Ibans

The Ibans or Sea Dayaks (Dyak) are branch of Dayak peoples of the Borneo. Most of the

Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in sabah and some in the west Malaysia.

Sea Dayaks (Dyak) were formerly known during the colonial period by the British. Ibans

were renowned for practising headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion. In ancient

times, Ibans were a strong and successful warring tribe in Borneo. They speak the Iban

language.

Nowadays, headhunting and piracy are long gone and in has come the modern era of

globalization and technology for Ibans. The Iban population is concentrated in Sarawak,

Brunei, and in the West Kalimantan region of Indonesia. They live in longhouses called

rumah panjai. Most of the Iban longhouses are equipped with modern facilities such as

electricity and water supply and other facilities such as (tar sealed) roads, telephone lines

and internet. Younger Ibans are mostly found in urban areas and visit their hometowns

during the holidays. The Ibans today are becoming increasingly urbanised while retaining

most of their traditional heritage and culture.

Religion, Culture and Festivals

Traditionally Ibans were animist, even if the majority of ibans are now Christian, some of

them are Muslim, but many of them continue observe both Christian and traditional

ceremonies, particularly during the marriages or festivals.

The significant festivals for them include the rice harvesting festival “Gawai Dayak”,

which is the main festival for Ibans. Other festivals include the bird festival “Gawai

Burong” and the spirit festival “Gawai Antu”. The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated

every year on the 1st of June, at the end of the harvest season, to worship the Lord

Sempulang Gana. On this day, Ibans will get together to celebrate, and often visiting each

other. Iban traditional dance, which is called ngajat, is performed accompanied by the

taboh and gendang, the Ibans' traditional music. Pua Kumbu, is the Iban traditional cloth,

is used to decorate houses. Tuak, which is originally made of rice, is a wine used to serve

guests. Nowadays, there are various kinds of tuak, made with rice alternatives such as

sugar cane, ginger and corn.

Gawai Burong (the bird festival) is held in honour of the war god, Singalang Burong.

(Singalang the Bird). This festival is initiated by a notable individual from time to time

and hosted by individual longhouses. The Gawai Burong originally honoured warriors,

but during more peaceful times evolved into a healing ceremony. The recitation of pantun

(traditional chants by poets) is a particularly important aspect of the festival.

For the majority of Ibans who are Christians, during Chrisitian festivals such as

Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and others they are also celebrated. Most Ibans are

devout Christians and follow the Christian faith strictly.

Despite the difference in faiths, Ibans of different faiths do help each other during Gawais

and Christmas. Differences in faith are never a problem in the Iban community, because

Ibans believe in helping and having fun together.

Musical & Dancing Heritage

Iban music is percussion-oriented. Iban have a musical heritage consisting of various

types of agung ensembles - percussion ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended

or held, bossed/knobbed gongs which act as drones without any accompanying melodic

instrument. The typical Iban agung ensemble will include a set of engkerumungs (small

agungs arranged together side by side and played like a xylophone), a tawak (the so-

called 'bass'), a bendai (which acts as a snare) and also a set of ketebung (a single sided

drum/percussion).

The Iban as well as the Kayan and Kenyah also play an instrument resembling the guitar

called 'Sapek'. The Sapek is the official musical instrument for the Malaysian state of

Sarawak. It is played similarly to the way rock guitarists play guitar solos, albeit a little

slower, but not as slow as blues.[1][2] One example of Iban traditional music is the taboh.

The Ibans perform a unique dance called the ngajat. It serves many purposes depending

on the occasion. During Gawais, it is used to entertain the people who in the olden days

enjoy graceful ngajats as a form of entertainment. Iban men and women have different

styles of ngajat. The ngajat involves a lot of precise body-turning movements. The ngajat

for men is more aggressive and depicts a man going to war, or a bird flying (as a respect

to the Iban god of war, Singalang Burong). The women's form of ngajat consists of soft,

graceful movements

Religion and Expressive Culture

Religious beliefs and behavior pervade every part of Iban life. In their interpretations of

world, nature, and society, they refer to remote creator gods, who brought the elements

and a structured order into existence; the bird-god Sengalang Burong, who directs their

lives through messages borne by his seven sons-in-law; and the popular gods, who

provide models for living. Iban religion is a product of a holistic approach to life, in

which attention is paid to all events in the waking and sleeping states. The religion

involves an all-embracing causality, born of the Iban conviction that "nothing happens

without cause." The pervasiveness of their religion has sensitized them to every part of

their world and created an elaborate otherworld (Sebayan), in which everything is vested

with the potential for sensate thought and action. In Iban beliefs and narratives trees talk,

crotons walk, macaques become incubi, jars moan for lack of attention, and the sex of the

human fetus is determined by a cricket, the metamorphized form of a god.

Though the gods live in Panggau Libau, a remote and godly realm, they are unseen,

ubiquitous presences. In contrast to the exclusive categories of Judaism and Christianity,

"supernaturals" and "mortals" interact in all activities of importance. In contrast to the

gods who are more benevolently inclined towards mortals, Iban believe in and fear a host

of malevolent spirits. These spirits are patent projections onto a cosmic screen of

anxieties and stresses suffered by Iban: the menacing father figure, the vengeful mother,

the freeloader, and becoming lost in the forest. Iban strive to maintain good life and

health by adherence to customary laws, avoidance of taboos, and the presentation of

offerings and animal sacrifices.

