Eti River
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| Eti River Wae Eti, Sungai Eti | |
|---|---|
  Location of river mouth  Eti River (Indonesia) | |
| Location | |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Province | Maluku |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Seram Island |
| Mouth | Bay of Piru |
The Eti River is a river of Seram Island, Maluku province, Indonesia, about 2400 km northeast of the capital Jakarta.[1] It flows into the sea on the southwest side of the island, a few kilometres south of the town of Piru, West Seram Regency.[2]
According to the Central Maluku legend, the three rivers Eti River, Tala River and Sapalewa River, flow from a sacred lake on the mountain peak called "Nunusaku". There grows a ficus tree with three big roots, each stretching in the direction of the abovementioned rivers, and this is the reported origin of the native people in Seram island, the so-called "Alifuru" people, who later inhabited the surrounding islands.[3]
The three rivers are known in the local vernacular as Kwele Batai Telu or Kwalai Batai Telu ("three stream branches"; Indonesian: "Tiga Ruas Sungai") watering the island of Seram (Nusa Ina).[4] "Nunusaku" (which was a lost great kingdom according to legends)[4] is a term consisting of two words: "nunu" or "nunue" (ficus tree), and "saku" (truth).[5] This place is located in the area of Manusa-Manue and considered impassable by humans.[5] Alune and Wemale people live in the watershed areas of the three rivers: Alune people inhabit the whole area of Eti river, mountainous area of Tala river and most of the coastal area of Sapalewa river, whereas Wemale people occupy the area east of Tala and Sapalewa rivers.[5]