Through Central Borneo Part 27

(Southwestern Borneo)

Of the Dayaks living about the headwaters of the Katingan River Controleur Michielsen, in his report quoted before, says: "I cannot omit here to mention that the Dayaks of these regions in language and habits show the closest agreement with the Alfurs in Central Celebes, whom I visited in 1869, and that most of the words of the Alfur language (which I at once understood because it resembles the low Java language) also here in the Dayak language were observed by me. This circ.u.mstance affords convincing testimony in favour of the early existence of a Polynesian language stock and for a common origin of the oldest inhabitants of the archipelago."

There appears to be much similarity in regulations regarding marriage, birth, death, and other adats as observed by the Katingans, Duhoi, and Mehalats. The latter, who live on the Senamang, a tributary to the Katingan River near its headwater, may be a Duhoi subtribe, but very little is known about them; the custom of drinking tuak from human skulls is credited to them, and they are looked upon with contempt by the Katingans for eating dogs.

With the Katingans it is the custom for the blian to deposit in a cup containing uncooked rice the objects withdrawn from a patient. Having danced and spoken to the cereal he throws it away and with it the articles, the rice advising the antoh that the small stones, or whatever was eliminated, which he placed in the patient, are now returned to him.

These Katingans begin their year in June and July, when they cut the jungle in order to make ladangs, months being designated by numbers. At the beginning of the year all the families sacrifice fowls, eat the meat, and give the blood to antoh in accordance with their custom. After the harvest there is a similar function at which the same kind of dancing is performed as at the tiwah feast. On both occasions a game is engaged in which also is found among the Bahau and other tribes, wherein a woman jumps dexterously between heavy pestles that, held horizontally, are lifted up and brought down in rapid succession. Three months later--at the end of the year--another festival occurs.

The Katingan calendar may be rendered thus:

1. Cutting the jungle, June and July....... during 2 months

2. Drying the trees and burning them....... during 1 month

3. Planting paddi.......................... during 2 months

4. New paddi............................... in 3 months

5. Harvesting.............................. during 1 or 2 months

6. Waiting................................. during 3 months

In order to ascertain the auspicious date for planting paddi these Dayaks employ an astronomical device founded on the obvious fact that in their country there comes a period when a rod placed in an upright position casts no shadow. That is the time for planting. In addition to this method of determination they consult a constellation of three stars which "rise"

in the east and "set" in the west during half a year, and are invisible during the following six months. When the three stars appear perpendicularly above the rod in the early morning, before sunrise, then the time to plant is at hand; when they are in the zenith in the late afternoon before sunset, the season for making ladang has come.

For these observations, however, a single rod is not used, but an arrangement of rods called togallan, seven in number, which are planted in the ground, the middle one upright, the rest diverging on either side like a fan. Beginning on the left side, six months are indicated, but the togallan does not remain standing more than three; in fact as soon as the planting is finished it is removed. Although the most propitious time is when the sun is at zenith, it is also considered favourable for half the distance from the middle rod toward 3 and toward 5. If paddi is planted in the second month the crop will be injured; if in the fifth month, the plant will be damaged.

[Ill.u.s.tration: INDICATION BY THE TOGALLAN OF THE FAVORABLE TIME FOR PLANTING RICE.]

Formerly heavy spears made of ironwood were employed not only as weapons, but for agricultural purposes as well, both when making the holes into which the seed grains are dropped and as material in erecting the astronomical device. Each of the seven rods is called ton-dang, as is the pointed stick with which at present the ground is prepared for planting paddi.

MISCELLANEOUS

With the Kenyahs and many other tribes it is the custom to give boiled rice that has stood overnight to the dogs, pigs, and hens; it is not considered fit for human food.

Regarding the number of souls: The Murung says that each person has seven souls, called brua, six being distributed as follows: one at the top of the head, one in each eye and knee, and one in the navel. The Duhoi (Ot-Danum) has also seven brua, one at the top of the head and one in each eye, knee, and wrist.

Other tribes speak of three souls. The Kenyahs, according to Dr. J.M.

Elshout, have only one brua, located at times in the head, at times in the heart; and the tiger-cat and the orang-utan have stronger brua than man.

The Katingans likewise recognise but one, called liao in life, and after death. They also give the same name to the soul of an animal, but the more common usage in the tribes is to call the ghost liao, by the Malays named njava.

In regard to the practice of incision, which is used in Southwest Borneo, Chapter x.x.xV, I am able to furnish some details gathered in Sampit from three Dayaks who had been operated upon. A cut is made in the praeputium lengthwise with a knife (further east a sharpened bamboo is used), a piece of iron wood being used as a support, and the operation which in Katingan is called habalak is performed by the father of the father's brother when the boy is coming of age. Before the event he must go into the river up to his navel seven days in succession, morning, midday, and evening, and stand in the water for an hour. All boys must undergo the operation, which is not sanguinary, the leaves of a tree called mentawa being applied to the wound. They could give no reason why they follow this practice any more than the ordinary Dayak can explain the purpose of tatuing.

With the Kayans, and, indeed, all the tribes I met in Dutch Borneo, it is the custom to urinate in a sitting position.

To the observer it is strikingly evident that the mammae of both Dayak and Malay women retain firmness and shape much longer than is the case with white women.

A SHORT GLOSSARY

_adat_, precept, regulation, religious observance.

_antoh_, spirit, good or evil.

_atap_, a shelter, consisting of a mat resting on upright saplings, often erected in the boats on long journeys.

_babi_, pig.

_badak_, rhinoceros.

_balei_, a general name for a house of wors.h.i.+p.

_barang_, goods, things, belongings.

_blanga_, large, valuable jar, usually of Chinese manufacture.

_blian_, priest-doctor.

_bom_, custom-house.

_brua_, soul.

_chavat_, loin-cloth.

_company_ (the), the government.

_cranyang_, basket.

_damar_, resin.

_guts.h.i.+_, large jar.

_inlander_, native.

_ipoh_, poison for the dart of the blowpipe, also the tree from which it is secured (the upas tree).

_kali_, river.

_kampong_, native village.

_kapala_, chief (= pumbakal).

_kidyang_, a small kind of deer.

_kiham_, rapids.

_kuala_, mouth of a river.

_ladang_, paddi field.

_laki_, man, male.

_lombok_, red pepper.

_mandau_, Dayak short sword (= parang).

_mandur_, overseer.

_nagah_, fabulous animal, the apparition of a spirit.

_onder_, native subdistrict chief.

_orang_, man.

_paddi_, rice.