There are three religious practitioners which are the bard (lemambang ), the augur (tuai

burong ), and the shaman (manang ). Individually or in teams, bards are invited to chant

at all major rituals. They are highly respected men, capable of recalling and adapting, as

appropriate, chants that go on for hours. The augur is employed for critical activities such

as farming or traveling. The shaman is a psychotherapist who is consulted for unusual or

persistent ailments.

Ceremonies. Iban rituals (gawa, gawai ) may be grouped into four major categories: (1)

one dozen major and three dozen minor agricultural festivals; (2) healing rituals,

performed by the shaman, commencing in the bilik and progressing to the outer veranda;

(3) ceremonies for the courageous, commemorating warfare and headhunting; and (4)

rituals for the dead. Iban of all divisions perform rituals of the first two categories.

Ceremonies to honor warriors have assumed greater importance in the upper Rejang, and

rituals for the dead have been much more elaborated in the First and Second divisions of

Sarawak.

Bidayuhs

Bidayuhs are also known as the ‘Land Dayak’. They are made up 10% of the population

in Sarawak and are now most numerous in the hill counties of Padawan, Bau and Serian,

within half an hour drive from Kuching. Most of Bidayuh are Christians, while there are

quite a large number of Muslim Bidayuhs. Bidayuh has made many different claims of

their origin themselves. Some account interprete that the Bidayuhs are the descendants of

mystical characters of Malay origin like Datu Pati. The Bidayuh from Kampung Mentu-

Tapuh, Serian, claim to be the descendants of human beings who came from a hole in the

ground. The Bidayuh from Kampung Engkeroh in Serian believe that they are the

offsprings of the spirits. However, none of these claims has been proven. Most Bidayuhs

believe that they originally came from the coastal areas of West Kalimantan, Indonesia

long, long ago

Religion, Culture and Festivals

The main festival celebrated by Bidayuhs is the Gawai Mukah or the Dried Skull festival,

which is held once every four years. According to legend, a Bidayuh leader named Bal

Pangolwas first taught how to perform the Gawai Mukah by a spirit called Kamang in

order to ensure prosperity for the Bidayuh community. He was advised not to harm the

innocent but to get heads from the enemy instead as trophies for Gawai Mukah.

Traditionally, Gawai Mukah was celebrated in three stages: firstly, the Gawai Nyibaru,

secondly, the Gawai Mukah and lastly, the Gawai Nyakan.

   Gawai Nyibaru was held in honour of a warrior’s return with enemy heads. The party

returning with the head or heads was well received with traditional fanfare upon arrival at

a shed called "Bori Pinundok" outside the village proper. The following stage, Gawai

Mukah which is still celebrated until today was the most major celebration in the past

because it involved a lot of manpower and money. On the other hand, Gawai Nyakan was

only celebrated if the various omens were not favourable for the dried skulls to be hung at

the Baruk.

   However, celebrations for the first and third stages of the Gawai were ceased when Sir

James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak abolished headhunting activities in

Sarawak. Now, the festival is held sporadically or only when there is a need due in part to

the effects of modernization and Christianity

   Like any other race, the Bidayuh too has its own unique and special cultures. To start

with, in terms of work, the Bidayuhs main means of survival is through agricultural

means. Bidayuhs have been cultivating on the land for many generations especially in-

groups. While in the process they practise a respectable value, which is ‘gotong-royong’

or working together. In addition, this value has helped bind the Bidayuhs together and

hence, forming a kampung or a village.

   Besides that, the Bidayuhs also exercise a belief in Tampa Raiuyuh, a powerful

Bidayuh spirit, the ancestral spirits or a religion as a means of protection from any harm.

   However, the most significant culture of all would be the possession of a Baruk, as a

Headhouse in the past and a cultural and religious house among the Bidayuhs kampung

today. A Baruk often enough noted as a symbol of success and unity to the Bidayuh

community who built it together and later shared the use together. Bidayuh Baruks can be

found in three different shapes and structures. The first being in an octagonal shape, built

on stilts with no door at the sides and no verandah around the building. Access was

through a trapdoor at the bottom of the flooring. The second, being built in a circular

shape and also built on stilts but with a door at the side; and the third being in a square

shape, built on stilts and is either single or double- storey

   Baruks used as a place to lodge heads taken in battle, a type of rest house for visitiors

and as a venue for meetings or discussions. Other than that, the Baruk serve as a place for

religious and cultural Bidayuh ceremonies.

   Another famous culture practised by Bidayuhs is the usage of a ‘seruboh’ for smoking.

A seruboh is a water-smoking pipe made from a bamboo stem; and os usually around two

and a half feet to three feet long and has a diameter of about two inches to two and a half

inches. One end of the Seruboh is closed while the other end is left opened. A small

bamboo pipe about six inches long is fixed to a small made in the Seruboh pipe. The

small bamboo serves as a place for a cigarette. Before the seruboh is used, it must first be

filled with water leveling up just a little bit above the position of the small bamboo pipe.

The Seruboh is usually used by the older generation of the Bidayuhs in Sarawak.

However, the popularity of the Seruboh is fast disappearing and may one-day end up as

just a museum piece only.

http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Iban-Religion-and-Expressive

Culture.html

http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/ethnoatlas/hmar/cult_dir/culture.7847

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarawak

http://reocities.com/paris/library/6756/Bidayuh.htm

http://eyeonborneo.wordpress.com/ethnicgroups/bidayuh/bidayuh-culture/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Iban.aspx

Iban

Bidayuh