Getting to Know the Dayaks - Lawangan, Ma`anyan

Transcription

Authors :
ABDUL FATTAH NAHAN . ANDREAS SAPUTRA . LEO FERRY JULI
Getting to Know The Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
i
Getting to Know the Dayaks
Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai
and Biaju
Abdul Fattah Nahan, Andreas Saputra, Leo Ferry Juli
iii
Getting to Know the Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
by Abdul Fattah Nahan, Andreas Saputra, Leo Ferry Juli
Patron
Book Writing Team
Lawangan Language Translator
Bakumpai Language Translator
Ma’anyan Language Translator
Biaju Language Translator
Indonesian Language Editor
English Editor
Illustrator
Cover Photo
Cover Designer
Lay out/Graphic Designer
Published and Supported by
: Pradakso Hadiwidjojo
: Andreas Saputra, Dian Hestikasari, Riro Harianto,
Saefudin Muthohar
: Leo Ferry Juli
: Gunawan Abdi M.S. Raguy
: Kristal R.M Ngaki
: Harnono Toewak
: Andreas Saputra, Dian Hestikasari,
Riro Harianto, Saefudin Muthohar, Melvi Yendra
: Roy Simson
: Dreiyano L. Lindan, Yulianto Eko Sunugroho
: M.Usman Sya’bani
: Aprianto Setiawan
: Lukman Arif
: PT Equatorial Bumi Persada
Funded by
:
Noble Foundation
All rights reserved
Jakarta, First Printed, April 2014
ISBN:
Printed by CV Makmur
The content is not responsibility of the printing company
Copyright reserved by Law. No part or all of this publication maybe copied without permission in
writing from the publisher
iv
content
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
FOREWORD
GREETING FROM THE REGENT OF EAST BARITO
GREETING FROM THE REGENT OF SOUTH BARITO
I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
A. Indonesia
B. Borneo Island
C. Central Kalimantan Province
Geography
Population
Brief History of Central Kalimantan and Palangka Raya
D. East Barito Regency
Geography
Population
Brief History of South Barito Regency
E. South Barito Regency
Geography
Population
Brief History of East Barito Regency
F. PT Equatorial Bumi Persada
II. THE DAYAK LAWANGAN
A. Origins
B. Religions and Beliefs
C. Languages
D. Arts
1. Dances
2. Music Instruments
E. Community Social Structures and Systems
F. Mores
1. Customary Rituals of Childbirth
2. Customary Rituals of Marriage
3. Customary Rituals for Building a House
4. Customary Ritual of Ngancak
5. Customary Ritual of Ngasek (the Rice Planting)
ix
xi
xii
xiii
1
1
2
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
7
11
11
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12
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17
v
6. Customary Ritual of Ngotew (the Rice Harvest)
7. Customary Ritual of Nuwe Adat
8. Dayak Lawangan Death Rituals
17
18
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
I. Famous Dayak Ma’anyan Figures
29
29
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30
IV. THE DAYAK BAKUMPAI
A. Origins
C. Languages
D. Music and Dances
F. Customary Rituals
G. Customary Law
H. Dayak Bakumpai Sacred Sites
1. Undus Bajai
2. Kamantuhu Mangkatip
3. Takuluk Gosong
33
33
34
34
34
35
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36
36
36
III. THE DAYAK MA’ANYAN
A. Origins
C. Languages
D. Music and Dances
G. Customary Law
H. Dayak Ma’anyan Sacred Sites and Leaders
Lewu Hante and Tambak Mas
Tomb of Tamanggung Jayakarti
Tomb of Puteri Mayang
Papuyan in Murutuwu
Liang Saragi
Sacred House of Abeh
Mariyang Janggut
I. Famous Dayak Bakumpai Figures
V. THE DAYAK BIAJU
A. Origins
C. Languages
vi
23
23
25
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26
26
29
29
30
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39
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D. Mores
1. Marriage
a. Bisik Kurik
b. The Wedding
2. Death
a. Malaba
b. Mangalangkang
c. Manenga Lewu
3. Manyanggar
40
40
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40
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VI. COLLECTION OF FOLKLORE
49
F. Arts
43
44
A. Lawangan Folklore
49
1. The Origin of the Traditional Marriage Ceremony of Peruku Pangantin Seletamput
49
2. Brohong, a Legend of the Dayak Lawangan Tribe
54
3. The Origins of Ampah City
54
4. Liang Ayah
56
B. Ma’anyan Folklore
1. Puteri Mayang
2. Mariyang Janggut
3. Abeh Statue
4. Liang Saragi
5. Nansarunai Usak Jawa
6. The Origin of Ijambe
7. The Origin of Tamiang Layang
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CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AUTHORS BIOGRAPHY
89
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C. Bakumpai Folklore
1. Kuta Bataguh
2. Lendir Kartamina
77
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83
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vii
The Blowpipe Hunting
Location : Lewu Hante Museum Compound,
Pasar Panas, Tamiang Layang
Photo
: Andreas Saputra
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
From the concept to the printing process of this book was made possible by the great
support from many parties. For those who have given us support we convey our most sincere
gratitude:
1. Ampera A.Y. Mebas, S.E, East Barito Regent
2. Ir. H.M. Farid Yusran, M.M, South Barito Regent
3. Noble Foundation
4. Abdul Fattah Nahan, the author
5. Leo Ferry Juli, the author and Lawangan language translator
6. Andreas Saputra, the author
7. Melvi Yendra, the Indonesian language editor
8. Roy Simson, the English editor
9. Dra. Nila Riwut, the editor of the book “Maneser Panantau Tatu Hiang”
10. Dra. Ina Gandrung M.Si, the source of Dayak Ma’anyan writing
11. Drs. Chrisvein H. Leiden, the source of Dayak Ma’anyan writing
12. Sumandi, the source of Dayak Ma’anyan writing
13. Amry Rasidi HB, the source of Dayak Ma’anyan writing
14. Drs. H. Rinco Norkim, the source of Dayak Ma’anyan writing
15. Neto I. Narang, the author of Madami River karungut
16. Kristal R.M Naki, the Ma’anyan language translator
17. Gunawan Abdi M.S. Raguy, the Bakumpai language translator
18. Harnono Toewak, the Biaju language translator
19. Yulianto Eko Sunugroho, S.H, the illustrator
20. Dreiyano L. Lindan, S.P., the illustrator
21. Yuliantoni U, the Mariyang Janggut’s caretaker
22. Eben Tube, the Brohong’s caretaker, the head cultural representative of Ampah City
23. Syahrani Awal, the head cultural representative of Bantai Karau Village
24. Made Masan, the head cultural representative of Ma’anyan people
25. Arbani, H.T., the Lawangan’s respected elder
ix
26. Baruntak, the Lawangan’s respected elder, and wara shaman
27. Rimbas, the head cultural representative of Moloh Village
28. Sarin, the head cultural representative of Lawangan people and Rodok Village
29. Syamsuni, the Lawangan’s respected elder
30. Dungkeng, the head cultural representative of Natampin Village
31. Utuh Dubau, the head cultural representative of Ampah City
32. Sartono, the Karau Kuala’s customary leader and advisor
33. Permanson M. Narang, the Dayak Biaju’s respected elder
34. V. Paul Y. Mahar, the Dayak Biaju’s respected elder
35. Balen Nyindem, the Paku Karau’s customary leader and advisor
36. All participants of “Public Consultation of Cultural Book Writing”
37. “Apertur” photographer community of East Barito
38. Dance group “ KOMANDAN” (Dayak Ma’anyan Youth Community), Tamiang Layang
x
Foreword
Noble Foundation is proud to have funded the writing of this book as part of our
sustainability strategy toward the communities living around the operational areas of Noble
Group’s subsidiary PT Equatorial Bumi Persada in East Barito and South Barito Regencies in
Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.
This book tells of the origins, culture and folktales of four Dayak tribes: the Lawangan, the
Ma’anyan, the Bakumpai and the Biaju. It is probably the first time that many of these tales have
appeared in print. This book is intended for a general readership and is not a scientific report
with in-depth analyses.
The text is written in Indonesian, Dayak and English. The use of the Dayak language is to
remind us all to keep learning and using local languages as part of the preservation of our rich
cultural heritage. Many native languages across the world are at risk of extinction, including
in Indonesia. Native language can still exist as long as the speakers still use it. This country’s
incredible wealth of languages must be well preserved.
In Indonesia, there are approximately 746 local languages but only 594 local languages
are able to be archived by Balai Bahasa, the Education and Culture Ministry. Most of the extinct
local languages were out of Java Island originally and they were only spoken by the elderly,
meanwhile the younger generations speak Indonesian language, even foreign languages
because of the demands of modern living.
We offer our sincere gratitude to all of the community figures and Dayak leaders, the
Regional Governments of East Barito Regency and South Barito Regency, the sources, authors,
editors, illustrators and all other parties who helped to create this book.
We hope that you, the reader, will enjoy this work and gain some insights. We admit the
text is far from perfect, so we would welcome any criticism and advice from readers.
Jakarta, January 2014
Country Representative Noble Indonesia
Pradakso Hadiwidjojo
xi
Greeting from the Regent of East Barito
Assalamua’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
(May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you),
Om Suasti Astu (Peace in your heart, and in the world),
Dear honorable readers,
In this global era, one of the important criteria for measuring the achievements of any
particular country is how far it respects and appreciates its own culture. Such respect is crucial
to maintain cultural values.
I welcome this valuable book, which describes the origins, religions and beliefs of four
Dayak tribal groups. It also covers their music and dance, social structures, traditional rites,
sites, heroes and folklore.
The writing of this book was initiated by PT Equatorial Bumi Persada and funded by Noble
Foundation. I believe it will broaden our horizons and enrich our knowledge, preserving the
part of our culture that is the local wisdom of the Dayaks.
This book is special because it is printed in three languages: Indonesian, Dayak (Lawangan,
Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju) and English. We hope that this book can promote tourism and
attract foreigners by showing the potency of Dayak culture.
I humbly thank the PT Equatorial Bumi Persada, Noble Foundation, the writers, translators,
sources, chiefs of each tribe, and every person involved in the creation of this book, for all their
efforts and patience.
I believe that your efforts will provide great benefits, now and in future.
Tabe salamat lingu nalatai, salam sujud karendem malempang
(Wishing you safety always under the protection of Ranying Hatalla)
Finally, I offer congratulations on the publication of this book. I hope it will broaden our
insight and knowledge of our own cultural values.
Tamiang Layang , October 2013
East Barito Regent
Ampera A.Y. Mebas, S.E
xii
Greeting from the Regent of South Barito
Assalamua’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
(May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you),
Salam sejahtera (Peace be upon you),
We are now experiencing an era of progress in all aspects of our lives. Consciously or not,
such development can make us lose sight of cultural values, especially the culture and traditions
of the Dayaks.
This book tries to remind us about the identity, cultural values and traditions of the Dayaks
Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju, who inhabit South Barito Regency.
The effort to conserve culture and social conventions through this book, initiated by
PT Equatorial Bumi Persada and funded by Noble Foundation as part of its community outreach
program, sets a good example for broadening our knowledge and horizons. It introduces
outsiders to the richness of the culture and traditions of the Dayaks in South Barito Regency.
This book is also expected to serve as a record of heritage and an inheritance for future
generations.
I hope the spirit to conserve the culture and mores of the Dayaks, especially in South Barito
Regency, will always be within us, as part of the effort to promote a fair and prosperous society
forever.
Dahani Dahanai Tuntung Tulus (Peace, justice, prosperity forever)
Wassalamu’alaikum Wr.Wb.
(May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you)
Buntok, December 2013
South Barito Regent
Ir. H.M. Farid Yusran, M.M
xiii
Uria Mapas Statue
Location : Dayu Village, Karusen Janang District, East Barito
Photo
: Dian Hestikasari
xiv
General Discription
I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
by Andreas Saputra
A. Indonesia
The name Indonesia derives from the Latin word Indus
meaning India, and from the Greek word nesos meaning
island. Thus, Indonesia means the Indian islands. The name
was coined in the 18th century, long before Indonesia became
an independent country. The first Indonesian scholar to apply
the word Indonesia was Suwardi Suryaningrat, when he
established a news office in Holland named Indonesisch Pers
Bureau in 1913. 1
Indonesia borders Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines
and the South China Sea to the north; Australia, Timor Leste
and the Indian Ocean to the south; the Indian Ocean to the
west; and Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Pacific
Ocean to the east.
Indonesia is located between Latitude 6° North and 11°
South, and Longitude 95° East and 141° East. It lies between
the continents of Asia and Australia. Indonesia is the world’s
largest archipelagic country, with 13,466 islands.2 The
country’s five main islands are: Java, with an area of 132,794 km2, Sulawesi 180,681 km2, Papua
421,981 km2, Sumatra 443,066 km2, and Kalimantan 539,460 km2. Indonesia’s sea territory
covers 6,279,000 km2, while its land covers 1,910,000 km2.
1
2
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejarah_nama_Indonesia (Name of Indonesia).
www.bakosurtanal.go.id/berita-surta/show/big-serahkan-peta-nkri-kepada-kemenkokesra.
1
General Discription
Indonesia is home to numerous ethnic groups, including the Batak, Dairi and Gayo in
Sumatra; the Bolang Mangondow, Bugis and Buol in Sulawesi; the Baduy, Javanese, Sundanese and
Betawi in Java; the Baliagi and Bali Majapahit in Bali; and the Dayaks and Banjar in Kalimantan.
B. Borneo Island
Borneo Island belongs to three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Malaysian
territory is in the north, comprising the states of Sabah (with Kinabalu as its capital city)
and Sarawak (capital city Kuching). Brunei (capital city Bandar Sri Begawan) is located on
the northwestern coast. Indonesian territory covers about 73% of Borneo and is called
Kalimantan.
Kalimantan is located north of Java Island, east of the Malacca Strait, west of Sulawesi
Island, and south of the Philippines.
The island is surrounded by: the South China Sea to the west and northwest, the Sulu
Sea to the northeast, the Sulawesi Sea and Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and
Karimata Strait to the south.
Kalimantan consists of five provinces: Central Kalimantan (capital city Palangka Raya),
South Kalimantan (capital city Banjarmasin), East Kalimantan (capital city Samarinda), West
Kalimantan (capital city Pontianak) and as of 2013, the newly established province of North
Kalimantan (capital city Tanjung Selor).
Kalimantan’s geographical features include small islands, mountain ranges and vast
rivers. The small islands include Sebuku in South Kalimantan, Derawan and Nunukan in East
Kalimantan, and Sebatik in North Kalimantan.
The mountain ranges are Schwaner and Muller in West Kalimantan and Meratus in South
Kalimantan. The highest peak is Bukit Raya (2,278 m) in Central Kalimantan. Borneo’s highest
peak is Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m) in Sabah.
The longest rivers are the Kapuas (1,143 km) in West Kalimantan, the Barito (880 km) in
Central and South Kalimantan, and the Mahakam (980 km) in East Kalimantan.
Kalimantan’s Dayak natives have their own history of the island, which is told in Tetek
Tatum – their traditional oral storytelling. Tetek Tatum means ‘True Weeping’ and forms part
of Dayak literature. Borneo is known locally by various names, such as Pulau Goyang, Bagawan
Bawi Lewu Telo, Tanjung Negara and Brunai. In Dayak Sangen (the old Dayak language), goyang
means sacred, so Pulau Goyang means ‘Sacred Island’. Bagawan Bawi Telo means ‘the Land of
Three Princesses’.
The name Tanjung Negara, which means an island or a country of many capes, was coined
in the 14th century under the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom.
The name Kalimantan arose during the victory of the Islamic Kingdom in the 16th century.
This was when Prince Samudra (also known as Prince Suriansyah) or King Maruhum reigned
2
General Discription
in Banjarmasin. There are two versions of the meaning of Kalimantan. First, kali means river
and mantan means big, thus Kalimantan means ‘the island with big rivers’. The second version
is that the island was named after a type of local tamarind tree called Kalimantan. 3
C. Central Kalimantan Province
Geography
Central Kalimantan is the seventeenth of the Republic Indonesia’s 34 provinces.
Geographically, its equatorial location is at Latitude 0˚45 North and 3˚30 South, and Longitude
111˚-116˚ East.
It is located between West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan, while the Java
Sea lies to the south.
Population
Most residents of Kalimantan are Dayaks. The Dayaks of Central Kalimantan are divided
into several sub-tribes, including the Ma’anyan, Ot Danum and Ngaju. The Ngaju Dayaks
dominate downstream areas of the Kapuas, Kahayan, Rungan, Manuhing, Barito and Katingan
rivers. The Ot Danum Dayaks live in the upstream areas of the Kahayan, Rungan, Barito, Kapuas
and Mahakam Rivers.
The Ma’anyan Dayaks are spread around South Barito Regency, on the banks of the Barito
River, especially around the Creeks of Patai, Telang, Karau and Ayuh. To the east, the Ma’anyan
Dayaks’ area meets the Banjar tribe’s habitation, downstream of the Barito in South Kalimantan.
