FOLKLORE ATU BELAH

In the Central Highlands, Central Aceh, there is a tourist attraction Atu Fission. But the
existence of attractions Atu Fission sad now. In addition to untreated, there is no more tourists
who linger. In fact, there is a story of the legendary people of Aceh on the existence of Atu
Fission.

Once, in the village of Penerun, central highlands, lived a poor peasant family. They have two
children aged seven years and his sister are still toddlers. When farming, the father also collect
grasshoppers for family meals. Locusts are stored in the barn. In her spare time, the farmer's deer
hunting in the forest.

One day, dad went deer hunting. He told his wife not to open the barn. However, at home, the
eldest child complained of hunger while his father has not returned home with the game. Because
of the confusion, the bu sent his son opened the barn and take a little grasshopper there. The
mother will forget her husband's message.

The farmer's eldest son then opened the barn. Unfortunately, he was less careful. Locusts flying
out of the barn crowded until exhausted not the slightest trace.
In the afternoon the father went home with annoyed face. He did not managed to bring the
fugitive. When knowing the empty barn, he became angry. The locusts had gathered with great
difficulty to collect a lot of disappearing altogether.

In desperate circumstances, the father of his wife's heinous acts to get hurt. The poor woman ran
into the woods in a state covered in blood. Pain and despair, she asked in a stone to swallow.
"Atu sides, lowland pejaying atu te nge bertangkup first time" the mother softly singing poetry.
This means that in the Indonesian language as follows, "Batu Belah, bertangkup stone, has come
the promise our past."

Poems were recited over and over again until suddenly the weather changed drastically. Sunny
day was suddenly dark. The wind was blowing hard and the lightning darting in the sky.
Miraculously, a large stone was cut. With steady step, the mother walked around the stone. After
the mother came in, the stone back together.

Her husband and two children looking for the mother. But of course, they do not find it. Only a
few strands of hair left around the stone, which demonstrate the existence of the mother before.
Stone was later named Atu Fission. Fission Atu told stories about fell down by the people of
Aceh. But unfortunately, today's generation are rare who know the story of the Acehnese people
on this one.

CERITA RAKYAT ATU BELAH

Di dataran tinggi Gayo, Aceh Tengah, terdapat sebuah obyek wisata Atu Belah. Namun
keberadaan obyek wisata Atu Belah kini menyedihkan. Selain tidak terawat, tidak ada lagi
wisatawan yang menyambanginya. Padahal, ada sebuah cerita rakyat Aceh yang melegenda
mengenai keberadaan Atu Belah.

Alkisah, di Desa Penerun, dataran tinggi Gayo, hidup sebuah keluarga petani yang miskin.
Mereka mempunyai dua anak kecil berusia tujuh tahun dan adiknya yang masih batita. Saat
bertani, si ayah juga mengumpulkan belalang untuk santapan keluarganya. Belalang-belalang
tersebut disimpan di dalam lumbung. Di waktu luangnya, si petani berburu rusa di hutan.

Pada suatu hari, si ayah berangkat berburu rusa. Dia berpesan kepada istrinya untuk tidak
membuka lumbung. Namun, di rumah, anak yang tertua mengeluh kelaparan sementara ayahnya
belum pulang membawa hasil buruan. Karena kebingungan, si bu menyuruh anaknya membuka
lumbung dan mengambil sedikit belalang di sana. Si ibu lupa akan pesan suaminya.

Anak tertua petani itu kemudian membuka lumbung. Malangnya, ia kurang berhati-hati.
Belalang-belalang ramai beterbangan ke luar lumbung hingga habis tak bersisa sedikit pun.

Sore harinya si ayah pulang ke rumah dengan wajah kesal. Dia tidak berhasil membawa hasil
buruan. Saat mengetahui lumbungnya kosong, marahlah dia. Belalang-belalang yang
dikumpulkannya dengan susah payah hingga terkumpul banyak lenyap sama sekali.

Dalam keadaan kalap, si ayah melakukan perbuatan keji pada istrinya hingga terluka. Wanita
malang tersebut berlari ke hutan dalam keadaan berlumuran darah. Kesakitan dan putus asa, dia
meminta pada sebongkah batu untuk menelannya.

“Atu belah, atu bertangkup nge sawah pejaying te masa dahulu” lirih si ibu melantunkan
syair. Artinya dalam bahasa Indonesia sebagai berikut,  “Batu Belah, batu bertangkup, sudah tiba
janji kita masa yang lalu.”

Syair itu dilantunkan berulang-ulang hingga tiba-tiba cuaca berubah drastis. Hari yang cerah
mendadak gelap. Angin berhembus kencang dan petir menyambar-nyambar di langit. Ajaib, batu
besar itu membelah. Dengan langkah mantap, si ibu berjalan menuju belahan batu. Setelah si ibu
masuk, batu kembali menyatu.

Suami dan kedua anaknya mencari sang ibu. Tapi tentu saja, mereka tidak menemukannya.
Hanya beberapa helai rambut yang tertinggal di sekitar batu itu, yang menunjukkan keberadaan
si ibu sebelumnya.

Batu itu kemudian dinamakan Atu Belah. Cerita tentang Atu Belah diceritakan turun menurun
oleh masyarakat Aceh. Namun sayang, generasi masa kini sudah jarang yang mengetahui cerita
rakyat Aceh yang satu ini.