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Ebu Gogo is a human-like creature (or race of creatures) that appears in the mythology of the people of the island of Flores, Indonesia, of similar form to the leprechaun or elf. These "little people" are said to be about one meter tall, their passion fruit sized head covered in hair, pot-bellied, and with ears that stick out[citation needed]. They are held to walk somewhat awkwardly and are often said to be "murmuring" in what is assumed to be their own language[citation needed]. It is also said by the islanders that the Ebu Gogo can repeat what is said to them in parrot-like fashion[citation needed].
In one language of central Flores the name means "grandmother who eats meat" (or possibly "grandmother glutton") from the words ebu "grandmother" and gogo "(s)he who eats meat"[citation needed].
Interpretations
The legends relating to the Ebu Gogo were traditionally, according to the journal Nature[citation needed], attributed to monkeys, which do not exist on Flores but were known on other islands from where the current Flores population comes. These legends may represent a folk memory of the island's previous inhabitants who were supplanted by the current population, or they may represent a supernatural understanding of the islanders' deceased ancestors[citation needed].
The people of Flores believe that the Ebu Gogo were alive at the time of the arrival of Portuguese trading ships over 400 years ago, and some hold that they survived as recently as 100 years ago but are now no longer seen.
An article in New Scientist (Vol. 186, No. 2504) gives the following account of folklore on Flores surrounding the ebu gogo:
- The Nage people of central Flores tell how, some 300 years ago, villagers disposed of the Ebu Gogo by tricking them into accepting gifts of palm fiber to make clothes. When the Ebu Gogo took the fiber into their cave, the villagers threw in a firebrand to set it alight. The story goes that all the occupants were killed, except perhaps for one pair, who fled into the deepest forest, and whose descendants may be living there still.
The article goes on to say that such tales are common in Indonesia, according to anthropologist Gregory Forth. There are also legends about the ebu gogo kidnapping human children, hoping to learn from them how to cook. The children always easily outwit the ebu gogo in the tales.
Speculated connection to Homo floresiensis
The discovery in 2003 on Flores of remains of a meter-tall hominid, Homo floresiensis, has inspired more literal interpretations of the Ebu Gogo stories. H. floresiensis survived until 13,000 years ago, and possibly even longer.
Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman connects the tales of the Ebu Gogo to other "Proto-Pygmy" sightings from throughout south Asia. Coleman links these traditions to the survival of small, hairy hominoids, as noted in his book The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates (NY: Anomalist Books, 2006), coauthored with Patrick Huyghe. The book's cover is illustrated with a drawing of the Ebu Gogo.
See also
External links
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