To the west, the Ma’anyan area borders with the Bakumpai Dayaks and the Banjar people,
downstream of the Barito. On the Karau and Ayu Rivers, the Ma’anyan Dayaks have become
widely integrated with other Dayaks, such as the Lawangan, who are the original inhabitants
of the area.
The Bakumpai were originally Ngaju Dayaks who converted to Islam. This tribe resides
along the Barito River, in Tumbang Samba, Katingan Regency, and also along the Mahakam
River, particularly in the middle region, in an area known as Long Iram.
Brief History of Central Kalimantan and Palangka Raya
Prior to the establishment of Central Kalimantan province, educated Dayaks formed the
Dayak Union (Serikat Dayak) in 1919 and later the Dayak Cooperative (Koperasi Dayak). In
1928, these organizations merged to form Pakat Dayak (the Dayak Agreement), which dealt
with social, economic and political aspirations.
Leaders of the Dayak Union and Dayak Cooperative included Hausman Babu, M. Lampe,
Philips Sinar, H. Abdulgani, Sian, Loe i Kamis and Tamanggung Tundan. They were followed
3
Tjilik Riwut (Nila Riwut, ed.), Kalimantan Membangun: Alam dan Kebudayaan (Kalimantan Development: Nature
and Culture), cetakan ke-2, Yogyakarta: NR Publishing, (2007).
3
General Discription
by Pakat Dayak leaders such as Anton Samat, Hausman Babu, Loei Kamis, Mahir Mahar,
H. Nyangkal, Oto Ibrahim, Christian Nyunting, Tjilik Riwut and many others.
After Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Dayak leaders proposed that Central
Kalimantan become an autonomous province, separate from the existing province of Kalimantan.
That proposal was delivered by local political and social organizations, the Central Kalimantan
People’s Desire Mediator and the Central Kalimantan People’s Congress.
The Central Kalimantan People’s Congress took place over 2-5 December 1956 in Banjarmasin
and was led by Mahir Mahar. The Congress issued a resolution urging the Government of the Republic
of Indonesia to make Central Kalimantan an autonomous province as soon as possible, before the
mid-1957 provincial elections.
The Congress sent delegates to meet the Governor of Kalimantan (at that time, Raden Tumenggung
Arya Milono) and then to meet representatives of the Central Government to deliver the demand for
the creation of the new province.
Central Kalimantan Province was subsequently established on 23 May 1957 by virtue of
Emergency Law No.10 of 1957. The first Governor of the province was Milono. Through Law
No.27 of 1959, Palangka Raya was named the new province’s capital city.
A decree issued by the Home Affairs Minister on 22 December 1959 moved the seat of
the Regional Government of Central Kalimantan from Banjarmasin to Palangka Raya as of
20 December 1959.
The name
Palangka Raya
means ‘sacred,
glorious and
great place’.
These days its
name is often
spelled as one
word, though
in original
documents it is
two words.
The first monument to mark the development of Palangka Raya City was laid by President
Soekarno, 17 July 1957
Photo: Andreas Saputra
4
General Discription
Founding President Soekarno on 17 July 1957 at 10.17 am laid the foundation for the urban
development of Palangka Raya as the capital of Central Kalimantan. The name Palangka Raya means
‘sacred, glorious and great place’. The city was made an autonomous municipality on 17 June 1965.
These days its name is often spelled as one word, though in original documents it is two words.
Central Kalimantan now has 13 regencies and 1 municipality. The regencies are: South
Barito (capital city: Buntok), East Barito (Tamiang Layang city), North Barito (Muara Teweh City),
Murung Raya (Puruk Cahu City), Gunus Mas (Kuala Kurun City), Kapuas (Kuala Kapuas City),
Pulang Pisau (Pulang Pisau City), Katingan (Kasongan City), Kotawaringin Barat (Pangkalan Bun
City), Kotawaringin Timur (Sampit City), Lamandau (Nangga Bulik City), Sukamara (Sukamara
City) and Seruyan (Kuala Pembuang City). Municipality is Palangka Raya. 4
D. East Barito Regency
Geography
East Barito Regency is located between Latitude
1˚02’ North and 2˚05’ South, and Longitude 114˚-115˚ East.
It is surrounded by South Barito Regency and
Tabalong Regency of South Kalimantan Province.5
Population
The population of East Barito is spread across
10 districts. Most of the people are Dayaks of the
Ma’anyan and Lawangan. Some of the Ngaju and Bakumpai tribes. Other inhabitants include
Banjar and Javanese people.
Brief History of East Barito Regency
East Barito Regency was initially part of Barito Regency with Muara Teweh as its capital
city. When South Barito became an autonomous region on 21 September 1959, East Barito
was only a district of South Barito regency, along with East Dusun, Awang, Banua Lima and
Patangkep Tutui Districts.
East Barito eventually became a separate regency in 2002 based on Law No.5 of 2002 on the
Establishment of the Regencies of Katingan, Seruyan, Sukamara, Lamandau, Gunung Mas, Pulang Pisau,
Murung Raya and East Barito.
East Barito had been part of the Banjar Kingdom/ Sultanate since Hindu times until the
sultanate was terminated by the Dutch East Indies colonial administration in 1860.
The division of Banjar Sultanate was based on an agreement between the sultanate and
the Dutch colonial administration in 1826. It stipulated that from the western area along the 4
Tjilik Riwut, Sanaman (Nila Riwut, ed.), Maneser Panatau Tatu Hiang Menyelami Kekayaan Leluhur (Delve into the
Ancestral Heritage), Palangka Raya: Pusakalima, (2003).
5
Selayang Pandang Barito Selatan (South Barito at Glance), Buntok: Bagian Humas Sekretariat Daerah Kabupaten
Barito Selatan, (2013).
Getting to Know The Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju 5
General Discription
Barito River, from Kuin until Mangkatip, a straight line would be drawn southward to Mount
Luang, along the west side of the Meratus mountain range, and this would be owned by the
Banjar Sultanate. The remaining area would belong to the Dutch East Indies.6
Today, East Barito regency has 10 districts: Awang (capital city : Hayaping), Benua Lima
(Taniran City), Central Dusun (Ampah City), East Dusun (Tamiang Layang City), Karusen
Janang (Dayu City), Paju Epat (Telang City), Paku (Tampa City), Patangkep Tutui (Bentot City),
Pematang Karau (Bambulung City) and Raren Batuah (Unsum City). 7
E. South Barito Regency
Geography
South Barito Regency is located at Latitude
1˚20’ North and 2˚35’ South, and Longitude
114˚-115˚ East, along the Barito River.
It borders North Barito Regency to the
north, East Barito Regency to the east, Barito
Kuala Regency to the south, and South Kalimantan
Province and Kapuas Regency to the west.
Population
The Monument of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia
South Barito’s population is spread was built in 1947 at Soverignty Square, Buntok South Barito
across six districts: Jenamas, Dusun Hilir,
Karau Kuala, South Dusun, North Dusun and Mount Bintang Awai.
Most of the people are Dayaks, such as the Ma’anyan, Lawangan, Dusun and Bakumpai.
Brief History of South Barito Regency
Before becoming an autonomous area, South Barito was part of Barito Regency with Muara
Teweh as its capital city. This original Barito Regency covered four subdistricts: Barito Hulu
(capital city: Puruk Cahu), Central Barito (Muara Teweh City), Barito Hilir (Buntok City) and
East Barito (Tamiang Layang City).
South Barito Regency was established after a long campaign by the people of Barito Hilir
and East Barito. Their call for the new regency was made in a motion addressed twice to the
Barito Regional House of Representatives on 30 January 1956 and 2 November 1956, and the
third was addressed to the Central Government in the letter of Regent of Barito Regency on 23
April 1958. In response to their aspiration, Central Kalimantan Governor Milono on 10 June
1958 issued a decree assigning Barito Hilir District Chief, W. Condrat, to prepare the public for
autonomy.
6
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesultanan_Banjar (Sultanate of Banjar), (2014)
7
Barito Timur dalam Angka 2013 (East Barito in Figure 2013), Tamiang Layang: Badan Pusat Statistik Kabupaten
Barito Timur, (2013).
6
General Discription
On 26 June 1959, the central government issued Law No.27 of 1959 on the Establishment
of Second Level Regional Administrations. As a result, on 21 September 1959, South Barito
Regency, with Buntok as its capital city, was proclaimed.
Today, South Barito Regency has six districts: Jenamas (capital city: Janamas), Dusun Hilir
(Mangkatip City), Karau Kuala (Bangkuang City), South Dusun (Buntok City, also the regency’s
capital), North Dusun (Pendang City) and Mount Bintang Awai (Tabak Kanilan City). 8
F. PT Equatorial Bumi Persada
PT Equatorial Bumi Persada (EBP) is a company incorporated in Indonesia and ultimately
beneficially owned by Noble Group Limited which engaged in the field of mining industry services.
The working areas of EBP cover East Barito and South Barito Regencies. In East Barito
Regency, EBP manages mining services activity in Sumber Garunggung Village, Dusun Tengah
District, as well as an intermediate stockpile located in Patung Village, Paku District. The
distance between mine area and the nearest port, Salat Baru is 48 km and passes through the
two regencies, covering 44.2 kilometers in East Barito and 3.8 kilometers in South Barito.
Administratively, the working areas of EBP cover 13 villages and 5 districts. The villages are:
Sumber Garunggung, Rodok and Saing in Central Dusun District; Patung, Simpang Bingkuang,
Tampa and Luwau Jawuk in Paku District; Ipumea and Dayu in Karusen Janang District; Balawa
and Siong in Paju Epat District; and Salat Baru and Bangkuang in Karau Kuala District in South
Barito Regency.
Other villages around the working area of EBP are Pangkan and Tarinsing in Paku District;
Wuran in Karusen Janang District; and Telang and Kalinapu in Paju Epat District.
8
Selayang Pandang Barito Selatan (South Barito at Glance), Op. Cit.
7
The Sacret House of Abeh
Location : Dayu Village, Getting to Know The Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
Karusen Janang District, East Barito
Photo : Dian Hestikasari
8
Wadian Bawo Dance
Photo : Muntazeri Abdi
Model : Dodi Andreas
9
Getting
to Knowtribe
The Dayaks
10 Barn
Paddy’s
of Dayak
in EastLawangan,
Barito Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
Location : Lewu Hante Museum Compound,
Photo
: Dian Hestikasari
The Dayak Lawangan
By Leo Ferry Juli
A. Origins
According to stories handed down by word of mouth over generations, the Dayak
Lawangan people originated from an area called Oleng Owon, which was on the banks of the
Luang River, from which their name is taken. The Luang is a tributary of the upper Teweh River,
north of the Tabalong River.
In the beginning, the Dayaks were nomadic hunters and gatherers, always on the move to
find their daily needs. The first migration of the Dayaks was to the area of Datai Lino and then
to Kiring, where they farmed fruits. Afterwards, they proceeded to Kinso and Jawit. In Jawit,
there was evidence of an ancient balontang, a chiseled and carved ironwood rod, signifying that
a funeral ceremony had been held there.
From Jawit, the Dayaks moved to Bolang and then settled for a while in Pihan. After Pihan,
they arrived in Dambung Doroi, where they split into several groups. Some walked toward the
rivers of Kali, Singan, Patas, Ayos and Sentalar. Others followed the Karau River, while one group
stayed in Dambung Doroi.
Some of those in the group that followed the Karau River then went down to Tanah Bawo
(now Sumber Garunggung Village), and also to Sawo Gundang near the Tabalong River. Tanah
Bawo was developed into a kadamangan (district) led by a damang (leader) called Ngenyau.
Damang Ngenyau was illiterate but very thoughtful. Tanah Bawo kadamangan covered areas
along the Karau River and the Paku River.
The traditional Dayak Lawangan follow animism, a belief in ancestral spirits who inhabit
large trees, rocks, caves (liang), rivers and other places. The traditional belief system of the
Dayaks is called Kaharingan, which means ‘life force’. Kaharingan was originally used only in
Dayak religious rituals involving sacred myths of their deities.
In 1945, Kaharingan was proposed to the Japanese Occupation Government in Banjarmasin
as the name of the Dayak religion. In 1950, at the Kaharingan Dayak Indonesia Congress,
Kaharingan was officially used as the generic
Some Dayak families have
term for the Dayak religion. In 1980, many
Kaharingan adherents officially integrated
embraced other religions,
with Hinduism, one of only five religions then
such as Catholicism,
recognized by Indonesia, to become HinduProtestantism and Islam, but
Kaharingan. Kaharingan classified as a branch
they still follow Lawangan
of Hinduism.
customs in their daily lives.
11
The Dayak Lawangan
C. Languages
The Dayak Lawangan people have several sub-tribes and languages, based on their
different locations. The Lawangan Karau tribe, living in the areas of Ampah, Rodok and Patung,
uses the Lawangan language, as does the Singa Rasi tribe.
The Taboyan tribe, inhabiting areas along the Montallat River, uses the Taboyan language.
The Bawu tribe, living in the area of Leok Ara–Ayah Hulu, uses the Bawu language.
While the sub-tribes have their own languages, the Dayak Lawangan use the Lawangan
language as their mother tongue, either passed down from generation to generation or acquired
in their daily conversations.
D. Arts
1. Dances
a. Balian Bawo Dance: Performed by female shamans to cure the sick.
b. Bahalai Dance: Shawl dance performed by women to heal the sick.
c. Giring-giring Dance: Performed by male and female couples shaking bamboo sticks
containing pebbles or seeds, to welcome guests or celebrate happy occasions.
d. Tinek Sentokep Dance: Performed by dancers jumping between four bamboo rods
held by other performers. Staged at funerals.
e. Setangkai Dance: Performed to invite the spirit that dwells in the Setangkai Cave to
attend a ceremony. This cave is where the ancient leader Brohong would practice
asceticism. While performing the dance, dancers can become possessed by the spirit.
2. Musical Instruments
a.
b.
c. d.
e.
Kankanong/kanong
Gendring/agung Tuung
Gompeng
Dotouw
(gamelan)
(gong)
(tambour)
(long tambour)
(short tambour)
The Dayak Lawangan community is generally not familiar with class distinctions or
castes. They recognize only the following positions:
1. Temanggung: Village Chief/Chief of the Dayak Lawangan Community.
12
2. Damang Adat: The Highest Customary Authorization Holder/Customary Leader and Advisor.
The Dayak Lawangan
3. Penghulu Adat: The Deputy Damang, who oversees the implementation of customs and customary law in daily life.
4. Mantir Opat: The Lawangan elders. Their duty, together with the Penghulu Adat, is
overseeing the implementation of customs and customary law in the daily lives of the
Lawangan people.
F. Mores
Ritual social customs still play an important role in the Dayak Lawangan community, even
if no longer for all events and processes. Among the customary rituals are:
1. Customary Rituals of Childbirth
a.
b.
Nyaki Pusong: Also known as palas bidan, this involves giving offerings to the midwife
after cutting the baby’s umbilical cord.
Nyerenyiau: This is performed as an expression of gratitude from the family to
ancestors for the safety and health of the mother and baby during birth. It is often
accompanied by tolak bala, a ceremony to repel evil spirits that could disrupt the
entire household.
2. Customary Rituals of Marriage
Marriage consists of two stages:
a. Nyituk Lawi Tarung Takun (Proposing to the Female)
Marriage for the Lawangan Dayak people begins with the proposal (situk sui tarung takun), which is made by the male through an intermediary (lalang) selected by
the custom keeper (mantir adat). Also known as the wali asbah, this intermediary or
custodian should not be from the bride’s family or the groom’s family. If the proposal is
accepted, a date is set for the wedding. The lalang will bring various items to the bride,
such as a ceremonial knife, pots, plates, bowls, bahalai cloth and other items, to signify
there is consensus for the selected wedding day.
b. Peruku (Marriage)
On the day of the wedding, before the bride and groom can sit side by side on the
bridal dais, first they have to go through several stages, namely:
i.
ii.
iii.
Division of custom keepers. Custom keepers will agree to the division of duties: which
of them will deal with the bride and which will deal with the groom.
After the allocation of duties, one custom keeper’s lalang (intermediary) will convey
a request from the bride to the groom to show or give a payment called pasasarah.
After pasasarah is delivered by the intermediary to the bride, the bride will then send
the lalang to the groom’s house.
13
The Dayak Lawangan
iv.
v.
At the groom’s house, the lalang will conduct nyituk pangintiren: asking if there is any preexisting family relationship between the families of the bride and groom. This is to prevent
possible relatives from marrying. The lalang also makes sure the groom is single or a widower.
If it is declared that there are no problems regarding family relationships or the status of the
groom, the next process will be implemented.
The lalang is sent to deliver eight special items (collectively called kepe beban walo/
ramen bawe) to the bride. The lalang also delivers fabric called ulap bosa meang,
which is to replace the bride’s girlhood garments. In addition, the lalang also pays a
small legal fee (hukum nyao) of Rp 4,000.
The eight types of ramen bawe, all of which must be provided by the groom, are:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
vi.
vii.
