Babulo, Uato-Lari

In the south, Babulo stretches as far as the Timor Sea; in the west and northwest, the rivers Bebui and Roliu set the Suco apart from the neighbouring Uaitame, Afaloicai and Matahoi.

Along the road, near the village of Aliambata, you will find the "eternal flames", which are fed by natural gas escaping from deep underground rock formations.

The settlement of Aha B Uu lies to the north-east of the Baha Liurai, Borulaisoba to the east, and the animistic burial ground of Nahasaka to the south-east.

Anthropologist Susana Barnes studied the culture and traditions of the residents of Babulo for several years, keeping a record of the interaction between the different clans and their respective ceremonial duties.

The following account is based primarily on her paper Origins, Precedence and Social Order in the Domain of Ina Ama Beli Darlari.

Many traditional leaders complain that numerous inhabitants of the Suco, even some members of the foremost clans, are neglecting old rituals previously followed to ensure the fertility of the soil.

In the whole commune of Viqueque, only 52 inhabitants professed to following the traditional faith of Timor, worshipping natural spirits and ancestors.

In the faith of Timor, this god created the world and placed chosen people on Earth in order to control (ei) and tame (masi) the land.

The descendants of the Chosen Ones, the Clan of the Daralari, have the duty to uphold this order by the continuation of the holy (luli) norms and practices.

Within the occupation of the land they were responsible for the naming of the hills, rocks, rivers, springs, forests and fields, and began to use nature and its resources.

In order to please the bu′u and to gain access to the natural resources, the inhabitants of Babulo "follow in the footprints" of the ancestors with special rituals, incantations and sacrifices.

[14] The masi eka rae rea ena ("washing of the corn leaves") ceremony is held in small groups in the fields just before the beginning of the harvest.

It is believed that rea bu'u can take the form of mice, insects, plant parasites and diseases, and destroy the crops.

[17] The "oldest" houses of Beli and Daralari can be traced back to two brothers, whose direct lineage derives from the mythical Founder of the ancient Realm of Bubulu.

According to the local legend (Naueti: tete bo'ona, literally the oldest story) the brothers are said to have lived near the Baha Liurai (The Hill of the Ruler).

[21] The Portuguese colonial masters are said to have appointed a descendant of the realm of Luca as the superior ruler of Uaitame and Vessoru to mediate between the opponents.

In addition to supervising land and water usage, the Kabo Rai also enforces seasonal harvesting restrictions on certain products, exacts tributes for community ceremonies, and imposes penalties for ignoring the rules.

According to Daralari lore, the Burmeta are descendants of warriors (asuwain), who arrived in Babulo eight generations previously from the region east of the Matebian, though this claim is debatable.

When his family called him back home and made him the ruler, he brought along his followers, who latched onto him like "seeds of long grass".

He arrived in Babulo sounding fanfares, drums and flutes and set up camp on sacred land (rea luli) near Baha Liurai.

Marriage consolidated this newly formed alliance and Gregorio, the new son-in-law, was permitted to enter a place known as Tua Rae Laleo ("shelter of palm wine leaves").

Matebian arrived in the Suco in the 1950s and 1960s, initially working as seasonal labourers on the rice fields constructed on the coastal plains of Uato-Lari.

[23] They are still frequently perceived as temporary co-inhabitants by the native population, as well as labelled "people using the land for agricultural and gardening purposes" at ceremonies and rituals.

[24] Every seven to fifteen years, the Baha Liurai Festival of the Naueti takes place in Babulo on the eponymous "Sacred Hill" of the region.

Some members of the ruling house, for example, benefited greatly from the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999), jumpstarting their political and economic careers on a local and national level.

[32] Supporters of the Timorese Democratic Union defeated by Fretilin during the civil war in August 1975 later became collaborators working with the Indonesians and saw their chance for revenge.

[30] Since independence, the older population has been moving back to the old villages, while the younger generations have stayed in the Indonesian settlements, as there is usually a better access to education and health care.

[11] After the 2007 parliamentary elections of East Timor had been held and Xanana Gusmão had assumed office, civil unrest erupted, instigated by supporters of the defeated Fretilin party.

[11] Costodio Silveiro Fernandes won the 2009 local elections in East Timor, although he is not a member of the traditional leading family.

The 2015 census also records that 3800 chickens, 1300 pigs, 950 sheep, 770 goats, 275 horses, 940 beef und 480 water buffalos were kept in the Suco.