Ebu Gogo - Damera - Fifth Hour

Eating a baby a day is just what the doctor ordered for the questioned mythical Ebu Gogo. This creature is a homo erectus that makes its home in Indonesia and on the Flores islands. Scientist are just recently finding skeletons of what they think could be the ancient creature. The Ebu Gogo lived eighteen hundred years ago, and he may still dwell within the Flores islands. The villagers there have chosen to believe the once extinct Ebu Gogo lives within the caves of their abandoned volcanoes.
Ebu Gogo is not the most attractive of all creatures, he is said to grow to be anywhere between one meter and three feet. (Rense.com 1). His short body is covered in ling hair, and they may seem somewhat overweight for their size, because their bellies are very round. The fingers and arms are longer than what should be expected of a human. Their ears stick out from their head which is approximately the size of a passion fruit. (Monstropedia 1)And he is said to walk awkwardly like a man, or an ape. The female Ebu Gogo have pendulous breasts that are so long they throw them over their shoulders. (Ads by Google 2) Some scientists studding the Ebu Gogo believe they have brains no longer than that of a chimpanzee. (Rense.com 1) The Ebu Gogo could not speak exactly, they mumbled to themselves as they walked thru the villages, and were said to have their own special language. (Ads by Google 2)

The Ebu Gogo inhabits the forests of Flores and Mount Ebulo in Indonesia. The strange creatures are known by many names throughout those regions. In some places they are referred to as Sedapa and Orang Pendek, they both translate to mean “little man”. (Ads by Google 1) Although other names are popular the most common name in Indonesia is Ebu Gogo which means “grandmother who eats everything”. “Ebu” is a woman over thirty, and “Ibu” means mother. Within the jungles of Borneo these creatures are known as batutut. (Ads by Google 1) In other cultures outside of Indonesia the Ebu Gogo would be best referred to as leprechaun, elf, dwarf, or hobbit. (Floresisland.net 1)

Village elders from the tribes in Flores say that the Ebu Gogo eat everything raw. The villagers would offer them vegetables and fruit, but the creatures would also eat the plates they food was served to them on. (Floresisland.net 2) When hunting for themselves the Ebu Gogo are said to look for animal meat, human meat, and insects. (Ads by Google 1) The villagers tolerated the Ebu Gogo killing their live stock, and ruining their crops. The Ebu Gogo would also take the village children, and babies hoping to learn from them the secret of cooking. When their plan failed and they were not cultured in the art of cooking they would eat the children. (Ads by Google 2)

Villagers are said to have drove the Ebu Gogo away hundreds of years ago by offering them gifts of dry grass to make clothes, and for warmth. When the Ebu Gogo took them the villagers threw fire into the caves were the Ebu Gogo lived and set the creatures a flame. Two are said to have survived, a male and female both badly burned ran west toward Laing Bua. (Ads by Google 3) There have now been fossils found in the caves there. The Ebu Gogo’s head is two times smaller than the average human head.

The Ebu Gogo are considered real by village people who live on t he Flores islands, and some crypto zoologists today. Throughout Indonesia and Flores the Ebu Gogo is said to be real. Fossils have been found in the caves of Laing Bua. From the stories of the ancient villagers the last Ebu Gogo ran into the west toward Laing Bua after they escaped the fire the rest of the species died to. Researcher Dr. Richard Roberts says it is “not out of the question that some of the creatures could still be living in some remote corner of heavily-forested island.” (Renes.com 2) Villagers living on the Flores islands have stories stating that Ebu Gogos have been seen as recent as one hundred years ago. (Floriesisland.net 1) Even thought a vast majority of people believe the Ebu Gogo to be real, others believe it to no more than an ancient tale, like the boogie man.

Others believe the Ebu Gogo to be a fairy tale, such as the boogie man or chupacabra. Paleontologist Professor Teuku Jacob does not believe the find in Laing Bua is any thing more than a human suffering from a rare brain shrinking disorder. He says on the subject “This is a little hasty. From what I have seen, this is not a new species, or even subspecies. It is just one individual with microcephaly.” (Renes.com 1) Microcephaly is “Microcephaly is a condition that is present at birth in which the baby's head is much smaller than normal for an infant of that age and gender, "Micro" means small and "cephaly" refers to the head.” (Lucile Packard 1) Scientist found the fossils of the Ebu Gogo and believe it to be a new species of human, it is said this creature could have lived eighteen thousand years ago. There have been seven other discoveries of these creatures and most of them were found with “sophisticated stone tools”. (Unknown creatures 1) The evidence found in the caves in the caves of Laing Bua does not prove that the Ebu Gogo is indeed a non fictional creature. Tests are being run, and no results have been found that can prove these creatures are indeed real. Scientists believe that this creature could have evolved from chimpanzees and lived one point seven million years ago. (Ads by Google 1) If that is true is may also be possible that they are early ancestors of humans today.

Speaking from a personal point of view the Ebu Gogo has a large chance of actually being a non fictional creature. In some places the Ebu Gogo is some children’s boogie man, and unlike them I grew up with the legend of El Chupacabra. There are so many legends and stories that people in different cultures believe. And no one should be penalized for believing in something! There is a strong chance that the Ebu Gogo is real, and I fully support the research to find the proof. The boogie man is not only a myth it is a real being to those who believe, and the Ebu Gogo will be the same for the people that inhabit the Flores Island.

Works Cited

Ads by Google. Laputan Logic. 12 November. 2004. 2 April. 2009 .
Floresisland.Net. Ebugogo- flores hobbits human. 2006. 2 April. 2009 .
Lucile Packard. Microcephaly . 2009. 8 April. 2009 .
Monstropedia. Ebu Gogo. 17 Feb. 2009. 6 April. 2009 .
Unknown Creatures. Ebu Gogo. 2009. 3 April. 2009 .
Rense.com. Indonesian Hobbit legends may be Factual. 12 December. 2004. 6 April. 2009 .
Figure 1: Unknown creatures. Ebu gogo. 2009. 6 April. 2009 .