14
Batu Anak Pisan Kasai: A pestle and mortar to prepare powder for the bride.
Blokong Jeluk Pusu: A spear, which symbolizes the conquering of the bride’s
heart.
Wase Pumpung Jotan: A chopping knife, which symbolizes cutting through any
future hitches or difficulties the married couple may face.
Barayang Kawit Sit: A hooked spear, which symbolizes the newly established
bond of unity between the two families.
Odak Lempang Tawas: A type of cleaver or paring knife, which symbolizes health
treatment and healing, and readies the hearts and souls to accept the decision to
unite the bride and groom in marriage.
Purong Ngejot Tuan Turu: A black sarong, which symbolizes a wall or covering for
the sanctity of the bride’s body.
Lamiang Sur Ate: Decorative beads, which are a symbolic replacement of the
bride’s parents, especially her mother. The beads can be substituted with ornate
fabrics, or other valuable objects or money.
Potan Eran Doii: Chopsticks or a blowpipe, being a symbolic substitute of the
ornamented woven baby carrier that had carried the bride when she was an
infant.
After the lalang announces the groom can provide all these prerequisite items, the
bride will provide a kaer less/sasanggan (large brass bowl) as a container to receive
the ramen bawe from the groom.
The lalang is then sent to the groom’s house to pick up the antang klinge due (groom)
to meet with the bride at the bridal dais, so their union as husband and wife can be
formalized and legalized. After the bride is legalized by the mantir/penghulu adat
(elders/customary leaders), a banquet is held.
The Dayak Lawangan
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
After the feasting concludes, all parties will sit together once again to agree on a
few matters and fulfill any outstanding customary law obligations and payments,
particularly pasasarah. The groom pays lalus ntong lalang (money to the lalang in
appreciation for making the wedding happen), while the bride pays balasan ntong
mantir (money to elders).
After that, Tangis Turus Upo – advice about marriage from the groom – will be given to
the bride, and then Tangis Turus Bawe – advice from the bride to the groom.
Next, Kelakar Tali Wakas is implemented. In this ceremony, all invited guests and the
custom keepers of both parties come forward to give advice about married life to the
newlyweds.
Finally, depending on the family, the belian ceremonial dance (to offer protection and
wellbeing of the newlyweds) or other dances may be held as an expression of joy for
the wedding.
There are several types of weddings, depending on the reason for the marriage:
a. Peruku: This is a normal marriage, which occurs in accordance with the nyituk bawe
(proposal) process.
b. Peruku Dussa: This type of marriage happens when a young couple is considered to
have violated prevailing customs or rules, especially if they have
been caught having pre-marital sex.
Then they will be married swiftly in
the customary manner and have to
pay customary fines so the village
and its people will not be punished
by the guardian ancestral spirits
that usually protect the village
from diseases, accidents and other
misfortunes.
c. Peruku Seletamput: This type of
marriage stems from elopement
or cohabitation. It can occur when
a young woman is taken away by a
man and they are married away from
their homes. Or it is held because
the couple has lived together out of
wedlock.
d. Peruku Sensala: This marriage
occurs between relatives separated
Customary wedding Dayak Lawangan
15
The Dayak Lawangan
3.
by only one line of kinship; for example, between an uncle and his niece, or an aunt
and her nephew.
Customary Rituals for Building a House
These rituals are held to determine the location and position of the planned house, whether
it will be comfortable or “hot” to occupy. These factors will affect the occupants, determining
whether they are susceptible to illness, quarrels, attacks by evil spirits, and other matters.
Rituals for house building in Dayak Lawangan culture involve several stages, including:
a. Nyaki Tana: Ritual for selecting the land for the house.
b. Nyaki Ori: Ritual for erecting the main posts of the house.
c. Nyaki Belai: Ritual ceremonial dance to bless the house building.
Customary rituals for
building a house
4.
Customary Ritual of Ngancak
This ritual is usually performed before the clearing of an area, region or village, because
the Dayak Lawangan people believe that large trees, rocks, mountains and rivers are inhabited
by spirits that preserve and protect the places/objects. The ritual involves animal sacrifices to
appease the ancestral spirits and other spirits inhabiting these places. The sacrifices should make
the spirits peaceful and willing to be moved
elsewhere, and not bother people, families or
communities who will perform activities at the
location selected for clearing. The sacrifices
include buffalo (kerewau), goats, pigs (bawui)
and chickens (piak). Eggs (tolui) are also given
as offerings.
Animal sacrifices and food
prepared for
customary ritual of ngancak
16
The Dayak Lawangan
5.
Customary Ritual of Ngasek (the Rice Planting)
This ritual is performed prior to the commencement of planting rice in the fields. People
will first sacrifice animals, such as chickens and pigs, then take the blood as offerings to the
spirits that inhabit and control the area where the rice is to be planted. These offerings are
intended to make sure the spirits do not interfere with the rice fields, in the form of pests or
adverse weather, so that abundant rice yields may be obtained.
After the sacrifices, the planting procession commences. Men are at the front, carrying asek
(long sticks, usually ironwood rods with tapered ends) for making holes in the ground, then the
women follow behind and fill the holes with rice seeds. Usually an elder takes the lead position.
Planting should be completed by noon, when the planters will take a rest, with lunch provided
by the farm owner.
The Dayak Lawangan people usually help each other in communal agricultural activities,
such as clearing land for fields (noweng, nokap), planting rice (ngasek), weeding fields (bange)
and harvesting rice (ngotew). Such communal assistance is called sempolo (mutual aid) in the
Lawangan language and bahandup in the Dayak Ngaju language. This sense of togetherness
and mutual aid is a value instilled in all of the Dayak Lawangan people. It is also evident in their
attitudes and habits in conducting all types of ceremonies and other activities.
Asek, a traditional
tools made of
longstick for
making holes in the
ground during the
rice planting
6.
Customary Ritual of Ngotew (the Rice Harvest)
The ritual of ngotew pare (harvesting rice) is performed to ensure the harvest is successful
and abundant. Prior to harvesting, people offer the blood of sacrificial animals to ensure the
local spirits grant bountiful rice yields. Then the harvest can begin. The men and women jointly
perform this activity by using a gentu (short-handled thin wooden tool with a half-rounded
17
The Dayak Lawangan
knife blade in the center) to cut the upper
part of the rice stem. Usually an old person
will take the lead position in beginning
the harvest. Harvesting will end by noon,
when the people will take a rest, with
lunch provided by the farm owner.
Ritual of ngotew pare
(the rice harvest) using a
traditional tool, gentu.
7.
Customary Ritual of Nuwe Adat (Tuba Adat)
The nuwe adat ritual, also known
as tuba adat, is usually performed three
weeks after the rice harvesting ritual. It
is a sacrifice of fish to give thanks to the
spirits who inhabit the river for providing
clean water for the daily needs (drinking,
cooking, bathing, etc) of the Lawangan
people. Villagers work together to catch fish
in the river. The fish are then distributed
equally to all the villagers who will carry
out the nuwe adat ritual. The significance
of the ritual is to invite all the villagers
to clean up the river, so that water flows
smoothly and is free from waste, enabling
fish to breed well.
8.
Ritual of tuba adat, catch fish in the river for Dayak Lawangan
Dayak Lawangan Death Rituals
The funeral rituals of the Dayak Lawangan have one unique characteristic, which cannot
be found in other Dayak tribal customs. This is that there are two methods of burial:
a. The body is buried a grave in the ground, as is usual in typical burials.
b. The coffin is placed on an ironwood pole after adding some spices to counter the odor
of decomposition. This second method is called rundai. After the body has decomposed to just bones, the bones are then transferred to another type of coffin called a
18
The Dayak Lawangan
keriring. These sacred receptacles may contain the bones of many ancestors, placed
in a certain order.
The Dayak Lawangan funeral ritual is called a wara ceremony. It follows several sequences
from beginning to end. These sequences are:
a. Wara mate (Deceased Person)
When a Dayak person dies, the Wara Mate ceremony can be held directly if the deceased’s family is able to perform it. If the family cannot immediately afford to conduct
this ceremony, it can be delayed. The family must perform the Wara Mate ceremony
for at least one day and one night (suang erai). The ceremony is the family’s duty and
responsibility to the deceased, as he or she is gathered together with relatives who
have previously gone to Usuk Bumut Lumut Tingkan Peyuyan (the spirit world).
The Wara mate ceremony can last up to two weeks, depending on the family’s ability
to conduct the rituals. There are six possible durations of the ceremony:
l
l
l
l
l
l
Suang Erai: Wara of one day and one night.
Suang Tolu: Wara of three days and three nights.
Suang Lime: Wara of five days and five nights.
Suang Turu: Wara of seven days and seven nights.
Suang Sie: Wara of nine days and nine nights.
Suang Opat Balas: Wara of 14 days and 14 nights.
b. Wara Ngelangkang (commemorating the time of death) is conducted once a year at
the end of the rice harvest.
c. Wara Mungkat Tulang (exhumation and placement of the bones in sacred coffins) is
conducted three to five years after the rice harvest is completed. It is the last ritual
in the series of Dayak Lawangan funeral rites. The type of ceremony depends on the
wealth of the family. These rites range from:
l
l
l
Wara Nalloh: Exhuming the bones and placing them in a sacred coffin. Done
by the family in a simple ceremony involving the sacrifice of a few chickens
and/or a pig.
Wara Nebla (tabla): Inviting people from outside the family to attend the
exhumation and bone placement ceremony. Among the sacrificial animals
will be a cow.
Wara Keriring: The most elaborate and costly form of the ceremony, it will
involve invited guests and the sacrifice of a buffalo.
19
Betang Lewu Hante (Traditional Dayak longhouse)
Location : Lewu Hante Museum Compound
Photo : Dian Hestikasari
20
Lewu Nanyu Sangiang (Spirit house)
Location: Lewu Hante Museum Compound,
Pasar Panas, Tamiang Layang.
Photo: Dian Hestikasari
21
22
Getting to Know The Dayaks Lawangan,
Bakumpai
Biajuskulls
MariyangMa’anyan,
Janggut’s
and hisand
wife’s
Location : Ipumea Village,
Karusen Janang District, East Barito
Photo : Andreas Saputra
The Dayak Ma’anyan
By Abdul Fattah Nahan
A. Origins
One of the four largest tribes of the Dayak Ngaju is the Dayak Ma’anyan tribe, whose people
live mostly in Central Kalimantan Province, especially in South Barito Regency and East Barito
Regency.
Just as the Dayak Ot Danum people tell their ancestral history through songs called tetek
tatum (which literally means the Pure Weeping of Sorrow), the Dayak Ma’anyan people also have
an oral storytelling tradition, which is called Taliwakas.
At every important ceremony, these stories of the tribe’s origins are solemnly told in activities
called ngalakar, ngentang, nutup entang and nutup tarung. In addition to Taliwakas, there are many
folk tales, ballads and songs about the past greatness of the Dayak Ma’anyan tribe, which once ruled
a small kingdom called Nansarunai.
One version of Dayak Ma’anyan history suggests the tribe was established thousands of
years ago when a group of people in boats sailed into Kalimantan’s Banjar Bay, where the Barito
River meets the sea. In the Dayak Ma’anyan language, barito means ‘a very wide river like the
sea’. Conversely, the Portuguese claim the river was named after a Portuguese ship captain
named Berhito.
According to legend, the original settlers went ashore and examined the land, where they
found fruit trees thriving. The land was also inhabited by birds and forest animals. The people
agreed to settle in the place and named it Kayu Tangi, after a type of tree that was common in
the area. The location of their settlement was in a place that is now occupied by the University
of Lambung Mangkurat’s Postgraduate Building in Banjarmasin, the provincial capital of South
Kalimantan.
At Kayu Tangi Village, which was at the delta of the Barito River, a bustling trade developed
between the Dayak Ma’anyan people and the Javanese and the Sumatran Malays. Later, there
was also trade with foreign merchants from China, India, the Middle East, Portugal, Spain, the
Netherlands and England. The foreigners were mostly looking for spices.
Spices and animal pelts became the main trade commodities of the Dayak Ma’anyan people.
Visiting merchants from China sold cindai fabric, shantung fabric, ceramic dishes and crockery.
Those from India and Arabia sold beads, coral beads, platters and perfume. Those from Java
sold gongs, tambours and weapons. From Malacca came handicrafts and pineapples, while the
merchants from Europe mostly sold cigars and wine.
Accurate data is not available, but according to folklore, the Nansarunai people enjoyed
a quite prosperous lifestyle. They had large houses known as Gajah Manyusu, Palimbangan,
Palimasan and so on. These buildings had tingkap (rooms) that were specifically for secluding
23
their daughters. In the Dayak Ngaju language, such rooms were called karung bakuwu. Several
magnificent custom halls were built, accompanied by the development of the arts and a variety
of entertainment forms.
The flourishing life of the Dayak Ma’anyan people in those days was described in Tarung
(traditional stories) as: “Tumpuk anri manguntur raun kudalangun raya, kala harek jatuh minau
nyawung rakeh riwu turun sipat ngamar [A country where every day it seems there are big
festivities everywhere, where thousands of people participate in cockfighting].” The greatness
and prosperity of the Nansarunai Kingdom made many other countries desirous of conquering
it; among others, the Sriwijaya Kingdom, which was based in southern Sumatra, and the
Singosari Kingdom of eastern Java.
According to folklore, the
Nansarunai Kingdom was ravaged
According to folklore, the Nansarunai
and devastated by forces from
Kingdom was ravaged and devastated
Java, probably under the Majapahit
by forces from Java, probably under
Kingdom. The Javanese invasion
the Majapahit Kingdom. In Dayak
is said to have been made at the
Ma’anyan folklore, the destruction of
behest of Tuan Padayar, a big
the Nansarunai Kingdom by the Javanese trader from Java. He was upset
is referred to as Nansarunai Usak Jawa.
because his wife, Samunin Batu,
was forcibly married (ditungkun)
by Amah Jarang, a leader in
Nansarunai. In Dayak Ma’anyan folklore, the destruction of the Nansarunai Kingdom by the
Javanese is referred to as Nansarunai Usak Jawa.
The Nansarunai people who survived the Javanese invasion were led by Datu Garinsingan.
Amah Jarang had instructed him to save women and children by taking them into the jungle.
Further inland, they found a plain between the Barito, Tabalong and Mahakam Rivers. There,
they founded Siong Village in the southwest of the present-day City of Tamiang Layang, the
capital of East Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan.
The journey of Datu Garinsingan told in Taliwakas is called ‘ma waruga karang anyan’
which means ‘a journey to the flat ground’. This use of the word anyan is believed to be the origin
of the name Ma’anyan. Dayak Ma’anyan means ‘Dayak people who went to the flat ground’.
The Dayak Ma’anyan remained in Siong Village until it was struck by a disaster. In a single
day, about two dozen people died from bites from small snakes. The villagers and the leader of
customs (tetuha) believed this was a sign that they must move from the village.
A new Siong Village was then established, but the sacred objects for customary ceremonies
and the traditional leaders were moved to Muruwutu Village and Telang Village. Since
then, Telang Village has been the central location for the customary activities of the Dayak
Ma’anyan.
24
Some of the Dayak Ma’anyan who lived far away from the Villages of Siong Murutuwu,
Telang, and Balawa started implementing a simplified version of the funeral ritual known as
Ijambe.
This led to the emergence of several sub-tribes. The Dayak Ma’anyan who remained in the
villages of Siong, Murutuwu, Telang, and Balawa became the Paju Epat sub-tribe. They were
conservative in implementing Ijambe.
The moderates in practicing Ijambe were the Paju Sapuluh sub-tribe, which inhabited the
Villages of Patai, Ja’ar, Sangarasi, Sarapat, Magantis, Maganing, Harara, Hayaping, Haringen and
Didi. There was also the Banua Lima sub-tribe, which inhabited the Villages of Gamus, Bentot,
Pulau Padang, Bagog and Taniran. Another sub-tribe, the Paju Tunggal, inhabited Dayu Village.
The different Ma’anyan Dayak tribes
(Paju Epat, Paju Sapuluh and Banua Lima)
now follow different religious beliefs, such
as Kaharingan (the original Dayak religion),
Protestantism, Islam and Catholicism,
but they all live in harmony. The sense of
brotherhood is strengthened by ties of blood
and supersedes any religious differences.
In rituals and ceremonies
involving the village, ancestral
rites and the environment,
the different tribes cooperate by
providing mutual assistance. All of
them make contributions for the
success of these activities.
C. Languages
As mentioned previously, the Ma’anyan Dayaks are a major part of the Dayak Ngaju tribe.
The Dayak Ma’anyan language therefore has some similarities to the Dayak Ngaju language as
its parent language.
For instance, the word ‘five’ in Dayak Ngaju is lime, while in Dayak Ma’anyan it is dime. The
word ‘obtain’ or ‘the result of’ in Dayak Ngaju is buah, while in Dayak Ma’anyan it is wuah. Other
similar words include those for: fishing gear (buwu in Dayak Ngaju and wuwu in Dayak Ma’anyan);
day (andau in Dayak Ngaju and anrau in Dayak Ma’anyan); and night (hamalem in Dayak Ngaju and
malem in Dayak Ma’anyan). Thus, the Dayak Ngaju language became a unifying language for all of
Central Kalimantan.
