Stumble It!
The Legend of the Ebu Gogo
The Ebu Gogo are the main characters in a traditional folk story told by the Flores Islanders. They are a small, nasty people with an voracious appetite that sometimes included the occasional human baby. When they could tolerate them no more the Flores islanders drove the Ebu Gogo in the direction of the caves near Some scientists believe that the folk lore maybe a shared cultural memory of Homo floresiensis but there is no solid evidence to support that theory.
The following is an excerpt from the novel where Sarah discusses with Richard the legend of the Ebu Gogo during their dinner:
“Look you know how the legends go about the Ebu,” said Richard.
Sarah “Yes, I do, how could I not. I've been over it a hundred times. Let's see Ebu Gogo, meaning Grandmothers that eat anything. According to legend they are small hairy people with long arms, about a meter tall and the women have pendulous breasts that they throw over their shoulders or so the local legend goes.”
“Stop it, you're getting me hot,” Richard said.
Sarah continues to talk despite Richard's failed effort at humor. “ Flores natives say they will eat anything, including raw meat, fruit, vegetables and the occasional human baby. They've been known to make a pest of themselves by raiding the native's crops and they were tolerated by the islanders. That is until the human islander's drew the line at the taking of their babies. The Ebu were driven away from human habitation and they forced to seek refuge in the caves at Liang Bua. Incidentally, at the very same caves, scientists have found seven dwarf skeletons belonging to Homo floresiensis that date back about 13,000 years ago. The last of the Ebu were seen on the island at the same time the original Dutch colonists arrived. They haven't been seen since.”
Sarah continues. “The question remains: is this a legend or a shared folk memory? All we know is there are at least four university teams scouring Flores looking for them as we speak. But guess what? We are looking on a totally different island that nobody knows about. What do they look like? I haven't a clue but I know that these little critters do vocalize.”
Richard decides to interject. “My guess is that they are not particularly hairy and they don't have pendulous breasts, thank goodness for that. I mean after all, I like a natural breast as much as the next man but down to the floor…,” Richard stops short after the eyeing the exasperated look Sarah gives him.
“But I digress. Okay, not much hair, no pendulous breasts nor do they eat everything. There is some truth to the legend in that they are probably omnivores and they enjoy eating a mixed diet very much like our own. Based on the remains at Liang Bua they are about a meter tall, long arms, with sloping foreheads, no chin and a naked skin similar in color to African or dark Indonesian people. Their hands and feet are probably very similar to our own as well. The question is how intelligent are they and how did they get from mainland to the islands with the technology on hand?” Richard asked.
