Island of Flores | Religion | Myths & Legend | Places to see
Myths and Legends
The Dragon Princess, this folk story starts with the birth of twins on the island of Komodo in the Manggarai regency, the twins were born to a princess called Putri Naga, but her children were no ordinary twins, one was a boy whom she named Si Gerong, the other a dragon whom she named Orah, the princess took Orah to be raised in the forests and the son never knew about his sister the Dragon. Many years later after the death of his mother, Si Gerong was out hunting and killed a deer, but before he could get near to the animal, a huge Dragon came out of the forest and fell upon the prey and started to devour it, Si Gerong took up his spear once again to fight the dragon, but suddenly a beautiful vision of the princess appeared out of the forest and said not to harm the dragon as it was his sister and he should consider her his equal and they should live peacefully on the Island.
To this day the local people of Komodo have protected these huge dragons, it is also said that a Dragon on Komodo has never killed a local villager, this can not be said for the adjacent island of Rinca. Always remember to be careful when visiting Komodo and Rinca as many years ago a Dutch gentleman disappeared and only his glasses and a shoe were found.
The Mesa (Itch)
This small island in between Komodo and Flores is now the home to a thriving village of people whose origins come from Sulawesi. These nomad fisherman came to the island from far and wide to use it as a safe anchorage, but everyone who stepped onto Mesa was afflicted by a terrible itch (Mesa is a Bajo word for Itch) on their feet and didn't stay there too long, but after a while everyone would always want to return to the island, until eventually they cleared away the dreaded creeping vine that caused the itch and settled to make it the crowded fishing village it is today, there is not a spare piece of flat land on this small island for any more houses to be built.
Ikan Layar (Sail Fish)
The people of Mesa island earn their living from the sea and offerings of food and water are given to the owner of the sea and shore to appease him, for safe return and protection on their fishing trips and of course hopefully a good catch, a prayer to God is said on the safe return of every fishermen. But if whilst fishing a Sail fish is caught it is immediately set free, as the legend tells of a Bugis ancestor who was saved from drowning in a terrible storm by a sail fish, the fisherman vowed that he and his ancestors would never harm or eat a sail fish again.
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