Folklore- from Bali

Kebo Iwa
The Strong Man


This is a story about the legendary strong man Kebo Iwa. There is a building, well or lake in many village have been made by Kebo Iwa. In a small village there was once a man and his wife living. There are not blessed with a child. Day by day they always pray to God that they were blessed with a child. The request was granted, and in time the woman gave birth to a son whom she named Iwa. The parent were delighted, but soon they noticed strage things about their son. As soon as he was born, instead of drinking his mother’s milk, he ate large servings of rice. Every day he ate more and more. Because he was so big and tall strog the villagers called him Kebo or the Buffalo.

Kebo Iwa parent’s could no longer look after him because he ate much food so they asked to their neighbor to help. Together the all fed him and even built him a place to sleep. When he wished to take a bath he often went to lake Bratan high up in the mountains in the centre of the islan. For an ordinary person this lake lay at the end of along journey, but for Kebo Iwa it was no distance at all, so great was his stride. The villagers marveled that he was home from his bath even before the water had dried on his body. When he went thirsty, he just stuck his fingers into the earth and so made a well.

Kebo Iwa ate so much that all the people of Bali could no longer feed him enough. One day suffering from hunger Kebo became crazy. With the flick of a finger he destroyed house and temples. A stamps of his foot left a deep valley. The people quickly realized that something had to be done. The wooden alarm drum was sounded and a meeting was called.
If Kebo Iwa become hungry, began the village chief this means he is human like us and can be stopped. So we can all oppose him without the use of force and order him to stop taking food from us.

But this didn’t work. Kebo Iwa did not want to go ungry. He chased the village and ate their cows and pigs. Anybody or anything alive might become the food of the giant Kebo Iwa. Again the wooden alarm was sounded and the villagers gathered to discuss the situation. It was clear that force would be necessary, but no one was brave enough to propose it. Finally an old man spoke up, “ we are the human beings and God has granted us the power of using our minds. I know everyone is thinking about force, yet our power is nothing compared with that of Kebo Iwa. But something can be done. Than they plan a trick. AT that time Kebo Iwa was lying down peacefully so it was dicided that this was a good time to speak to him. Kebo was asked to rebuild all the dams, houses, and temples that he had destroyed. And he was to dig a deep well that could be used to water all the rice fields and so increase the harvest. The villagers, for their part, said they asked no payment for the cows and pigs that were eaten or for all the property that was lost. And they guaranteed Kebo sufficient food, and even promised to give him more than before.

Kebo agreed, and within a few days he had rebuilt the dams, house and temples. Then he began to dig a well near the foot of Mount Batur. He used no tools, hust his hands. As Kebo dug deeper and deeper the villagers gathered together a great file of lime such as is used to white wash the walls of houses. When Kebo come back up to the surface he askes what all the lime was for… the villagers told him it was for a dam that would have to be builst to control the water from the well. Part of it they said, was for a house that they wanter to give Kebo in return for his work.

Kebo was happy to hear this, for he had never thought to build himself a house. If he was tired he usually slept on to of a mountain, beside a river, or on a grassy plain. After he had eaten Kebo went back down the well to continue his work. However instead of working he lay down, for he felt tired after his meal. Kebo was so deep in the earth that the villagers standing by the edge fo the well could not see him. When he did’nt reappear for several days, some people thought he must have been killed by a fall of earth, but others thought that he was working harder than ever. Only when they heard a sound like thunder coming out of a clear sky did they realize that Kebo was sound asleep. So deep an large was the well that the sound of his snoring was magnifield many times. The people thought he must have reached the centre of the world. Then the headmen gave the sign to throw in all the lime that had been collected. As the villagers were doing this the water rose up. And they could see Kebo floating on top. Still fast a sleep. Althought he was lifted up by the water he did not fell anything. The villager threw in lime just as fast as they could. Gradually it piled up aroud Kebo legs, and around his body. Soon the lime reached as high as his nose. Suddently Kebo woke up. His breathing had become duffucult and the lime burned his lungs. His eyes almost popped out of his head, so amazed was he at the trick played on him. He tried to get out, but the lime covered his body, mixed with the water, and held him down. The vellagers raslized he was stuck fast an quickly poured in more lime till Kebo Iwa was completely covered.

The villagers were amazed that Kebo Iwa made so little effort to oppose them. The gleam in his eyes, which were soon to close, showed that he had accepted his death an was ready to face God. Gradually the water rose, as if following the soul of Kebo Iwa. It rose up and spilled over the top of the well, and poured out in all direction, forming a broad lake. This lake is now called Lake Batur, and it is the source of the water that flows down the river of Bali. Ang so Kebo Iwa fulfilled his promised to make no more trouble, and to provide water for all the rice fields on the island.