D. Music and Dances
The life of the Dayak Ma’anyan is dynamic and full of spirit. This is especially evident from
their music and dances. The tempo of their music is fast and its rhythm is boisterous. It is not
surprising that the Dayak Ma’anyan always win dance competitions and impress the judges,
sometimes with new dances adapted from traditional ones.
25
Dayak Ma’anyan songs are well known throughout the Indonesian archipelago. These
include Anri Arai Atei, Tumpi Wayu and others. At traditional Dayak weddings, the wadian dadas
dance is still part of the marriage ritual. In this dance, the bride is picked up and introduced to
the groom.
E. Community Social Structure and Systems
After the fall of the Nansarunai
Kingdom, the Ma’anyan Dayaks
have had no class distinctions in
their social structure, especially
because of the influence of
religion stating that all people
are equal before God according
to their deeds.
Kinship relations are highly valued
in accordance with the degree of kinship
systems. There are some terms of address
for a person according to his/her level in
the family: tata (older brother/sister), ani
(younger brother/sister), ineh (mother),
amah (father), itak (grandmother) and
kakah (grandfather). The respectful term
for male elders is matueh.
A strong sense of brotherhood among
the Ma’anyan Dayaks prompted some
elders to form a kinship organization, which
initially dealt with deaths, tragedies, health treatments and later, education. The organization
grew when it was joined by two other Dayak tribes, the Dusun Dayaks and the Lawangan Dayaks.
Hence the organization was named DUSMALA, an acronym representing Dusun, Ma’anyan and
Lawangan.
For the Ma’anyan Dayaks, traditional rituals, especially those concerning death and the graves of
ancestors, are highly prioritized, even though some of the people no longer embrace the Kaharingan
faith of their ancestors. The newer beliefs embraced by the Ma’anyan Dayaks include Protestantism,
Catholicism and Islam. The followers of these religions are known as hakei.
Broadly speaking, the traditional rituals of the Ma’anyan Dayaks relate to life, death and
general social matters. These customs are generally implemented only by those who still follow
Kaharingan. Nevertheless, Protestants, Catholics and Muslims still contribute morally and
materially to funeral rituals involving their ancestors.
Traditional rituals can be classified as adat welum (life), adat matei (death) and padi
tumpuk (general customs).
Among the rituals of adat welum relating to family life are: tatapan ulun kai nganak or
malaheran (childbirth), ngangkan anak (adoption), nganak narangan (family, wives and
26
children), nganak ngampang (children born out of wedlock), banyang or pagar tunyung
(accepting the groom’s proposal, Dayak Ngaju: lawang sakepengu), wurung jue or ngamuan
gunung perak (marriage), kamang baluh or panyantangan or nyiang pe’e piak (divorce).
Other rituals of adat welum include: kalakar taliwakas (telling ancestral history, Dayak
Ngaju: tetek tatum), ngulah lewu (building a house), ngume naun (farming or gardening),
iparapah or miantuhan (performing a ceremony for certain intentions/wishes), pamujaan
(Dayak Ngaju: patahu, making a wooden or stone statue inhabited by spirits to protect the
village and its people), dudus (purifying bathing ritual to reinforce a position in work), and
ngariau (giving offerings to spirits who control the place a business will be started).
Further adat welum rituals are: pinai or puris (discussions of bloodlines, Dayak Ngaju:
jereh, Javanese: silsilah), tumet leut (songs of praise to the gods or sacred ancestral spirits),
kawit kinte (rituals, usually involving song and dance, that are performed to learn something,
especially native history and culture), balas pati (the act of avenging a death), and wadian
(summoning the gods or ancestral spirits to ask for directions in the events of death, marriage,
illness, thanksgiving feasts, cleaning up the village and so on).
There are seven basic rituals of adat wadian, namely:
1. Wadian bawo: held for treating dangerous conditions and giving thanks.
2. Wadian dadas: held for healing and giving thanks.
3. Wadian isirap: held after the harvest as an expression of gratitude to the spirits who
guard the fields.
4. Wadian itarukasai: held to discard the afterbirth of a newborn baby, for the
purification of the family.
5. Wadian ijambe: held to cremate the bones of the dead.
6. Wadian ruang wanrung: held at the inauguration of a new shaman (Dayak Ngaju:
balian, people who can summon spirits). Also held at weddings and when making
plans/wishes. It is a combination of wadian bawo and wadian dadas.
7. Wadian tapa unru: held at funerals.
One of the rituals of adat matei is matei bajang lehut ira (ordinary death for burial),
which involves the making of runi or rarung (coffins). The most important funeral rite
of the Dayak Ma’anyan people is Ijambe, which involves cremating the bones of the
deceased and the purification of his/her spirit to attain perfection. Ijambe, at a glance,
is like ngaben among the Hindus of Bali, who adopted it from the Hindus of India. In order
that the spirits can enter Datu Tunyung Gahamari (heaven), he/she should be bathed
with ‘gold water’ (cremation of the bones) and purified with holy water (coconut water).
There are several stages of Ijambe. These include making papuyan (a place for cremating
bones), tambak (a place for storing ashes, Dayak Ngaju: sandung), and balai gawi (a place for
27
working and keeping traditional musical instruments), balai pisame (a place for workers to
prepare the requirements for the ceremony, including preparation of food), galontang (a place
to lay the bones before they are cremated) and balai hakei (seating for Muslim people wishing
to attend the funeral).
In the heyday of the Nansarunai Kingdom, there were various kinds of tambak containers for
storing ashes, according to the social status or clan of the deceased. These included:
1. Tambak Mas: for descendants of Tamanggung Suta Ono, the patrician of Telang Siong Village.
2. Tambak Kariring Hante: for keepers of customs and community leaders.
3. Tambak Kariring Halus: for shamans.
4. Tambak Ginun Rewau: for descendants of the Ginun Rewau clan.
5. Tambak Patis Panting: for descendants of the Patis Panting clan.
6. Tambak Ineh Moto: for descendants of the Ineh Moto clan.
7. Tambak To Jaung: for descendants of the Jaung clan.
8. Tambak Tamiang: for the community of Tamiang Layang.
9. Tambak Damung Sasi: for descendants of the Damung Sasi clan.
10. Tambak Renga: for descendants of the Renga clan.
11. Tambak Baning: for descendants of the Baning clan.
12. Tambak Siong: for the community of Siong Village.
Nowadays, people are no longer tied to the kingdom system, so there are no differences between
the tambak. All have been merged into one, which is called Tambak Gabungan.
Ijambe displays the values of nobleness, devoutness and loyalty of both the deceased and
those who are left. All relatives of the deceased, no matter what their different religious beliefs,
faithfully attend the ceremony, working together and giving contributions according to their
capabilities. This ceremony can last for 40 days and is quite costly.
As mentioned earlier, simplifications in implementing the Ijambe ceremony, in terms of
stages and timing, led to the formation of the Dayak Ma’anyan Paju Sepuluh and the Dayak
Ma’anyan Banua Lima sub-tribes.
General customs (padi tumpuk) mostly concern the behavior of people in everyday life.
Deviant acts or misdeeds of any individual include ngalat wuah wuwu (stealing fish from a
trap), ngalat wuah tangkala (stealing big fish from a trap), and nganining lanyung or nganining
keba (peeking at the contents of a container). There are also usik liau (spirit games when a body
has not been buried) in the form of nyepak bal apui (fire football), caramin liau (spirit mirror)
and kaleker liau (a dice game).
In an effort to meet daily needs and deal with various issues, there are also traditional
rituals concerning nuwe (poisoning fish in the river), najak lewu (building a house), matei
numang kayu (death caused by a falling tree) and so forth.
28
The implementation procedures for all the traditional rituals, about life, death and other
common problems among the Dayak Ma’anyan Paju Sapuluh and the Dayak Ma’anyan Banua
Lima, are not much different from those practiced by the Dayak Ma’anyan Paju people.
G. Customary Law
The customary law of Dayak Ma’anyan tribe (including the Paju Epat, Paju Sapuluh and
Banua Lima) is well-structured.
To explore the issues of the Dayak Ma’anyan, it is necessary to implement adat kawit kinte
(the tradition of teaching culture/history through song and dance). Many things may only be
known to certain people by learning.
H. Dayak Ma’anyan Sacred Sites and Leaders
Although Dayak Ma’anyan society has embraced several religions outside the traditional
Kaharingan faith, the people still venerate sacred sites, such as cemeteries and places that have
been hallowed by their ancestors since time immemorial. Among these sites are:
1. Lewu Hante and Tambak Mas
Lewu Hante is a huma hante (big house) that belonged to Tamanggung (Customary Chief)
Suta Ono in Telang Siong Village, Paju Epat District. The village also contains his tomb (tambak
mas), which is still venerated by his descendants because he fought against the Dutch in the Barito
War of 1859.
Suta Ono acted similarly to Teuku Umar, a popular hero of the Aceh War who had joined the
Dutch forces only to turn against them in 1896 and inflict heavy casualties. Suta Ono pretended
to side with the Dutch but then confronted the Dutch Army with the forces of Prince Muhammad
Seman (a descendant of the Banjar Sultanate), one of the leaders of the Barito War (part of the
Banjar War of 1859-1863).
Consequently, roads were opened in the areas that are now known as South Barito, North
Barito and Murung Raya.
2. Tomb of Tamanggung Jayakarti
The tomb of Tamanggung Jayakarti is located near a place that is today known as
Tamanggung Jayakarti Market in the City of Tamiang Layang, the capital of East Barito Regency. Tamanggung Jayakarti supported Prince Muhammad Seman in the 1859-1863 war against the
Dutch. He was a relative of Tamanggung Suta Ono.
3. Tomb of Puteri Mayang
Puteri Mayang was a daughter of the King of Banjar. She was awarded for being the wife of a
29
matueh of the Dayak Ma’anyan tribe. According to legend, strands of her hair were so very long they
could be wrapped around a hill.
Her tomb is located in Jaar Village, Dusun Timur, East Barito Regency. See the folktale of
Princess Mayang on page 58
4. Papuyan in Murutuwu
This site for cremating bones during the implementation of the ijambe funeral rite is in
Murutuwu Village, Paju Epat District.
5. Liang Saragi
A granite cave over 100 meters long, with several caverns. According to legend, this cave
had once been a cursed kingdom that was struck by lightning and turned into stone. See the
folktale of Liang Saragi on page 66
Liang Saragi is located in Ampari Village, Awang District, East Barito Regency.
6. Sacred House of Abeh
Balai Karamat Abeh or Sacred House of Abeh is located in Dayu Village, Karusen Janang
District, East Barito Regency. Inside the house is a balanga (a type of jug) which is believed to
contain a statue known as the figure of Abeh. Only the descendants of Abeh can pick up the jug
and hold the statue.
7. Mariyang Janggut
This site is located in Ipumea Village, Karusen Janang District, East Barito Regency. It is
here that the skulls of Mariyang Janggut (Red Beard) and his wife are kept. Every August 25,
the descendants of Mariyang Janggut and the Ipumea villagers perform a procession to commemorate his birthday. See the folktale of Mariyang Janggut on page 62
Nowadays, all of the sacred sites of the Dayak Ma’anyan are still believed to be the places of
ancestor spirits and have become tourist attractions. Many of the tourists are from neighboring
South Kalimantan Province.
I. Famous Dayak Ma’anyan Figures
Prominent Dayak Ma’anyan figures include: Damung Jarang (of the Nansarunai Kingdom),
Tamanggung Suta Ono, Tamanggung Jayakarti (the Dutch colonial period), Christian Simbar
alias Uria Mapas, G.J.S. Rubay, C. Luran (during the period of revolution and separation from
South Kalimantan), Arjunan Walan (former Central Kalimantan Police chief), Engkesman
Hilep (former National Police Detective chief), Fridolin Ukur (ecclesiastic/humanist), Frederik
Ngindra (educator), Henry A. Nahan (bureaucrat and committee of East Barito formation) and
Christian Nyunting (artist).
30
The Dayak Bakumpai people in Barito River in the past time
Photo: Tropen Museum Collection
Source: Wikipedia
31
Suku Dayak Ma’anyan
32 Getting to Know The Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
Tantar Pillar
Location : Lewu Hante, Museum Compound
Pasar Panas, Tamiang Layang.
Photo :Dian Hestikasari
The Dayak Bakumpai
By Abdul Fattah Nahan
A. Origins
The Dayak Bakumpai tribe is one of the 53 Dayak Ngaju sub-tribes, living mostly along
the Barito River and downstream along the Kapuas River. Being engaged in trade, the Dayak
Bakumpai people for generations wandered around Kalimantan, until settling in areas
including the central stretch of the Katingan River (Tumbang Samba Village), Long Iram in East
Kalimantan, and Marabahan on the Barito River in South Kalimantan.
The Dayak Bakumpai people are also called the Bara Kih because of their dialect, in which
they say the word kih at the end of conversations.
The ancestor of the Bakumpai tribe is said to have been a prominent Dayak Ngaju figure
named Damang Bahandang Balau. Damang means leader or someone who has mastered all
customary laws, while bahandang means red and balau means hair. So the real name of this
Red-Haired Leader is unknown.
Damang Bahandang Balau’s descendants for generations adhered to the traditional
religion, called Kaharingan. This term comes from the old word haring meaning life. With the
addition of the prefix ka and suffix an, it means a ‘life force’ emerging or growing by itself in the
individual, or something good that grows.
Islam was introduced to the Bakumpai Dayaks by many different groups. These included
Banjar traders from South Kalimantan and ethnic groups from outside Kalimantan, such as
Bugis, Makassarese, Madurese, Javanese and most of all, Arab traders. As a result of these
multiple Muslim influences, many descendants of Damang Bahandang Balau converted to
Islam, in addition to those assimilated into the religion through conversion upon marriage.
The descendants of Damang Bahandang Balau who converted to Islam were a little
distanced from their relatives who maintained Kaharingan beliefs. But among them all, there
was still a close kinship based on their lineage and blood relations. The converts made new
settlements, on the banks of the Barito River, not too far away from their former residences.
When the tetuha (customary leaders) from the home villages asked the Muslim converts
where they resided, they replied that they had built a new village also located on the banks of
the Barito River, where there were naturally occurring crops of an edible type of reed called
kumpai. Their village was thus named Bakumpai (ba = have). During high tide, the kumpai was
submerged and provided a place for fish to dwell. It was easy for people to catch fish there and
make them a foodstuff, even a livelihood. And so, these Dayaks were called the Dayak Bakumpai
tribe.
Another version of Bakumpai history is told in the legend of the Battle of Kupang Island. This
conflict was waged against the small kingdom of Kuta Bataguh (now encompassing Selat District,
33
The Dayak Bakumpai
Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan) by attackers from Solok Kingdom (now the southern part
of the Philippines) assisted by Dayak leaders from the East (in what is nowadays East Kalimantan
Province). The attackers lost the battle because Kuta Bataguh Kingdom was assisted by warriors
named Tamanggung Bungai and Tamanggung Tambun (from Tumbang Pajangei Village, now in
Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan).
Among those defeated in the battle was Tamanggung Pandung, who was willing to become
a resident of Kuta Bataguh. According to legend, he was the ancestor of the Dayak Bakumpai.
The Dayak Bakumpai still live according
to certain customs, including pamali (taboos).
For example, an unmarried girl or boy should
Most Dayak Bakumpai people
are Muslims; however, in ritual not be sitting on the doorstep in the middle
of the day, because in the future they will
matters they still implement
find it difficult to get a mate. A woman who
their ancestral traditions,
is pregnant should not be out of the house at
especially when dealing with
dusk because she will later suffer havoc. It is
business activities, village
forbidden to sweep the house at night, and
cleansing and the cycle of life.
also to take out the trash at night, because
anyone who does this would suffer a lack of
sustenance. It is prohibited to get married between the two Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and
Eid al-Adha, otherwise the bride and groom will suffer a difficult married life. There are many
more customs that are still followed.
C. Language
Because the Dayak Bakumpai are a sub-tribe of the Dayak Ngaju, their languages are similar.
Similar words include abdomen (Dayak Ngaju: kanai, Dayak Bakumpai: tanai), village (Dayak Ngaju:
lewu, Dayak Bakumpai: lebu), black (Dayak Ngaju: babilem, Dayak Bakumpai: bamarem), from where
(Dayak Ngaju: barakueh, Dayak Bakumpai: bikueh), other (Dayak Ngaju: beken, Dayak Bakumpai:
beken), shank (Dayak Ngaju: pai, Dayak Bakumpai: pai), and far (Dayak Ngaju: kejau, Dayak Bakumpai:
kejau).
The Dayak Ngaju language is a lingua franca – a common language – known by all Dayak
tribes throughout Central Kalimantan, thus it is a unifying language.
