The Origin of Lake Tes

Lake Tes is the biggest lake in Bengkulu Province. The lake encompasses an area ranging from Kutei Donok to Tes villages in South Lebong Sub-district, Lebong District. Behind its magnificent scenery, the lake hides a folklore that is famous amongst the Lebong people.

Lake Tes is thought to have originated from a river called the Air Ketahun River. For a certain reason, the river was altered to a lake by a man with supernatural powers. How the man changed the river?

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Once upon a time in Kutei Donok Village, there was a man named Lidah Pahit (literally mean bitter tongue). He was known for having supernatural powers, and such a name was given since whatever he said would be coming true. However, he didn`t use his powers to perpetrate terrible deed. He lived together with his only son, who was also strong and powerful as well as his father.

One day, he wanted to open a new land in Baten Kawuk Village, about five kilometres away from his house. He met his neighbours and several Tuai Adat Kutei Donok (adat leaders) to ask permissions. He stocked some tools to be used during opening the land. Before going to the location, he asked permission from his children.

“My son, just stay at home because I will go to Baten Kawuk. I want to open a new land there,” Lidah Pahit said.   

“Alright dad,” the son answered.

By getting permission from his neighbours, adat leaders, and certainly his son, he left the village bringing axe, parang, and mattock. Since he arrived at the location, which was located nearby the Air Ketahun River, he started cutting down the trees and bushes. After that, he started digging the land using his mattock and threw the soil to the river.

After two days working so hard, Lidah Pahit could successfully open a new land. It used to spend a week to open a new land, but Lidah Pahit could finish it only in two days. He was so happy to look at his work so far. He went back home for a moment to tell his son.

He got back to Baten Kawuk and succeeded in opening the land satisfactorily. There was no another intention except for finishing his work so that he could begin cultivating the land with paddies.

Beyond his ken, the adat leaders and society leaders were discussing about his actions. Though he opened the land upon permission from them, but his ignorance attitudes such as throwing trees, bushes, and soils to the river had annoyed them. They were afraid of flood when the river`s current was stopped by the trees, bushes, and soils if such a situation occurred for a long time.

They made a gathering to find a way to stop him from continuing the opening a new land. After hours of prolonged deliberation, they could meet unanimity. They had to stop him by telling a lie that his son was died. The adat leaders deputed an envoy to meet him in the location. Soon after arriving at Baten Kawuk, the envoy took a meet him who was digging the land and threw the soil to the river.

“Hi Lidah Pahit, sorry for disturbing you. I am here to inform you something bad happened to your son,” the envoy said.

“What does happen to my son?” Lidah Pahit asked curiously.

“Your son is died just now. His head was smashed to a stone when he was inclined downwards from a tree,” the envoy answered.

“It`s hard to believed. He is a strong boy so he will be so riot like that,” Lidah said.

Many times the envoy tried to ensure Lidah Pahit, but he failed. Lidah Pahit could hardly believe the news. Hence, there was no choice anymore except for surrendering and going back home bringing no result.

“Pardon me Sir...I can`t bring him back to the village. I couldn`t ensure him easily. Several times I tried, but he kept on disbelieving me,” the envoy said.

Hearing the envoy`s report, the adat leaders then appointed another envoy to do the same. However, when the envoy told the news to Lidah Pahit, still, he did not want to easily believe it. He kept on digging his land and throwing the soil and the trees to the river.

After prolonged deliberation, the adat leaders decided to do it by themselves. They went to the land and persuaded him to go home.

“Hi Lidah Pahit, you have to believe me. Your son is really died. We and the previous envoys do not tell a lie. It`s true,” the adat leaders told Lidah Pahit prudently.

Even though Lidah Pahit possessed supernatural powers, he was known for taking high respect to the adat leaders. That is why, before he wanted to open the new land, all adat leaders and the local inhabitants took respect on him as well.

There was no choice anymore right now. He was forced willy-nilly to accept and believe the news as a truth.

“Now I do really believe that my son is died. I really appreciate you Sirs because you directly report it,” Lidah Pahit said.

“So, just stop working now and get back to our village,” the adat leaders`s remark.

“Alright Sirs, I am going home now, but I want to finish this in a few minutes. After this, I will be back soon,” Lidah Pahit replied.

Since then, the adat leaders asked permission from Lidah Pahit to go back home. All of sudden, Lidah Pahit looked so angry. He had just realized that his son was a strong boy, and likewise, his son possessed supernatural powers as well as him. How come his son was died for such a trivial accident?

Consequently, his son was really died because of his remark that his son was died. He couldn`t draw back his words anymore. He got angry and expressed it by throwing the number of trees, bushes, and soil to the river. As a result, the river`s current was stopped. He went back home. He saw his only son had really died because of his words.

Out of his ken, the area was fully covered the water from the river. Once said that Lake Tes was a result of the river`s current that was stopped by peals of soil, and numerous trees and bushes.

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Here is the story about origin of Lake Tes coming from in Bengkulu Province. Up to these days, Lake Tes is functioned as a place to earn a living by the local inhabitants living around the lake. Besides, the lake is also used as Hydroelectricity Power Plan covering the surrounding area.

The above story is a legend bearing several moralistic values for establishing harmonious daily social intercourse. One of them is not to easily believe in news – or may be promises – reported by people occupying highly social class in society. It is because promises and news coming from highly social class people are not all true; even more, some of them ceaselessly mislead his people by giving beautiful promises during the campaign so that their efforts to occupy the social status and prestige can be reached smoothly.

Syamsuni(sas/103/10-08)

Translated by Irfan Nugroho (ter/67/10-08)

References:

• The content of the story is adapted from Naim Emel Prahana. 1998. Cerita Rakyat Dari Bengkulu 2. Jakarta: Grasindo.
• Anonym. “Wisata Alam”, http://www.bengkulu.info/wisata_alam.htm, retrieved on October 12^th, 2008.
• Anonym. “Kabupaten Lebong,” http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabupaten_Lebong, retrieved on October 12^th, 2008.

Photo Credit: riexx.multiply.com (Lake Tes)

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