The Megalithic Village of Orahili Fau

The second historic village we visited on our trip to South Nias was Orahili Fau. While it is not quite as impressive as Hilisamaetano, let alone Bawamataluo, this is still a first-rate traditional village with a large cobbled square, rows of traditional houses and numerous interesting megaliths and carvings. If this village was in mainland South-East Asia, it would probably be a major tourist attraction. However, on the remote island of Nias, it rarely sees a visitor.

The houses of Orahili Fau are arranged lengthwise along the main square

The village of Orahili Fau is located on a flat-topped hill at an elevation of around 150 metres above sea level. This means it is considerably lower than its nearby cousin of Bawamataluo. The locals clearly close it for its defensive position. It is surrounded on all sides by steep slopes and ravines and originally it had only a single gate on the western side. In addition to its defensibility, the site is also blessed with a wealth of water sources. There are seven springs or wells in the vicinity of the village and a small river called Sungai Batu Buaya (Crocodile Rock River!) is located only a kilometre away.

An ornament on one of the houses

As you might expect, this village has a fascinating history. One of the oldest villages in South Nias, it is the ‘ancestor’ village of Bawamataluo, the most famous village on the island. According to oral tradition, Bawamataluo was founded by people from Orahili Fau who broke off to form a new village on higher ground. The two villages are so closely interconnected by familial links and intermarriage that their histories cannot be untangled. According to oral tradition, Orahili Fau is actually the older village, and at some point a group of its residents broke off to found the new settlement of Bawamataluo. In 1864 the Dutch attacked the village of Orahili Fau and burnt most of its buildings to the ground. However, its citizens regrouped and rebuilt their village on the same site. This means that most of the timber buildings we see today do not predate the 1860s. (However, we may assume that many of the stone megaliths we see are of a much greater age.) One of the finest of the current timber houses is a large structure which is raised on massive wooden supports. Out front there is an unusual guardian figure which is part deer and part snake. It is colourfully painted and sports large, tusk-like fangs (see picture).

A lichen-splotched megalith with a traditional weapon motif

Yet there is more to Orahili Fau than just old houses. The village is also notable for its wide range of megaliths. There are six different types of stone megaliths in the village, include stone tables and chairs, megaliths shaped like the gendang (a percussion instrument) and an excellent example of the batu lompat, a jumping stone. In the picture at the top of this article you can see a row of stone slabs in front of the houses. Many of them have interesting motifs, ranging from the peaceful (fern fronds) to the decidedly war-like (shields, swords and spears). While the locals preserve these ancient artefacts, they aren’t exactly treated with reverence. It is common to see laundry drying on top of them.

The ‘batu lompat’ of Orahili Fau

The megalith which will be most interesting to visitors is probably the batu lompat. In the Nias language it is known as the fahombo or batu hombo. These megaliths, which are built from a numerous of irregular stones and topped with a capstone, are one of Nias’s most famous cultural artefacts. The example at Orahili Fau is one of the taller examples, reaching a height of approximately two metres. In pre-colonial times, Niassan men had to jump over this monument not only to prove their athletic prowess but also that they were ready to become a soldier and a husband. From around the age of ten, Niassan started their training to jump the batu hombo. This showed how much traditional Niassan society was imbued with a military mentality. Before the Dutch invasion, everything focused around readiness for war.

The Astonishing Village of Hilisamaetano

During the 1990s, the remote island of Nias became well-known on the surfing circuit. It also started attracting backpackers who were interested in its extraordinary hilltop villages, with their remarkable collections of traditional houses and megaliths. Its isolation meant that mass tourism remained a long way off, but Nias drew a steady trickle of curious travellers. Further development of tourist infrastructure and services seemed inevitable.

These hopes were dashed by the earthquake of March 28, 2005, which killed at least 915 people and devastated the island’s towns and villages. For the next decade, the most common foreigners on Nias were neither surfers nor backpackers but relief agency workers trying to rebuild the shattered island. During this time, numerous bridges had to be rebuilt and travel around Nias became painstaking. Few travellers were willing to brave the difficult conditions on the island. The reports we heard of misfortune and hardship were enough to keep us away. However, in early 2019, we finally made it to Nias to see its remaining villages. Over the next few months I intend to post multiple posts on Niassan villages, starting with the often-overlooked village of Hilisamaetano.

Traditional houses with laundry on the roofs

The ‘showcase’ village of South Nias seems to be Bawomataluo, which will be featured in a later post. However, if you’ve gone all the way to Nias, you might as well see more than one village. While Bawomataluo is deservedly the most famous, preserving the best range of ancient houses and megaliths, Hilisamaetano is also no slouch. With more than 100 traditional houses surviving, as well as numerous other antiquities, it repays leisurely exploration. It is also very much a living village; its cobblestone main street is thronged with people doing laundry, drying rice, chatting with friends, chewing betel and flying kites. If you want to see a workaday village with a rich architectural legacy, you won’t do better than Hilisamaetano.

Stone megaliths can still be on the main square

For the historically minded tourist, the village offers some vestiges of its megalithic past. There are stone slabs, tables and carvings outside many of the houses, some of the modern reproductions and others antiquities in various states of repair. The village also has the obligatory jumping stone (batu lompat), which young men were once expected to leap in displays of acrobatic prowess. The best of its stone antiquities is probably a ceremonial staircase at the far end of the village. It also includes a small canon as part of the display. While earthquake damage is plainly evident on the staircase, it still retains a hint of its former glory.

The ornamental staircase with a small cannon and stone adornments

Nearby is a modern version of a chief’s house (omo hada) with a narrow, soaring roof. The original was completely destroyed, probably either in an earthquake or a fire. In fact, there are only five remaining examples of omo hada on the entire island. As a general rule, these chiefly houses were not rebuilt after they were destroyed. As far as I know, this modern reproduction is a one-off in Nias.

The chief’s house in Hilisamaetano, South Nias- a modern reproduction