D. Music and Dances
Islam has been tremendously influential in the arts of the Dayak Bakumpai people, especially
in music and dance. There is also a strong Javanese influence on dances and movement, such
34
The Dayak Bakumpai
as the kuda kepang (flat horse) dance and baksa topeng (mask) dance. Dancing influenced by
Islam includes the popular japen dance.
Types of music with Islamic elements include rabana, hadrah and gambus. Traditional art
forms that remain popular include badeder and badongkoi. In these two activities, dances and traded
pantoums (rhyming poems) are performed. Young people usually perform these after a wedding
ceremony or other celebrations. The content of the rhyme is usually to praise or satirize each other
to find a mate.
The social structure of the Dayak Bakumpai tribe is classless. All people are equal in the
eyes of God. So there is no caste system in community structures. Elders are respected according
to the kinship relationship.
It is evident that the Dayak Bakumpai have adopted some prevailing customs of the
Javanese. This is clearly heard in conversation, for example, when a person who is younger than
his conversational partner refers to himself as ulun and to the older person as pian (Javanese:
sampean).
One of the reasons why the Dayak Bakumpai people embraced Islam was assimilation, due
to inter-marriage with the Banjar people, who had much earlier converted to Islam brought by
Muslim missionaries from the Demak Sultanate. This sultanate was the first Islamic kingdom in
Java, holding power from 1475-1548.
Yet traditional Dayak influences
from time immemorial are still
maintained by the Bakumpai
people to the present day, not only
as supplementary aspects, but also
as the central parts of many ritual
activities.
Another strong Muslim influence
on the Dayak Bakumpai came from
the Wali Songo – the ‘Nine Saints’
who spread Islam in Indonesia starting
in the 15th century.
One of the traditional rituals still conducted by Muslim Bakumpai is manalampas lebu,
which is held to repel any misfortunes. This is conducted through badewa (summoning the
gods). Also still practiced is a traditional bakawinan (wedding) ritual known as tapung tawar,
which involves applying rice flour on the couple as a symbol of cleansing and blessing.
The influence of Islam from the Wali Songo can be seen in manalampas lebu activities
in the form of bawayang (leather puppet shows) and batopeng (mask dances) to scare away
demons. At the bakawinan ceremony, we can see bawayang performances with scenes of the
Kakawin Arjuna Wiwaha (a classical Javanese Hindu-Buddhist narrative poem) and bausung
35
The Dayak Bakumpai
(the bride and groom seated on people’s shoulders and paraded around the village or along
certain routes).
G. Customary Law
Because the Bakumpai society has embraced Islam, the people tend to use Islamic law based
on the Qur’an, the Sunnah and Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad as a guide to life. However,
traditional laws are sometimes still considered, especially in managing the environment.
H. Dayak Bakumpai Sacred Sites
Although the Dayak Bakumpai converted to Islam, they still venerate sacred objects and
sites that have been sanctified by their ancestors since time immemorial. Among these are the
following:
1.
2.
3.
Undus Bajai
In maintaining traditional plantations, especially rattan and coconut trees, and beje
(ponds for raising fish), most Bakumpai people still use a sacred undus bajai (crocodile oil)
with magical properties. This oil is applied to any object that is in the plantation or beje.
Thieves do not dare to steal from such places because they will see a lot of crocodiles. (See
the folktale of Lendir Kartamina on page 63)
Kamantuhu Mangkatip
This is a sacred object of the Dayak Bakumpai. It is shaped like the bow of a sailing ship
from earlier times (probably from the Singosari Kingdom of Java of 1222-1292). The place
where the object is kept is sacred because the spirits inhabiting it are considered the guardians
of Mangkatip Village. All of the villages in what is now Central Kalimantan in olden times had
guardian spirits, helping them to face attacks by bandits or headhunters. (See the folktale of
Kamantuhu Mangkati on page 86)
Takuluk Gosong
This is a sacred site visited by the Dayak Bakumpai people for making wishes. Takuluk
Gosong is a sandbank in the shape of a head, located downstream of Salat Baru Village.
I. Famous Dayak Bakumpai Figures
Prominent Dayak Bakumpai include Pambakal (village chief) Kendet and his son Panglima
Wangkang, Tamanggung Surapati and Panglima Batur (during the struggle against Dutch colonialism),
Mustafa Bakri (bureaucrat), Hasan Basri (former chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Association),
Usman Ravieq (bureaucrat), Z.A. Maulani (former chief of the State Intelligence Agency), Tasrifuddin
(Bureaucrat), Mukeri Inas (bureaucrat), Asmawi Agani (former governor of Central Kalimantan),
K.M.A. Usop (educator/humanist), Rinco Norkim (educator/environmentalist), H.A. Sulaiman H.B.
(mining and timber magnate, also chairman of the Harmonious Bakumpai Family).
36
V. THE DAYAK BIAJU
Waiting
Location : Lewu Hante Traditional House at Pasar Panas, Tamiang Layang
Photo : M. Usman Sya’bani
Model : Dance group “KOMANDAN”
37
Dutch painting of 18th century
Getting
to Know
The Dayaks
Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju
The tribe
dressed
in clothes
Sangkarut
38Biaju
Photo : folksofdayak.wordpress.com
The Dayak Biaju
V. THE DAYAK BIAJU
By Andreas Saputra
A. Origins
The word Biaju is derived from bi meaning ‘from’ and aju meaning ‘upstream’, so the Biaju
people are those from upstream. The term Biaju was commonly used in the Banjarmasin area
to refer to indigenous people, prior to the adoption of the term ‘Dayak’.
In 1826, when an agreement was made between the Sultan of Banjar and the Dutch
Government, the word Biaju was changed to Dayak. The terms ‘Large Biaju’ (of the Kahayan
River area) and ‘Small Biaju’ (of the Kapuas Murung area) became Large Dayak and Small
Dayak, respectively.
According to local history, the Bakumpai tribe used the name Biaju or Bajaju to refer to the
Dayak Ngaju tribe from the Kahayan and Kapuas rivers, when the latter arrived and settled in a
village called Bangkuang Usang (usang means old). The Dayak Ngaju tribe had migrated to the
Barito area in an effort to avoid the Dutch colonizers in their territory.
The Biaju tribe initially enjoyed a good life in Bangkuang Usang, conducting a variety
of social activities, until a smallpox epidemic struck the village. This epidemic prompted the
Biaju people to spread to several surrounding areas of Bangkuang, such as Talio, Teluk Betung,
Sampudau, Mangkatip and up to Buntok (formerly Bentok, which means ‘the middle’) in the
area that is now South Barito Regency.
To this day, the Biaju people are mostly still in the same location, although some have
moved to Muara Teweh (in North Barito Regency) and up to Puruk Cahu (in Murung Raya
Regency).
Like other Dayak tribes, the Biaju people initially embraced Kaharingan. The influence of
external cultures prompted some of them to convert to Protestantism, Catholicism and Islam,
while some still follow Kaharingan.
These differences in religion did not make the Biaju tribe disintegrate or lose its identity.
The sense of family, ties of blood and common ancestry has remained strong, creating
a harmonious relationship among the Dayak Biaju people, even though they live in different in
places and follow different religions.
39
The Dayak Biaju
C. Language
Given that the Biaju people originated from areas of the Kahayan and Kapuas rivers, their
language is not much different to the Ngaju language. Some words have changed due to the
influence of the Bakumpai people. An example of a word that changed slightly is acan, which
means ‘spicy shrimp paste’ in the Biaju and Bakumpai languages, whereas the Kahayan and
Kapuas language uses the word balacan. Other words are identical, such as kuman, which
means ‘to eat’ in the Biaju, Kahayan and Kapuas languages. Mandui means ‘to bathe’ in the
Biaju, Kahayan and Kapuas languages.
D. Mores
The Dayak Biaju people, whether following Kaharingan or other religions, still maintain
traditional customs, including those involving marriage and death.
1.
Marriage
Before marriage, both the bride and groom must carry out the following steps:
a. Bisik Kurik
Bisik Kurik means ‘initiall talk’. In this first stage of the marriage process, the family
of the would-be groom visits a potential bride’s family, with the intention of asking if there
is tanah (soil – a euphemism for a young woman) for planting seeds from the male. They
also hand over money to demonstrate the sincerity of the proposal. In response to the
proposal, the woman’s family requests more time to consider the offer and specifies when
the man’s family should return to get an answer. The time given depends on the readiness
of the woman; it could be three to seven days.
When the woman is ready to give her answer, the man’s family is invited to come back.
Now, the woman tells her decision to the man. If she accepts, the groom’s family is obliged
to meet certain requirements requested by the bride. The two families also determine the
date of the marriage.
There are several provisions in this
engagement agreement, including
that if one of the parties wishes to
cancel the wedding, they will have to
pay a stipulated fine.
b. The Wedding
40
The wedding usually
takes place within one to three
months, and not more than one
year. After a certain time, the
bride and groom will commit
themselves to an engagement
through an agreement letter.
One day before the wedding, a traditional ceremony will be held, in which the groom
comes to the bride’s house. Outside the house’s entrance gate is a specially made wooden
The Dayak Biaju
structure (pantan or banjang) made of roundwood or sugarcane stalks. This structure is
required when the bride does not come from the Biaju Dayaks. Whereas if the bride comes
from the Biaju Dayaks, a lawang sekepeng will be erected at the gate. Lawang sekepeng is
a thread or rope that is easily broken and is decorated with a variety of fruits and other
foods. To break this thread, the martial art of pencak silat will be performed.
Before passing through the ceremonial gate, the groom’s family will be asked about
their intention and the purpose of their visit. After some talks between the two families,
the pantan is cut using a mandau (traditional Dayak machete). This cutting is conducted
jointly by both parties.
After the pantan or lawang sakepeng has been broken, it means there are no more
barriers, and the groom’s arrival is greeted at the bride’s house.
This ceremony is followed by the formal delivery of the response from the bride’s
family, where they accept the intention and purpose of the groom. Next, the requirements
that were previously agreed to by both parties are submitted. This is paying for the
proposal.
Banjang or pantan or lawang sakepeng is a process before the groom’s is accepted by the bride’s family
Then comes a traditional ritual called iwurung jue, which involves a search for the
bride. Iwurung jue involves dances performed by balian dadas (female shaman dancers)
and balian bawo (male shaman dancers). In searching for the bride, the female dancers will
bring some women, usually three to five women, to the groom to ask whether the woman
he seeks is among them. If the prospective groom finds his bride, the ceremony will be
continued by the signing of a marriage agreement, in line with customary law, witnessed by
the parents, the mantir adat and other witnesses. The signing of this agreement is the final
process in the fulfillment of customary law. On the next day, the marriage takes place.
41
The Dayak Biaju
2.
Death
In Dayak Biaju culture, funeral rituals are held over three to seven days, depending on the
age of the deceased. If the deceased is still young, the rituals will be held for three days. If the
deceased is elderly, the rituals will be held for seven days, although the body of the deceased
will have been buried before the week is up.
There are three levels of funeral rites in Dayak Biaju culture.
a. Malaba
This is an event to guard and wait on the body, with the intention of comforting the
grieving family. Malaba usually involves a variety of games (usik liau), such as fire football
and card games.
b. Mangalangkang
This process is held when a family is unable to perform the manenga lewu ritual
(explained below). In this stage, the family makes some offerings, which will then be
delivered to the cemetery. This ritual of giving offerings must be carried out every year for
three consecutive years. Offerings thereafter depend on the financial ability of the family.
c. Manenga Lewu
This is the biggest and last sacred ceremony of Dayak Biaju funeral rites. The ceremony
aims to deliver the soul or spirit of the deceased to a destination called Lewu Tatau (literally
‘Prosperous Village’, Heaven). The Dayak tribes living in the areas of Kapuas and Kahayan
rivers call the place of the afterlife Tiwah.
As the biggest ceremony, Manenga Lewu cannot be performed solely by the family, so
it is not uncommon for other families to participate in the implementation of this ritual.
The Manenga Lewu procession is held for three days. The first day begins by gathering
all of the deceased’s heirs, who will carry out the ceremony. People from other families
who have not performed the ceremony of Manenga Lewu are given the opportunity to be
involved. Their participation takes the form of assistance with preparations, such as the
provision of sacrificial animals, rice and other assistance in accordance with their means.
On the second day, the ceremony is carried out by performing membintik (painting) on
boards, which consist of Lewu boards and Banama Tingang boards. On the Lewu board, all
kinds of plants and animals are painted. The Banama Tingang board is shaped like a boat,
the front of which is in the form of a bird’s head. There are two figures accompanying the
Banama Tingang board: Asai and Menteng. They are believed to be the Banama Tingang
guards, who deliver the spirits of the dead to Lewu Tatau.
42
On the third day, after all the requirements and offerings have been fulfilled, just before
midnight the shamans (pahanteran or balian) will begin performing a ritual procession to
deliver the spirit of the deceased to Lewu Tatau. The procession lasts until morning. Once
the procession is finished, the locals declare the Manenga Lewu ceremony to be completed.
The Dayak Biaju
The offerings and ritual instruments are then brought down from the two boards. Some
are given to the shamans as a token of gratitude.
The Manenga Lewu ceremony should be conducted prior to planting rice or after the
rice harvest. If anyone holds a Manenga Lewu ceremony after rice has been planted and
before it is harvested, they will have to pay a customary fine as they are considered to have
violated a local custom. Fines may be in the form of animals (such as pigs and chickens),
which are sacrificed to memalas (clean up bad things) to avoid disasters.
Membintik,
a process in
the Manenga Lewu
death ceremony
3. Manyanggar
Manyanggar or ‘cleaning the village’ is a process performed to cleanse the village by giving
some offerings to its guardian spirits. This ceremony is performed when the community is
beset by misfortune, such as endemic diseases, missing or lost persons and other unfavorable
events.
The ceremony is performed for one day and one night by local residents. It is attended by
all levels of society with no distinction regarding race or religion.
The Dayak Biaju people recognize several positions in their social strata. These include the
village chief, the pangirak, the dambung and indigenous stakeholders.
a.
b.
The village chief is entrusted to lead the community and maintain social harmony and
peace. In the past, the position was hereditary, with descendants of influential families
holding the post, but the village chief is now elected by the people.
The pangirak is tasked to provide information to the community regarding local activities
43
The Dayak Biaju
c.
d.
and events. A pangirak would go around the village and beat a gong when conveying an
announcement to the public.
The dambung is responsible for overseeing and preparing marriages, funerals and other
events in the village.
Indigenous stakeholders is a modern term given to people who were traditionally entrusted
to take care of all customary matters in life and death. The positions used to be hereditary
but the indigenous stakeholders are now elected by the people.
The pangirak and dambung assisted the village chief in carrying out tasks in the community.
At present, there are no longer any pangirak or dambung. They have been replaced by local level
government officials, such as the head of agriculture affairs, the head of government affairs and
others.
The Dayak Biaju people practice what is called handep (mutual aid, known as gotong royong
in Indonesian). For example, when one family is planting or harvesting rice, other families and
people will come to help and vice versa. The same thing happens when building a house or
performing certain ceremonies, such as funeral or marriage rites.
F. Arts and Culture
Like other Ngaju Dayaks, the Biaju people practice a form of oral story telling known as
karungut, which can take the form of poems. Karungut encompasses a wide range of legends
and tales about advice, reprimands and warnings in everyday life. Karungut can be accompanied
by a zither or sung without music.
Formerly, karungut was usually sung by mothers while lulling their babies, but now it can
be used in any activity, such as when building a house, greeting guests, wedding ceremonies,
circumcisions and for campaigning activities.
Karungut: the art of oral literature
or poems, the contents of which
are filled with advice, reprimands
and warnings.
44
The Dayak Biaju
Madami River Karungut
Madami River is a river in the Muara Ripung Village, Dusun Selatan District, South Barito
Regency. It is about one and half hours distance from Buntok City. Madami River is known as a
place for fishing, and in its surrounding area for rubber and rattan plantations.
