wherever the place.

On the other hand, of the lower course of Uvit River, Yombotsimbit with his two wives, Jirpaut and Yiciwir, and also their daughter Akat lived together. One day, Yiciwir and akat cut off a sago palm tree to make sago. The top of the palm tree fall to visak tambuw roof, where Bindiw, a python lived.

Yiciwir was cutting sago when Akat taking pisis –cassava young leaves—to be devided into two. The soft part was called junum can be used for awer –pants—the hard part was token by Bindiw to be entered to canary tree root. Bindiw pulled the leaves one by one till the leaves used up.

Seeing that thing, Yiciwir took her ambus –a thing to cut sago, she said angry to Akat, “Akaaata.....domomaa....junum ya visak tambuw bem karuaaa... ya teserasana.....!! it means that, “Visak roof cannot be used as junum, there are a spirit who take care of it”.

Akat stood up, followed her mother, Yiciwir then told her daughter that there was a python named Bindiw who lived there, and he would come there tonight. Meanwhile , Bindiw took the junum made by Akat, he would ask Akat to be his wife, because she annoyed him. As the evening Bindiw went out to Akat and Yiciwir’s house. Bindiw entered the house, claimed to marry Akat.

Akat felt so afraid of him, she refused him. Bindiw got so angry, he bit her thigh. Although she was bitten by Bindiw, Akat still refused Bindiw. She din not want to be a wife of snake. Along the night, Bindiw teased Akat and her mother till their body are full of wound. Before dawn Bindiw came with the same claim, he wanted to marry Akat. Once again, she refused him. This refusal made Bindiw so angry, he tortured Akat and Yiciwir.

Yiciwir could not bear this anymore, so that she tried to find an exact way to deal with this case. Yiciwir then took a stone and then burn it along the night so that it became a fire. When Bindiw came at the night, Yiciwir said, “If you want to marry my daughter, you have to catch a pig, this is the condition”.

Bindiw agreed with that condition, he hunted for pig at dawn, he came back then with the pig at the afternoon. He gave the pig to Akat and Yiciwir as the condition. “Ayai, do dapuca inim a aftammewerena....thank you so much”, Yiciwir said.

Bindiw was so happy, he thought that his proposal was accepted by them. He thought be able to marry Akat. He never understood about Yiciwir’s strategy.

In the evening, Yiciwir called Bindiw and said, “Daputca dia.... my son in law, may you open up your mouth, I want to see your teeth”. So, Bindiw came to her and opened up his mouth. Yiciwir pretended to be astonished, her left hand was on his mouth and her right hand took the stone that was burning along the night  and seemed like a fire. Yiciwir told him to open up his mouth wider, and then Yiciwir took the hot stone in Bidiw’s mouth.

Bindiw was shocked, he felt so hot and injured, he run to the river course, almost passed Jet River. Yiciwir told him, “ya jet ause .... that is Jet River, on the west is Bao River”, Bindiw then followed his steps. When he was so tortured and crawled to go away, the rin was falling from the sky. The rain was  so heavy. The steps of Bindiw became pool that full of rain water. They heavy rain made him reach Sakan and Wuep. Bindiw died there. Bindiw’s steps became a river.

The next Yiciwir’s family visited her, they worried about Yiciwir and Akat because of the heavy rain happened yesterday. They came there by their boat.between Wuep and Sakan they looked like a sago tree which was thron away. When they became nearer with the thing they realized that the thing was not a sago tree but Bindiw, a python who died last night. They took and cut the python in order to eat that.

After taking the snake, Pombas, Ewower, Bisisnset, Bumburuw, and Korou continued their visit to Yiciwir’s house. They were shocked when they saw Yiciwir’s and Akat’s body were injured. They asked Yiciwir what was going on. Yiciwir answered the wound was made by Bindiw. They were bitten by Bindiw. Yiciwir then asked them, “did you have something along your way?”

They show Yiciwir the body of the snake which was cut. Yiciwir made fire roast Bindiw’s body. While roasting Bindiw, Yiciwir told them about her strategy that could kill Bindiw. Bindiw’s steps became a river because of the rain came last night. The first spirit that lived there was Yombotsimbit, so that the river was calle Yombot River, the river that symbolized a mother’s love to save her doughter.

Kaspar Manmak and Dewi Linggasari