SD1-297

Genre: Oral history/personal history/ata nutune: Toji Cawane, a grandmother from kampong Cawalo, tells at length about 'ata nutune' (people whose souls can leave their bodies, and disturb people, both in their dreams and while awake, as in Toji's story here) in a recording done together with Maria Methi Puine(28 March 2016, Monday, last day of Eastern). Toji said that the ghost-witches were often from the same village. As a child she was once ill/hurt in her legs. Toji saw the ghost-witch, Wongga, once, who came to pull and throw something at her legs. Pisa Siko, a man able to see ata nutune, was called upon and he asked if they had any debts or quarrel. Siko mentioned Wongga, who Toji’s father indeed owed a small debt. Wongga was called upon and he admitted that it was he who had disturbed. Toji’s family gave Wongga’s family peas and tubers. Siko teje (held up) his hands and received black powder medicine in his hands, supernaturally, put it on her legs and she became well. Toji said that most ghost-witches disappeared after the natural disaster (1973) that fell so much trees and bamboo, and destroyed the places where they used to hide and scare people. I and Maria Methi walked to Cawalo to record Toji Cawane. We had met the day before at Pui and Yuli house, after Church, and we talked and she seemed to be able to tell about the past, In gave her some betel, and we agreed that we should visit her the following day. We arrived midday and Toji had left the house for the plantation down by Dhuthu, the kampong below Cawalo. I went looking for her and found her in her hut. Then we hiked back, uphill, hot and sunny, escorted by a group of kids. Then we spent the whole afternoon there, chatting with her family, her sons, recorded two long narratives, had some food with shots of palm gin. Both items were recorded with the H4N Zoom, sitting on the floor facing each other, with family members listening. With M. Methi, three grandchildren, and her sons and a daughter. Pictures.Palu'e, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. Recording made in kampong Cawalo, domain Cawalo