 A group of men and women of Ahiolo. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 21,300[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia (Seram Island) | |
| Languages | |
| Alune language (Malayo-Polynesian), Indonesian language | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantly), Islam, Animism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Wemale people |
The Alune (sometimes Sapalewa or Sapolewa) people are one of the long-established ethnic groups of Seram Island, Indonesia. They number about 21,300 and live in 27 villages of the western-central area of the island. Like the Wemale, they originated in a common group called Patasiwa.[2]
The Alune speak a language of Malayo-Polynesian origin. It is also known as Sapalewa or Patasiwa Alfoeren and, despite the small number of speakers, it has a few dialects. The most prestigious dialect is the Rambatu speech variety.[3] The Hainuwele legend is an origin myth from the Alune and Wemale folklore.[4] It was recorded by German ethnologist Adolf Ellegard Jensen in a 1937–8 expedition to the Maluku Islands.[5]
- ^ "Alune people in Indonesia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
- ^ Jensen, Adolf E. and Herman Niggemeyer, Hainuwele ; Völkserzählungen von der Molukken-Insel Ceram (Ergebnisse der Frobenius-Expedition vol. I), Frankfurt-am-Main 1939, Pg. 59–64
- ^ Ethnologue - Alune language
- ^ The Oxford Companion to World Mythology - Hainuwele
- ^ Adolf Ellegard Jensen: Hainuwele. Volkserzählungen von der Molukken-Insel Ceram. Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main 1939