Karungut created by Neto I Narang
Karungut Sungai Madami
Madami River Karungut
Salam tuntang hormat aku manyewut
Greetings and honor I say
Akan Indu Bapak samandiai
To the ladies and gentlemen all
Aku paramisi akan manyampai
Allow me now to convey
Ije kisah mahalau kesenian
A story through artistic recall
Sejarah tuh tau menggugah
This history may inspire
Sungei Madami Membukan kesah
Madami River’s opening story
Akan oloh je mengamang
Everyone seeks to acquire
Into sungai Madami tujua arah
Madami River’s destined glory
Oloh samandiai palus dumah
For folk are always coming
Tiap andau dumah mamisi
Daily for the fishing
Danum Madami je tutu tenang
The Madami’s calm waters sought
Lauk indinu behau tuntang baung
Snakehead and catfish ever caught
Sungei Madami danumah sadingen
Madami’s bracing coolness remedies
Kare oloh uras handak
Desired evermore by everyone
Sungai Madami menjadi kenangan
Madami River flows into memories
Iingat awi setiap oloh
Remembered by all who come
Selama aku tulak sesame
No matter where I’ve dwelt Sungei madami dia tau kalapean
Madami River stays entrenched
Kakare oloh uras mangkeme
For everyone has felt
Danum Madami penawar lapah
Thirst by Madami’s water quenched
45
The Dayak Biaju
Wahai Madami bahalap tutu
O Madami beautifully glowing
Mangat inanpayah satiap andau
Delightfully by day showing
Oloh are dumah bara kate kanih
Visitors crowd from here and there
Je dumah silih baganti gilir
One after another everywhere
Sopan santun inbina
Good manners always nurtured
Mangat pambelum itah tau inarima
Making our lives more cultured
Ela itah selalu dia baingat
Lest we forget even slightly
Ajaran Hatala
The teachings of God the Almighty
Indu Bapak tuntutang pahari samandiai
Friends, husbands and wives
Nenga akan ikei ajar
Give us all the lessons
Mangat pambelum ikei harajur rukun
To make harmony in our lives
Ikei tau manjadi conto
Thus we make good impressions
Mohon maaf pahari samandiai
Apologies to those we know
Amun nasehat tege je kurang
If any advice or shortcomings show
Malum ikei tapas pangalaman
Our inexperience that offends
Tapi ikei handak habagi akan kakare kula
But want to share among friends
Patining hung andau hamalem
Fireflies at night
Cahaya mangkilat tarang hindai
Again so brightly shines the light
Mudahan nasehat tau terbukti
Hopefully this advice will portend
Karungut ku cukup sampai hetuh
For now my poem’s at an end
46
Folklore of
Lawangan,
Ma'anyan,
Bakumpai
Ornament
Location : Central Kalimantan Compound
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
47
48
Mandau
that
was owned
by Brohong
Getting
to Know
Thebelieved
Dayaks Lawangan,
Ma’anyan,
Bakumpai and Biaju
Lawangan Folklore
Recorded by Abdul Fattah Nahan, Andreas Saputra, and Leo Ferry Juli
A. Lawangan Folklore
1. The Origin of the Traditional Marriage Ceremony of Peruku Pangantin Seletamput
Recorded by Leo Ferry Juli
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Nalau Etong Batu. He came from a village which
had the long name of Regen Tatau - Manti Ledok Loyang Danum. Nalau lived alone with his mother.
They were very poor, living a hand-to-mouth existence.
One day, Nalau was feeling sad and upset because there was nothing fresh to eat; neither meat nor
vegetables. “Mother!” said Nalau, “I want to go hunting for fish and gathering vegetables for our
food today.”
“Go ahead. You go hunting, I do not forbid you,” said his mother. She then prepared all of
the necessary equipment and supplies, as well some older food for Nalau’s hunting trip. In total,
she provided nine items, including some ketupat (rice cooked in woven palm leaves). Then
Nalau prepared his blowpipe and darts named Atung. To the darts, he applied ipu munu sanak
manget – a type of poison which can immediately kill any animal.
In the morning, Nalau set out on his hunting trip into the jungle. Not knowing which way to go,
he just walked where his feet took him. After nearly two hours of walking, he still had not seen any
animals or even traces of them. More time passed. When it was late afternoon, Nalau came to a tree
so tall that it looked like it was one fathom away from the sky and an inch from the clouds. He climbed
to the top of this tree and said to himself, “I want to know where I am right now.”
When Nalau looked eastward, he could see a trail of rising smoke, the size of a blowpipe
stick. Then he plucked two leaves from the tree, threw them in the air and let the wind blow
them toward the smoke. He quickly descended from the tree and followed the leaves as they
continued to be carried by the wind. Finally, he arrived at a jungle clearing that looked as if it
had been worked on or used by people for farming. The leaves were slowly floating downward,
getting lower and lower, and Nalau’s footsteps eventually stopped on someone’s plantation.
Nalau was amazed by what he saw. There was a banana tree covered in long bunches of fruit.
There were also ground vines: watermelons and cucumbers bearing much fruit. Nalau thought calmly.
He did not dare to pick any of the fruit as he feared he may be fined. He walked up to someone’s yard
and stood on the root of a limau manis (sweet orange) tree, while leaning against a kelapa gading
(ivory-colored coconut) tree. Then he asked, “Is it taboo to enter this house? If not, please open the
door.”
49
Lawangan Folklore
The owner of this land and house was none other than a woman, who replied, “If there is
any taboo, then you brought it here, because my house is not taboo.”
How happy Nalau was to hear the woman’s answer, “It is getting dark now,” he said, “please
show me the way to go home.”
From inside the house, the woman responded: “It’s late. You’d better spend the night here.”
Nalau entered the house and was told to take a bath in a nearby river. The woman showed
him the bathing place and then returned home to cook some rice and curry. After Nalau had
finished bathing, they ate together. Following the meal, to show respect, the woman brought
in an ornamental container of betel nut and leaf mixed with lime (Indonesian: penginangan
sirih, Dayak Lawangan: kapur gambir) for Nalau to chew. The woman quietly took off her ring
and gladly put it on the serving tray of penginangan. Feeling happy as well, Nalau accepted the
tray from the woman. Then, he accidentally held her ring. “Be careful where you put down your
ring,” he said.
The woman replied, “It is true that the ring is mine; it is meant to ask you your name.”
Nalau thought the same thing and he took off his ring as well, as a gesture to ask the woman
her name. “What’s your name?” he asked.
They argued about who should introduce themself first. “You came to my house,” said the
woman, “you’re the one who should say your name first.”
“No, you’re the owner of this house, so you must be the first to say your name,” said Nalau.
Then the woman relented and gladly told Nalau that her name was Ave Leun Remuran. He
followed by saying his name was Nalau Etong Batu.
Ring, as a gesture to ask the name of a man and a woman
They looked at one another and in their hearts was a feeling of love. They were sitting
on a bamboo seat and both were holding sparrow eggs, which was a symbol of cleansing
themselves before starting a new life together.
50
Lawangan Folklore
One day, Nalau decided to
Time passed. For weeks and then take his ‘wife’ to his house in the
months, they lived together in kumpul kebo village of Regen Tatau - Manti
(literally ‘living together like buffaloes’ – Ledok Loyang Danum. After
a euphemism for cohabitation) they had been in the village for
one week, there was a sudden
outbreak of fatal diseases that
had never before occurred. Old people were afflicted by coughing and died instantly. Many
children were sickly and died instantly. Pregnant women miscarried.
Seeing all of these misfortunes, a village elder named Kilip said, “This cannot be tolerated.”
He kept wondering, “Have these disasters struck the village because of the arrival of Nalau and
that woman? Or is something else causing all this? No one knows. I’d better go to look for a
solution, so that we can be free from all these outbreaks of disease and disasters.”
The next day, Kilip brought some tubes (bumbung) of lemang (glutinous rice cooked with
coconut milk and salt inside a hollowed bamboo stick) and roasted red chicken to the place of
an elder named Datu Mayar Urii (Datu Mayar, often abbreviated to Datu Ma, means elder). Datu
Ma Urii was sleeping soundly, so Kilip burned a sharpened piece of iron until it became red hot.
He then poked it into the elder’s ear. Startled, Datu Ma awoke and said: “Why do you dare wake
me?”
“I deliberately woke you,” Kilip replied, “because I bring you some food. I thought you were
sleeping because you were hungry.”
“Thank God, you still care about me,” said the elder, and he began to eat the food Kilip had
brought for him.
After Datu Ma Urii had finished eating, Kilip asked him, “Why are there so many tragic
disasters in our village, Regen Tatau, since the arrival of Nalau Etong Batu with that woman?”
Datu Ma Urii replied, “I do not know what you mean by disasters. Go to Datu Nendeng
Liang. Maybe he knows what you mean.”
So Kilip quickly proceeded to the residence of Datu Nendeng Liang. When he got there,
Datu Nendeng Liang was sleeping soundly. Kilip was impatient and immediately tried to rouse
him from his sleep. But Datu Nendeng Liang would not wake up. Kilip then took a hammer and
struck Datu Nendeng Liang hard on his forehead. The elder awoke with a laugh and asked: “How are
you Kilip? Why did you wake me, who was soundly sleeping?”
Kilip replied with a smile, “Do you see what I have brought?”
“Yes,” Datu Nendeng Liang replied, “You have brought me food.” Kilip then gave two tubes of
lemang and roasted red chicken to Datu Nendeng Liang.
After Datu Nendeng Liang had finished eating, Kilip said to him, “In the village of Regen Tatau,
we feel anxious because there have been many disasters since Nalau came with a woman. Old people
51
Lawangan Folklore
are afflicted by coughing and die instantly, many children are sickly and die instantly, and pregnant
women miscarry. Do you know what is causing this?”
With a small smile, Datu Nendeng Liang replied, “I do not know anything about these disasters.
The one who knows and understands about this is Datu Rewansa Langit. He’s the one who is able to
speak with Tatau Wok Solai [the creator of the universe] for eight days and eight nights. He knows all
about customary laws of marriage, death rituals and other customs.”
“What are the requirements that must be prepared so that I could see Datu Rewansa
Langit?” asked Kilip.
“Bring two tubes of lemang and roasted red chicken, then bring one basket of eggs and one
lanjung of kapul hutan,” instructed the elder (A lanjung is a large woven basket carried around
the head and back, while a kapul hutan is a yellow forest fruit similar to a mangosteen.). Kilip
agreed to the requirements.
The next day, Kilip set out to visit Datu Rewansa Langit and carried all of the items
mentioned by Datu Nendeng Liang. On arrival at Datu Rewansa Langit’s house, he saw that it
was located very high up on tall posts. Kilip was impatient, so he immediately began throwing
the fruit and eggs at the house, in the hope of getting the elder’s attention. When there was
only one kapul hutan fruit left and one egg left, Kilip was exhausted. He could only sit and pray
to Sang Hyang Widi (the All-In-One God) that the residence of Datu Rewansa Langit could be
lowered, so he could more easily throw the last kapul hutan fruit and egg. Upon hearing Kilip’s
prayer, Sang Hyang Widi generously granted it.
Kilip was thrilled to see the house of Datu Rewansa Langit become lower! He immediately
threw his last kapul hutan fruit. “Hey, who dares to throw this at my house? This can penetrate
my walls,” said Datu Rewansa Langit.
Kilip ignored him and threw the last chicken egg, which went right into the mouth of Datu
Rewansa Langit. “Who dares to throw an egg into my mouth?” shouted Datu Rewansa Langit.
“It’s me. Just hear me out,” said Kilip.
“Are you from Kelulungan [the spirit world]?” asked Datu Rewansa Langit.
“No, I’m an ordinary human,” said Kilip. Then Datu Rewansa Langit lowered a golden
ladder.
“If you’re from Kelulungan, climb the ladder of the Bunglai tree. If you’re an ordinary
human, climb the ladder of the limau tree,” said Datu Rewansa Langit.
Kilip then climbed the ladder of the limau tree and entered the house. “How are you, Kilip?”
asked Datu Rewansa Langit.
“I bring food and drinks for Ma Datu,” said Kilip, putting some of the food on a keris
(a precious wavy-bladed dagger, reputed to have magical powers) he was carrying. Datu Ma
immediately ate the food. He also bit off and ingested the tip of the keris blade. Kilip started to
cry upon seeing his keris was broken.
52
Lawangan Folklore
“Don’t you cry, bring it here,” said Datu Rewansa Langit. “Kilip, the tip of your keris was
not good, this is a better one.” Kilip then laughed hard upon seeing the blade of his keris had
suddenly acquired a new tip.
After Ma Datu finished eating, Kilip asked, “Why does our village, Regen Tatau - Manti
Ledok Loyang Danum, suffer various disasters afflicting our villagers, since Nalau brought
home that woman?”
Datu Rewansa Langit replied, “Because they have not fulfilled all of the customary marriage
laws.”
“So this means that Nalau is cohabitating. Then how can we meet the customary marriage
laws, Datu Ma?” asked Kilip.
Datu Rewansa Langit gave him some instructions. “To be free from disasters, gather the
villagers so you can prepare all of the costs needed for holding a wedding between Nalau Etong
Batu and Ave Leun Remuran. All of the customary laws can be met like any other marriage, and
the village of Regen Tatau - Manti Ledok Loyang Danum can then be freed from the disastrous
punishments sent by Sang Hyang Widi.”
Kilip went home with the good news from Datu Rewansa Langit. He immediately assembled
the villagers, slaughtered some chickens and cooked some rice. After eating, Kilip told them
about Nalau and Ave Leun Remuran living out of wedlock. “This is why we are afflicted by all
kinds of diseases in this village. Now, let’s cover all of the necessary costs so that we can directly
carry out a marriage between Nalau and the woman, like a normal wedding ceremony.”
Kilip fanned a pile of leaves from a type of tree called a Taruk Siwo Mempang Delundang.
The wind then carried away all of the bad luck westward, first to Batu Limbung Apui, next to
Benturan Tano and then to Jerujuk. The disasters would be moved to those places. And then
a wind blew eastward, over the sunrise, to bring good fortune, longevity and advantageous
trade. Another wind then blew northward, toward the Village of Lewilang Ayang Serakem
Pinang, where there was a place called Sumang Semolok, where there were no mothers, sisters,
grandmothers or aunts – and all of the villagers there were cohabitating and they did not have
customary law.
After the winds had blown away the bad luck and brought good fortune, the bride and
groom were sitting side by side on a large ceremonial gong in the middle of the house. They
broke eggs as a ritual of their union. Food and drink were served for the couple. When they
finished eating and drinking, the bride and groom were given cigarettes and nginang (betel leaf
mixed with lime). They were anointed with oil and powder (pupur), then sprinkled with water
called tatungkal, so that they became as cold as the water in order to bring peace into their
household. This ritual meant there would be no interference whatsoever for Nalau and Ave
Leun Remuran to build a home that would last them for the rest of their lives.
53
Lawangan Folklore
2. Brohong, a Legend of the Dayak Lawangan Tribe
On the first day of July every year, the Dayak Lawangan tribe commemorates the anniversary of
the death of their Great Leader, known as Brohong. The memorial event is held in Ampah at the house
of Brohong, where his skull is kept. Ampah is located in East Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan.
Legend has it that Brohong was the first person to open up the jungle as a place for farming.
This area became known as Ampah Village, which later developed into a town. The Dayak
Lawangan people believe that if a person sees Brohong’s skull teething, then that person will
receive blessings and a large fortune, or his or her wishes will be granted. They also believe that
Brohong uses his powers to always protect Ampah from malicious outsiders.
It is said that only Brohong’s descendants and the traditional elders who know his real
name can summon his spirit to ask for help in times of desperation and tragedy.
On every first of July, all Lawangan Dayak people gather together to enliven the memorial
ceremony, and Brohong’s skull is brought outside for a while so people can show their respect
by oiling it. Also, sacrificial animals will be slaughtered and eaten by all who attend the
ceremony.
Brohong is believed to be the ancestor of some famous Dayak figures, such as Abeh of Dayu,
Mariyang Janggut of Ipumea and Sultan Suriansyah from the Banjar Sultanate.
Every year on
the first day of July,
the Dayak Lawangan
tribe commemorates
the anniversary of
the death of Brohong,
their Great Leader.
3. The Origins of Ampah City
A long time ago in Dambung Doroi, there was a place named Tolang Lalung, located on
the banks of Tabalong River. In that place, there lived a husband and wife named Tinyang and
Garang. They had five children: Wenuyan (a girl), Blang Lawe (a boy), Adang Lino (a boy),
Ngumai (a girl) and Renseno (a boy). When Ngumai grew up, she married a man named Bulu
(also known as Kakah Dathan) and they had one son, who was named Huda (later to become
famous as Brohong). They lived in Pameru Village.
54
Lawangan Folklore
One day, when Ngumai was nursing her baby, the village suddenly came under attack by a
group of balla (headhunters) from an area called Balla Tiwei.
The headhunters destroyed Pameru Village and killed some of its inhabitants, including
Ngumai. However, Bulu, Huda and most of the other villagers survived. Bulu invited a group of
the survivors to journey down the Karau River to a safer place called Lunyau (now known as
Ketab Village), which was led by Tamanggung Guntum.
On arrival at Lunyau, Bulu was given permission by Tamanggung Guntum to stay in a
nearby place called Tentang Alu (now Rodok Village).
When Brohong grew up, he married a daughter of Tamanggung Guntum and lived in the
area of Potai. Needing a place to farm, Brohong cleared part of a forest in an area called Benian
on the banks of the Karau River. To attract other people to live in Benian, Brohong held a pakot
(cockfight). The people who attended the pakot then started building houses and settled around
Benian. Seventeen houses were built in the initial settlement. Since then, Benian continued to
evolve into an increasingly large settlement.
Cockfighting was held on a regular basis, and the location of the fights developed into
a crowded market on the edge of a ditch of water flowing from the Karau River. Over time,
the ditch grew increasingly large and turned into the Karau River as it exists today, while the
original Karau River dried up and died. To cross the ditch, originally a footbridge of bamboo
was made.
