Sumatra
Sowanua (Ono Mbela)
Nature / Ancestral Spirit Danger 2 of 5 · Unsettling
- Form
- Tree-dwelling first people / forest deity
- Origin
- The Sowanua or Ono Mbela of Nias: tree-dwelling first people and forest deity, lord of the wild beasts, from whom hunters must ask permission before hunting. Documented by Hammerle and in Afthonul (2010) and UNIMED journals. The cave-dwelling Nadaoya belong to the same myth cycle (variant note).
- Behavior
- Rule the forest's animals; grant or withhold hunting luck.
- Deterrents and vulnerabilities
- Permission-seeking and offerings before hunts — the rite is the relationship.
- Diet
- Non-consumptive
- Culture
- Nias
- Region
- Sumatra
- Sampling
- Added in dataset v3–v5; first placed on a tree here.
Coded characters
◆ New entry coded by folklore synthesis. Sex: Unspecified.
| Human-like | Humanoid, witch, or human spirit |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male, unspecified, or variable |
| Death or birth origin | Not death or birth related |
| Incorporeal | Ghost, spirit, or undead |
| Flight | Grounded |
| Burial | None or weak |
| Children | None |
| Blood and organs | None |
| Theft and mischief | None |
| Hair or fur | None |
| Animal form | None |
| Detached head | None |
| Fire or light | None |
| Water | None |
| Forest | Forest, jungle, or mountain |
| Settlement | Wild or liminal |
| Black magic | Black magic or witchcraft central |
| Widespread | Localized |
| Body plan | Humanoid spirit |
| Diet | Non-consumptive |
