Source: Atlas Obscura
There once was a princess so beautiful that suitors traveled from all over the land to win her hand in marriage. But the fierce competition kindled acrimony, and the princess, distraught by seeing her people fight, threw herself into the sea.
When the villagers waded into the water in search of the fair lady, all they could find were thousands upon thousands of sea worms. Was it the princess transformed? Perhaps a symbol of her flowing locks? Regardless, unlike the lone princess, the worms were plentiful and the village, peaceful once again, shared in their bounty.With this legend in mind, every year hundreds of Sasak people make the journey to the southern and eastern beaches of Lombok, Indonesia, to catch nyale, or sea worms, and participate in the courting festival known as Bau Nyale (literally translating to “Catch Sea Worm”). Leading up to the event, men engage in ritualistic combat using shields and rattan (a vine-like palm) sticks, riders race horses on…
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