Construction of the footbridge commenced during the leadership of Kakah Pentew (whose
name means pufferfish), who had become the leader of Benian after Brohong died. He was
replaced by Kakah Buntal, who was in turn succeeded by Ma Tebarau (Anudui), followed by
Ma Wenes (Hajus). Subsequent leaders were Ambun Langkan, then Adul, then Utuh Jambri
(Pa Saker) and Pambakal Batara. It was during the leadership of Pambakal Batara that people
started to build the Karau River Bridge in Ampah.
After the Dutch in 1860 took control of the Banjar Sultanate, they tried to travel inland,
including to Benian village. Benian was on the banks of the Karau River, so when the Dutch built
roads from Tamiyang Layang to Benian, they had to cross this river. In 1925, the Dutch built a
bridge to cross the river. The bridge’s engineer had first installed a measuring rope across the
water. The next day, many fallen sticks and branches had flowed down the river and become
caught on the measuring rope. Piles of branches and logs in the river were commonly called
ampahan. Every single day there were many ampahan on the rope, so people began to call the
village Ampah, while the name Benian eventually fell out of use.
55
Lawangan Folklore
4.
Liang Ayah
Recorded by Abdul Fattah Nahan
One of the sacred sites of the Dayak Lawangan people is Liang Ayah, which is located in the
area of Ampah, Dusun Tengah District, East Barito Regency.
In a village on the banks of the Talohen River, there lived a young man named Ayah. He
had just married a very pretty village girl from the Dayak Lawangan tribe. Ayah was proficient
at hunting and skilled in playing all kinds of traditional musical instruments, both wind
instruments and percussion instruments.
One day, a funeral ceremony (wara) commenced in the village. It was to last for 14 days and
14 nights. Ayah was usually invited to perform traditional music at funeral ceremonies, but on this
occasion, it seemed that the organizers had forgotten to contact him. The ceremony had been talking
place for only two days, so it was still in its early stages with 12 days remaining.
Ayah felt upset because he had not been asked to perform. He decided to go out hunting
because he and his wife had run out of food in their house. “While I’m gone,” he told his wife,
“you must not go out to look at the funeral ceremony.”
After Ayah left, his wife received a visit from the organizers of the wara. They were looking
for Ayah to handle the percussion music, such as gandang (cylindrical strap drums), garantung
(gongs) and kangkanung (smaller gongs). Although Ayah was still young, he was musically
proficient and knew the various rhythms for the different stages of the ceremony.
The organizers had not contacted Ayah at the beginning of the ceremony because for those
first two days, they had required only a regular rhythm of garantung, which was simple enough
to be performed by teenagers still learning the instrument.
Among the group that had come to invite Ayah to oversee the music, there were his wife’s
unmarried girlfriends. This young woman felt embarrassed because she was always being
ridiculed by her friends for only ever sitting around inside her house, so she decided to attend
the ceremony. Ayah’s wife then followed her friends to the ceremony.
At such a funeral ceremony, it is common for young men and women to find a mate. This is
why Ayah had forbidden his wife to attend if he was not there.
That afternoon in the jungle not far from their village, Ayah managed to catch only a
buhis (small black monkey). Common forest animals could not be found anywhere on that day.
Unusually, the jungle was completely quiet. Ayah then unsteadily walked home. He thought the
buhis would provide enough meat for him and his wife for a day or two. When Ayah got home,
he discovered his wife was not there. From a distance, he could hear the sounds of gandang,
garantung and kenong. In his expert opinion, the rhythm of the beat was not quite right.
Being upset, he couldn’t think straight. He picked up a knife and cut off the legs and hands
of the buhis. Without taking a bath or a wash, he then went to the ceremony, carrying the legs
and hands of the monkey.
56
Lawangan Folklore
When the crowd saw Ayah approaching, they cheered. They knew how masterful he was
in arranging the rhythm and in leading other musicians playing the traditional instruments.
A person who was playing a garantung handed a pair of sticks to Ayah to give him a chance to
play the instrument.
Ayah, a young man
who is proficient at
hunting and skilled
in playing all kinds of
traditional musical
instruments, both
wind instruments and
percussion instruments.
At that time, the young men and women were busy dancing around a large jar containing
a bamboo rod, at the end of which had been attached mayang (coconut flowers) with their
newly opened petals, which were the size of corn seeds. Ayah glanced at his wife, who was
apparently just sitting among her girlfriends. Looking at Ayah, she smiled wryly as if in fear of
being scolded.
Ayah did not use the garantung sticks given to him earlier. Instead, he used the legs of
the buhis to play the garantung, while he used its hands to play the kenong. Surprisingly,
the traditional musical instruments sounded even more melodious and sonorous. Everyone
laughed when they saw what Ayah was using to play the garantung and kenong.
Suddenly, the wind blew and the sky became dark. Thunder boomed and lightning struck
that place, which was so dark that nothing could be seen. When the situation had subsided,
there was nothing living left in sight. There were only mounds of limestone scattered here and
there, in an area over hundreds of square meters.
There is now a cave, in which many of the mounds of limestone are located. There are
stones that look like jars, mayang, gandang and other familiar objects. From inside the cave,
if we look outward, we can see indentations on the cave walls in the shape of the buttocks of
women who were dancing. This cave is called Liang Ayah. It is located adjacent to an upstream
dam on the Talohen River, about 10 kilometers from Ampah Village, the Capital of Dusun Tengah
district, East Barito Regency.
During school holidays, Liang Ayah is visited by many students, including some from
outside the Province of Central Kalimantan.
57
Ma’anyan Folklore
B. Ma’anyan Folklore
1.
Puteri Mayang
Several centuries ago, when the Islamic Sultanate of Banjar (1526-1860) was still powerful,
there was a Dayak Ma’anyan chief named Uria Renjan (uria means leader).
Uria Renjan served as a minister of the Sultanate and was in charge of the Patai tribe and
the Karau tribe. Each year, usually during the month of Maulud (the Prophet Muhammad’s
birthday), he was invited to the city of Bandar Masih (nowadays called Banjarmasin) to deliver
tribute to the Banjar Sultanate.
Sometimes, Uria Renjan was also invited to attend important ceremonies of the Sultanate.
Sultan Inayatullah, the Banjar ruler at that time, was very fond of him. So whenever Uria Renjan
visited Bandar Masih, he would stay at the palace.
One day, Uria Renjan was summoned to appear in Bandar Masih; however, his younger
brother, Uria Mapas, noticed something strange about the timing of the invitation. As usual, the
Sultan’s invitation was accompanied by detailed information so that invited guests would be
able to prepare everything required, such as appropriate clothing, for the event.
Uria Renjan said: “I do not know what event this invitation from the Sultan is for. But as a
liegeman, I am ready at any time for the sake of the Sultanate.”
Uria Mapas replied, “There is no way this is an invitation for the inauguration of an official
of the Sultanate, because the other ministers would also have to be present and it would take
one month to make that happen. Only a week ago, you returned from a visit to the Sultan. This
is a very personal summons. Are you not suspicious?”
“What should I suspicious of?” said Uria Renjan. “The Sultan is so nice to me. I am always
invited to stay at the palace. Our tributes are never lacking or late, so what should be feared?”
he added.
“Our sister, Dayang Diparaja, dreamed that you went boating by yourself and sank in Ulak
[a whirlpool] near Rangga Ilung Village,” said Uria Mapas.
“Nevermind, that was just a dream. Our sister, Dayang Diparaja, never prays before she
goes to bed. If you’re still curious, you can hold a wadian ceremony. After I’m gone tomorrow,
you will watch over this region as usual,” said Uria Renjan.
The next day, Uria Renjan and his five assistants left Sanggarwasi Village (nowadays it is
Jaar Village) and headed down the river to Bandar Masih. One month passed and they had not
returned. Then came a messenger from the Banjar Sultanate. He said the Sultan had posted
Uria Renjan to duty in faraway Kuala Pembuang, so the Sultanate had appointed a temporary
ministerial replacement for Uria Renjan, as it was not known when he would return.
58
This replacement was Sutamunan, who was pambakal (village head) of Bangkuang at Karau
Ma’anyan Folklore
Creek. Uria Mapas was puzzled by the lack of news from his brother. Why had Uria Renjan, who
loved his family so much, not sent any letter when he was assigned to a faraway place?
Had his brother’s five followers also gone to Kuala Pembuang? Why had not Uria Mapas
been appointed to temporarily replace his older brother, which was the usual custom, as was
known by the Sultan?
Uria Mapas could not accept this strange situation and wanted to know what had really
happened. Accompanied by two loyal friends, Uria Mapas set out by boat for Bandar Masih, and
disguised himself as a sap seller.
Three days later, the three friends arrived in Bandar Masih and moored their boat at a
dock reserved for people from the Barito River. Uria Renjan’s boat was not in its usual mooring
place. People at the dock had seen Uria Renjan arrive over a month ago, whereas his boat had
been taken just one week ago by a man from Kapuas. The man said he had bought it from Uria
Renjan.
When Uria Mapas and his friends went to a coffee shop in the area of Telawang, where
people from the Kapuas River, Kahayan River and Katingan River were accustomed to gather
for a few drinks, they overheard a conversation.
Fortunately, Uria Mapas could understand the conversation because the Kapuas language
is fairly similar to the Bakumpai language prevailing in the Barito River areas.
Dambung Raksa, a senior Ngaju Dayak from West Kapuas said, “A month ago, I got word that
a Minister and one of the Sultan’s concubines had committed adultery. Actually, the Sultan wanted
to give this concubine to the Minister, but Mangkubumi did not agree, because that would have
diminished the Sultan’s dignity. The Minister was Uria Renjan and Nyai Kemala was the name of the
Sultan’s concubine. They were secretly sentenced to death by stoning. The location of their graves
was kept a secret, while the Minister’s five followers were sold to the Dutch to be employed as coal
mine laborers in Pengaron.”
When he heard Uria Renjan’s name mentioned, Uria Mapas almost choked. He now knew
what had happened to his brother. Uria Mapas rushed home to plan revenge. Arriving in his
village, he gathered the young men and those with family ties from all surrounding villages.
They would attack Bandar Masih with the intention of killing Mangkubumi.
Uria Mapas and his forces persuaded Pambakal Kelua to participate in the planned attack.
All of them traveled down the Negara River in cargo boats, hiding under piles of hay intended
for cattle in Jenamas.
When passing through Negara village, the domicile of the Sultanate’s minister of Banua
Lima, there was a thorough search of the boats. When the hay was stabbed with a spear, one
of the young followers of Uria Mapas was killed. This prompted all of the men to emerge from
their hiding places and go on a rampage. They set fire to the village market. The flames were
soon approaching the house of Tumenggung Singaduta, the local minister of the Sultanate.
59
Ma’anyan Folklore
A ceasefire was required between the Sultanate’s forces and the forces of Uria Mapas, so
that the fire engulfing all of Negara village could be extinguished.
Pambakal Negara invited Uria Mapas to appear before the local minister to negotiate
and guaranteed that he would not be harmed, even if negotiations resulted in a deadlock.
Courteously, Tumenggung Singaduta accepted Uria Mapas.
Without further ado and in a straightforward manner, Uria Mapas explained his intention
of going to Bandar Masih to avenge the death of his brother by killing only Mangkubumi and
not the Sultan.
Tumenggung Singaduta listened intently and thought carefully. Although the intention was
just to take revenge against Mangkubumi, any attack would be an affront to the Sultanate’s
dignity and he, as the Sultanate’s local spearhead, must do the best he could to prevent such an
incident.
“Everything that has happened is quite sad. We also have killed each other’s men today. Maybe
you think that the victims and losses on our side are not comparable to the death of your brother. We
should put this to an end at my request, and all the Negara villagers and the men from Uria’s side are
badangsanak [brothers],” said Tumenggung Singaduta. As he spoke, he placed his jambia (curved
sword from Arabia) on a large malawen (ancient Chinese plate) in a gesture of peace.
Given that he was outnumbered in terms of weapons and forces, Uria Mapas immediately
accepted the peace deal offered by Tumenggung Singaduta. He did not confer with his forces, as
he believed they would also accept the arrangement, given the situation at hand.
Uria Mapas placed his kajang rungkup (traditional weapons of the Upper River people of southern
Kalimantan) on the same plate, then took the minister’s jambia. Correspondingly, Tumenggung
Singaduta took Uria’s weapon. Everyone was relieved that the fighting would not be continued.
“Now, about your problem with Mangkubumi,” said Tumenggung Singaduta, “if I may, I would
like to take over the problem. I am not underestimating your abilities, even though you yourself may
eventually die in war; but surely thousands of women will become widows and many children will be
fatherless. Do you not feel sorry for them? What if the opposite happened to your side? I do not forbid
you to go, but as a brother, I’m just giving advice. I will be glad if my advice can be well received.”
The minister continued, “For the death of Uria Renjan, my brother, I will repay you.” Tumenggung
Singaduta then went into an inner room. When he came out, he was leading a beautiful young lady.
Her hair was so long that it touched the floor. The crowd gaped to see her, and Uriah Mapas was no
exception.
“This is my youngest sister, Galuh Mayangsari. I’ll give her to you as a replacement for
your brother, Uria Renjan, who was killed. Take her home. It’s up to you how you’re going to
treat her; whether you will treat her like a jipen [slave or servant], it’s all up to you. With many
people witness to this, hold my words,” said Tumenggung Singaduta.
60
Ma’anyan Folklore
Galuh Mayangsari was given to
Uria Mapas by
Temanggung Singaduta.
She is known as
Puteri Mayang.
Uria Mapas was stunned. All of his plans for revenge were falling apart. But he was also
considering the consequences. This minister was very wise.
“Actually, no matter what the barriers are, we are not afraid and we will remain increasingly
persistent,” said Uria Mapas. “Yet your helping hand as an older brother cannot be ignored. It
is katulahan [doing wrong toward an older or higher-ranking person] for me to break away. I’ll
take Sister Mayangsari as my own sister, as a replacement for my brother who was killed.”
Many people were satisfied, but the actual intention of Tumenggung Singaduta was to take
Uria Mapas, the brave young man, as his brother-in-law. The assembled friends and followers of
Uria Mapas were delighted by the truce because if they had been forced to attack Bandar Masih,
they could bear for their wives to become widows and their children to become fatherless.
The next day, Uria Mapas and his men, accompanied by Galuh Mayangsari, were escorted
by Tumenggung Singaduta and his boats across the Negara River to Kelua. From Kelua Village,
the group continued their trip by foot to Sanggarwasi. Before they split, Tumenggung Singaduta
promised to solve the existing problems with the Sultanate over the death of Uria Renjan.
A month later, a messenger from the Banjar Sultanate came to Sanggarwasi Village with some
decisions. Uria Renjan had been buried in the royal cemetery because he had died while on service. It
turned out that the Sultan had been deceived by Mangkubumi, who envied the Sultan’s closeness to
Uria Renjan, and without any further investigation he had been sentenced.
Uria Mapas was appointed Minister in charge of the Sirau River and Karau River, and those
areas under his control would be exempt from paying tribute to the Sultanate. Along with the
messenger, there were arrived the five former followers of Uria Renjan, their freedom from
working as coal mine laborers in Pengaron has been secured by the royal party.
Galuh Mayangsari, after living in Sanggarwasi, became known as Puteri Mayang. She later
married an uria, one of Uria Mapas’ cousins.
Puteri Mayang’s tomb is now in Jaar Village, which is part of Dusun Timur District, East Barito
Regency. The tomb’s dome was built with donations from people who had come there to pray. Next to
her tomb, there lies a bakam (ceramic or porcelain plate) containing a piece of her hair, which is said
to be long enough to be wrapped around a hill.
61
Ma’anyan Folklore
2. Mariyang Janggut
Recorded by Andreas Saputra
Mariyang Janggut was born to a family
who lived in the area of Batu Nyiwu, at Batu
Ampar Village, which was on the banks of
the Kahayan River. His real name is deemed
sacred and should not be mentioned
arbitrarily. Mariyang Janggut, which means
‘Red Beard,’ is a nickname that was given to
him long after his death.
He was not a war-time warrior but he
is said to have had supernatural powers
and gained fame in his lifetime for opening
the area that is now the location of Ipumea
Village in East Barito, Central Kalimantan
Province. His gained further fame after
death because of his skull.
At a young age, Mariyang Janggut
migrated to a place called Madentung,
which today is Balawa Village in East Barito.
He married a local princess whose father was Mangku Balawa. After getting married, Mariyang
Janggut lived in Jawang, which was still in the local area. He then moved to a place called Tuwang near
Tadekat Village, which today is Ipumea Village. The couple had two sons, named Denton and Lunde.
According to local belief, the real names of Mariyang Janggut and his wife should only be
mentioned at ritual events by certain people.
It is unknown whether Mariyang Janggut or his wife died first. At the time of his death, Mariyang
Janggut was not buried. Local people believe his body was laid in a coffin, until one day his bones
and his wife’s bones were brought to Balawa Village for an Ijambe cremation ceremony. This was
estimated to have taken place about 500 years ago.
