Elizabeth Matuankota Thenu on Hutumuri, 1965:

There were three brothers who fought in the battle of Maot. They fled to the
mouth of Tuisapu stream on the coast. There they drew blood from their
fingers,and drank it together. This made them "pela."

They swam away together from the mouth of Tuisapu, and parted company in the
sea, each taking his own journey.  The eldest reached Tamilou, on Seram. The
second arrived at Sirisori, on Saparua.  The youngest came ashore at Hutumuri.

The "pela" is observed between these three villages to this day.  Any man from
one village can come to another, and freely take anything he likes from house
or field.  Insulting between the villages is strictly prohibited,and the best
of manners must be observed when addressing one from a "pela" village.
Intermarriage between "pela" villages is forbidden on pain of death.

One of the warriors of the Maot war thrust his spear into the earth near Cape
Boi, on Saparua,and that general area is bare of vegetation to this day. You
can see the patch of dry ground from Baguala Bay, Ambon.

The Lewaherila family does service to the "Tuan Negeri," a giant village
diety.  The Tuan Negeri lives in the Lewaherila household, and if strangers
try to sleep in that house, the Tuan Negeri tosses them out of bed in the
night.

The Lewaherilas also have a family totem that seems to have some connection to
the worship of the Tuan Kota deity.  Their totem is the "aruleng" palm tree,
which they are strictly forbidden to insult, either by cutting, or by using
its wood, or by sleeping in a house having aruleng wood in the materials from
which it was built.  The aruleng palm is similar to the "nibong" palm in
general character, but with a fibrous material on its trunk.

Hutumuri superstition:  A hunting party may leave for the forest only during
times when the dining table is cleared.  If the dinner table is not cleared
when they leave, they will have poor luck.  Sometimes the prey turns into a
stump during the hunt.  Going hunting is called going "suanggi."

At Hutumuri, every family has different beliefs.  One family had a gold lizard
which they placed under the dust cover when baking sago to sell. This brought
good luck, and sales.

Elizabeth Matuankota's father was Isaac.  Her grandfather was Joseph.  Her
great grandfather was Paul.

Matuakota*****-teun-Tetumula

Bapa-Kota

Ina-Selu



Perahus are made from kora-kora leaves by hobatan (magic) on Buano.  These
perahus sail over the treetops.