Page 322 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

In the perspective of Atoin Meto in West Timor Indonesia, the terms apinat // aklahat
are known; He who lights up and glows like embers. There are still thousands of terms in
Austronesian perspective that reveals the strategy of Melanesian society’s culture about
the dimensions of the Divine One which are later appreciated in a variety of social rites.
The most popular idea/thought contained in the hearts and minds of Melanesian society
is the desire to always be close to the Divine One (rites) and a simultaneous search for
various science and knowledge in the work and creativity of everyday life. This includes
a relentless effort to maintain a harmonious relationship with the cosmos, others, and
the ancestors.
The Mythology of the People of Abun in West Papua
“The People of Abun believe that they originate from cassowary (Damsor). It is said
that in Tambrauw Mountains a child lived with his mother. One day, for whatever reason,
the child killed his mother, the cassowary. Initially, the child built a house then he killed
his mother, the cassowary. Then, the pieces of cassowary meat were divided according
to the number of rooms - seven. In each room, one piece of cassowary meat was placed.
One of those seven rooms was occupied by the child, which was located right on the
king pole as the cornerstone of the foundation. One day, the child went for seven days,
without anyone knowing where he went. Upon his return, the child found that he house
had become crowded like an urban area. Various tribes occupied these rooms. The Abun
Tribe occupied one of those rooms. Apparently, the meat that was placed in each room
had turned into humans. From these events, various ethnic groups and different languages
came into being in the world. Other ethnic groups left the room, then wandered over the
whole world, while the child remained to occupy the room, and began to speak Abun then
named the tribe Abun with the prefix Y” (Ronsumbre, 2013).
The mythology about the origin of people exists almost in all ethnic groups within the
scope of the Melanesians, which is certainly in tune with the local conceptions attached
to each context. The mythology above implies the relationships between human beings,
the cosmos, the Divine One, the network with the spirit world, which was then passed on
from generation to generation. The records found in the myths and mythology show that
the Melanesians, in addition to trying to learn knowledge from the universe, also believe
that the life that they lead is also a very important part, inseparable from the science and
knowledge they are searching for.
Mythology above refers to ‘structural reflection’ on the nature of Melanesian society
which is constantly integrating each concept in view of the world, in relation to the

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