At the time of the cremation, a miracle occurred when the skulls of Mariyang Janggut and
his wife were put into the fire. The skulls leapt out of the fire. It had happened six times. On the
seventh attempt, the skulls suddenly disappeared and were then found inside a hall. The balian
(shamans) who were conducting the cremation ritual declared that the skulls of Mariyang
Janggut and his wife could not be burned, so they should be returned to Tadekat (Ipumea)
Village, where a house was made for them. Each year, people still gather there to venerate them.
The site is used as a place to make plans/wishes (nazar). It is believed the skulls are able to
keep the village safe and prosperous.
62
Until this day, Ipumea Village has never experienced any significant problems. If there is
Ma’anyan Folklore
any big problem, people believe that Mariyang Janggut and his wife will come in the form of a
dark cloud accompanied by lightning blanketing the village.
Many years after the skulls had been returned to Tadekat, a second miracle occurred when
a strand of red wire beard began growing from the skull of Mariyang Janggut. This occurred
about 300 years ago and was when the nickname Red Beard was given.
Presently, the beard is no longer attached to the skull, because about 100 years ago, an
irresponsible man pulled out the beard and subsequently used it as a fish-hook. It is said that
when he used the sacred beard for fishing, he was struck suddenly by a bolt of lightning.
Mariyang Janggut was highly respected in his lifetime because he was a powerful and
prominent leader, along with his wife and a man named Kaud. Kaud came from Kahayan, went
to Barito for a while and then returned to Kahayan and died there. Kaud’s skull is now kept in
Mungku Baru Village.
The popularity of Mariyang Janggut and his wife has spread beyond Ipumea Village. Some
people come to visit the location of the skull to ask that their wishes be granted. The present
caretaker of Mariyang Janggut’s skull, Yuliantoni, says the visitors promise to bring offerings if
their wishes are granted. “There was a person who came from the Kahayan River and wished
for something. He promised that if his wish was fulfilled, then in one year he would come back
with a buffalo. Less than one year later, his wish came true and he came back here to fulfill his
promise.”
People visiting the skull are reminded not to
make promises beyond their capabilities. If a person
breaks his promise, he will suffer from progressively
worse diseases. First, his body will blister like it has
been burned. Next, blood will start coming out of his
nose, ears and mouth. And finally, he will go crazy. If
this happens, the person can cure these afflictions
by going back to the sacred skull and apologizing by
making some offerings, including red chicken, oils and
incense.
Mariyang Janggut Site
Location : Ipumea Village
Karusen Janang District,
East Barito
A strange incident occurred when some people
wanted to take a photo of Mariyang Janggut’s skull.
Upon examining their photo, all they could see was the
yellow and red cloth on which the skull rested. After
asking permission from the caretaker, they were finally
able to obtain a photo of the skull.
To commemorate Mariyang Janggut, his
descendants perform an annual traditional birthday
ceremony involving balian. This event commences on
August 25 and usually lasts for two days.
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Ma’anyan Folklore
The first day is called Itanyamanta and involves offerings of uncooked foods such as
animals and rice. The second day is called Tanyamandru and involves offerings of cooked foods.
On this day, the animals and rice are cooked. There are also foods such as lamang, ketupat,
kaluit (a cake made of sticky rice), ordinary rice and glutinous rice. There should be six pieces
or portions of each type of food offered. Six is an even number and is trusted as the path of life,
while odd numbers are believed to be the path of death.
For the animal sacrifices, it is essential to have an ayam biring (red chicken). Other animals,
such as pigs and buffalos, are provided if available. The process of butchering and removing the
organs and meat is done carefully and cannot be performed arbitrarily. The parts taken from
pigs are the right ribs, chest, tail, liver and heart. The cuts are made based on the particular
path desired. For the path of life, the taking of animal parts is performed from the right and
from the left for the path of death. For sacrificial chickens, several requirements must be met;
namely, the beak must not be damaged, the feathers should not be removed by scalding, and the
leg scales should not be damaged.
The animal sacrifices have been overseen by Yuliantoni for nearly 10 years and before that,
they were conducted by his forebears.
Mariyang Janggut’s everyday life was closely intertwined with farming and gardening
activities. He moved from Balawa village because its land was dry and unsuitable for farming. His
quest for new land was guided by a rooster. Mariyang Janggut went from Bangkuang to the Karau
River, which is between the Paku and Ampah Rivers. On his arrival, the rooster crowed to show the
direction in which he should travel, until finally he arrived at Tuwang River. In this area, he and his
wife made a hut and cleared land for farming.
The name of Tadekat Village was changed to Ipumea because of three blowpipe darts
owned by Kaud. The darts were smeared with ipu (poison), which was mea (red) in color. So
Ipumea means ‘red poison.’
3.
Abeh Statue
Once upon a time, there was a family who lived off the land and founded a dukuh (hamlet).
This dukuh was named Rintis. The site is near the present-day bridge at the southern end of
Dayu Village in Dusun Tengah District, East Barito Regency.
The people of the hamlet lived in harmony, helping each other whenever necessary. One
day, they were attacked by a group of asang (people who cruelly hack their victims into pieces)
armed with mandau (traditional machetes), spears, blowpipes and darts tipped with ipu
(deadly poison).
All of the residents of Dukuh Rintis, old and young, men and women, were fighting to
defend themselves and their property.
64
The resistance of the villagers overwhelmed the band of asang. The bandits were forced
Ma’anyan Folklore
to retreat. Eager to prevent them from returning, the villagers hunted down the attackers and
killed them all. Only a few old men stayed behind in the village, waiting and spinning wua
rambang (wood fiber) to be used for making rope.
While nearly all of the villagers were out hunting down the asang, a second group of asang came
and invaded the hamlet. As this group of asang arrived, so too did a mighty storm. Lightning and
thunderbolts struck here and there. It was so dark and cloudy that nothing could be seen. The hamlet
and everything in it was destroyed, including the second group of asang and the old men who had
stayed behind. The destruction was caused by Nanyu Panulun (the God of Thunder).
Upon their return from chasing down and killing the first asang group, the villagers found
only found remnants of posts and stakes of their burned houses.
Everyone spread out to investigate what had caused this calamity. Someone found a rope
of wua rambang, the ends of which had got into a balanai (large jar). Surprisingly, the rope
and balanai did not seem to be burned, whereas everything around them had burned to ashes.
Apparently, inside the balanai there was a small man-shaped statue made of bronze.
The person who discovered the object cried out: “Abeh dieni! Abeh dieni! (This is it! This is
it!)” Henceforth, it was named the Abeh statue and it was kept by the village leader.
One night, the leader had a dream in which he encountered one of the old men who had
stayed behind in the village. The old man told him about the second group of attackers and the
terrible storm. He was the only survivor, but he had transformed into a statue. The old man said
the villagers should not fear any future interference. He said they should just call out his name
and he would come to help them.
Abeh Statue was named after
the cried out “Abeh dieni”
means “This is it”. Its sacred
house is in Dayu Village,
Paku District, East Barito
The next day, the leader told all of the
villagers about his dream. Reassured by the guarantee from the old man’s spirit, and because
the land was extremely fertile, the villagers decided not to move to another place. Since then,
65
Ma’anyan Folklore
the village has always been safe. Whenever the spirit of the Abeh statue was summoned, it
assisted the villagers by granting their requests. Over time, the population grew. The village is
now called Dayu.
The Abeh statue was venerated by the Dayu villagers and kept inside a balanai, like the
one in which it was discovered. Then the villagers built a semi-walled edifice measuring four by
four meters to house the balanai. This was called the Sacred House of Abeh.
Each year, after the annual harvest, usually in August, people make sacrificial offerings
to the Abeh statue in the form of ayam biring (red chickens) in a ceremony called Wadian
Tapuunru. Although the Sacred House of Abeh is well maintained and given annual offerings,
the statue is no longer there.
For the Dayu villagers, the presence or absence of this statue is not an issue. They still
revere it as their ancestral spirit. There are many versions about the cause of the statue’s
disappearance. Some locals suspect it was stolen by antique hunters. Others believe the statue
mated with the Marumei, a sacred stone which had been destroyed during the Nanyu Panulun
storm, and settled down with it in the Jaar River. And some claim the Abeh statue disappeared
because one of the villagers had violated taboos.
In the 1950s, there was fighting between the Indonesian military and a local militia that
supported the campaign for the creation of Central Kalimantan Pprovince. Dayu Village was the
scene of shooting for several days.
Although bullets fell like rain, resulting in many casualties on both sides, no Dayu villagers
were killed or wounded by stray bullets. The Sacred House of Abeh still stands tall to this day,
located near the left-side of the road between Banjarmasin and Muara Teweh as it passes
through Dayu.
4. Liang Saragi
Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago, there was the Kingdom of Tumpuk Nala Natat
Karinyakan. The domain of this kingdom is believed to have covered the area between the four
present-day Villages of Ampari, Tangkan, Wungkur and Ampar Batu.
The King was Datu Gansa Langit and his wife was Layu Wuntil Wulu. They had a son named
Indra Jaya. When the King died, Indra Jaya was only seven years old.
Five tatiang (ministers of the kingdom), named Balui, Marayau, Parunda, Pamahatan
and Butalam, agreed to appoint the kingdom’s military commander as the new King. This
commander was named Jaya Waris and his wife was Layu Wawuring.
The new King and his wife had daughter named Layu Ingkar Wulan, who was the same age
as Indra Jaya. As she grew up, she became very beautiful. Many princes from other kingdoms
66
Ma’anyan Folklore
and handsome young men from other countries came to request her hand in marriage, but
Layu Ingkar Wulan rejected them all. Her father wanted her to marry Indra Jaya, who was the
real heir to the throne, but the princess also rebuffed him. The King did not want to impose his
will. He thought it best to let his daughter decide whom she would marry.
In a village called Guwang Amunrahu Tinti Wulan Ginsi Langit, which was near the kingdom,
there lived a poor widow named Layu Kangkung and her son, Saragi Nanta. Layu Kangkung’s
real name was Dayang Maruwei. Her husband had been Datu Sigumpulan, a ministerial advisor
to the Kingdom of Tumpuk Nala Natat Karinyakan.
Datu Sigumpulan had been killed by King Datu Gansa Langit because he predicted that
one day the kingdom would disappear as a result of a banquet that would violate proper
human behavior. Saragi Nanta was still a baby when he and his mother were driven out of the
kingdom.
One day, Saragi Nanta heard the news about the beautiful Princess Layu Ingkar Wulan, who
had not yet found a husband. He urged his mother to propose to the princess on his behalf.
“My son, Saragi, I do not dare to go and propose to the princess. Just think, Indra Jaya, who
clearly is a crown prince, was not accepted by the princess. So what would she see in us?” said
his mother.
“Please mother, I’ve met her many times in my dreams. We’ve agreed to live together. So
what are you afraid of?” Saragi appealed to his mother.
So they set out to the palace. Even though they looked poor, Princess Layu Ingkar Wulan welcomed
the mother and son and immediately agreed to the proposal. Her father, King Jaya Waris, reluctantly
agreed to this.
It was decided the wedding would take place nine days after the proposal. Three days
before the marriage, a dowry must be submitted by the groom’s family in the form of nine
tajau (large jars) containing tuak (a strong alcoholic beverage), nine dulang (trays) for serving
food, one chandelier, one sheet of lampit (rattan matting), three gongs to sit side by side, one
blowpipe and darts smeared with ipu (deadly poison), and one sawang tree. All of these items
could be provided by Saragi Nanta’s mother. As for her son’s wedding costume, she made it
from bark.
Ahead of the wedding day, Saragi Nanta suddenly asked his mother, “Mother! When father
passed away, did he give any message to you when you were pregnant?”
Layu Kangkung was shocked as she remembered her husband’s message. He had told her:
“First, if the coming baby is a boy, you have to name him Saragi Nanta. If it is a girl, name her
Layang Winei. Second, if my child is going to a place which is unfamiliar and there is no sense
of kinship, give him a leaf of tamiang [a type of bamboo] and some patake seeds to protect him
from harm.” Patake is a type of wild barley with inedible seeds.
The wedding day finally arrived. The King had issued a proclamation stating that all people
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Ma’anyan Folklore
without exception were invited to attend the wedding. Young and old, rich and poor, all were
permitted to eat the food which has been prepared. The King also issued a warning: During the
feasting, everyone, including the invitees, was prohibited from uttering any words that may be
impolite, insulting, mocking or sarcastic; especially if such words could lead to a fight. Anyone who
broke this rule would be punished or even killed by the King.
King Jaya Waris issued this warning to prevent anyone from disrupting the wedding. He
was worried that the princes of other kingdoms and the other suitors who had been rejected
by Layu Ingkar Wulan would insult the bride and groom.
Princess Layu Ingkar Wulan agreed to the proposal of Saragi Nanta
Sure enough, when the bride and groom sat side by side, people were crowding to see them,
especially the young men and the princes whose proposals had been rejected. They wanted to
see the appearance of the young man who was able to win Layu Ingkar Wulan’s heart. When
they saw Saragi Nanta, who was only wearing bark clothes because of his poverty, they began
to jeer him. Insults and obscenities were shouted loudly. Everyone had forgotten the King’s
warning. In fact, some people were even pelting the bride and groom with pebbles.
Suddenly there came a gale accompanied by lightning and thunder. Daylight turned into
darkness and heavy rain poured from the sky. All of the people were running scared; it was
chaotic. Princess Layu Ingkar Wulan was no longer beside Saragi Nanta. She had rushed into
the palace to save herself. Feeling alone and alienated, Saragi Nanta went home to his village
amid the tempest. He recounted to his mother all that had happened. He was very sorry not
have had the time to bring his wife with him. But clearly, his wife had entered the palace to save
herself.
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Ma’anyan Folklore
It would soon become evident that Datu Sigumpulan’s prediction had come true.
The next day, Saragi Nanta returned to Tumpuk Nala Natat Karinyakan. He was surprised
to see the kingdom had been transformed into piles of rocks and caves. A big, wide road had
turned into a river, which is now known as the Ampari Bura River and divides Liang Saragi into
two parts.
Saragi Nanta heard the sound of a weeping woman calling his name. Although he had not
had much time to become acquainted with his wife, he recognized her voice. He searched amid
the piles of rocks and the caves for Layu Ingkar Wulan, but he could not find her anywhere. Sad
and tired, Saragi Nanta went home. For a week, he went back to that place and looked for his
wife. He entered all of the stone caves, one by one.
Since then, the location has been called Liang Saragi in memory of him. Today, Liang Saragi
is a vast network of natural caves made of rocks, with an entrance that is one and half meters
wide and a length of hundreds of meters.
“Saragi, Saragi! Help me!”
the voice was always ringing
in his ears. His mother was
Since then, the location has been
greatly saddened to see her
called Liang Saragi in memory of him.
son’s behavior. Saragi finally
Today, Liang Saragi is a vast network
disappeared in that place of the
of natural caves made of rocks, with an
caves. More than 60 big caves in entrance that is one and half meters wide
the area are interconnected. This
and a length of hundreds of meters.
site, supposedly once the ancient
royal settlement, is located in
Ampari Village, which is part of Awang District, East Barito Regency, only 25 kilometers from
the City of Tamiang Layang.
5.
Nansarunai Usak Jawa
The rise of the mighty Javanese Majapahit Kingdom (1293-1527) brought an end to the
greatness of the Ma’anyan Dayak tribe’s Nansarunai Kingdom, which had been founded in
1309. This kingdom is believed to have been located around Margasari (now the province of
South Kalimantan).
In the Taliwakas (oral history told in traditional ceremonies) it was mentioned “kadaton
Nansarunai tane ngambang talam,” which means “the Nansarunai Kingdom was on the land
floating on the surface of the water.”
It was also mentioned that “sumur Amah Jarang isa puang tau karing,” which means “the
well of Tuan Jarang never dries.” Near Margasari there is a lake that never dries, despite the long
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Ma’anyan Folklore
dry season, and this lake is sacred to local residents. Small carved statues and ancient beads have
been found in the area.
The Taliwakas describes the width of the well as “erang tumbang tuntung agung rueh etang
langsar bukah,” which means “as far as the sound of a gong that was hit twice, continued with
the sound of the beating of a gendang [native drum gong].”
The depth of the well was described as “erang tumbang heke mua rueh etang ruyan tanir,”
which means “as long as rattan which has been fruitful, twice as high as the old durian tree.”
In the Nansarunai Kingdom, there were 11 matueh (respected elders). The most famous of
them was Datu Taturan Wulau, who held the title of Maharaja Bapangkat Amas and was better
known as Amah Jarang or Tuan Jarang. His wife was Dara Gansa Tulen and she held the title
of Suraibu Agung Pahur Langit. Their son was named Jarang and he held the title of Dambung
Lamuara Datu Gahanuluan.
The Majapahit Kingdom, which controlled
almost the entire archipelago, opened
trade relations with small regions and
kingdoms which recognized its sovereignty
and became its subjects. Among them
was the Nansarunai Kingdom.
Besides Amah Jarang, another
famous matueh was Datu Wuluh
Wamban, who held the title of
Maharaja Tinjau Laut and was
sometimes called Amah Idung. His
wife, Dara Babar Wunrung, held
the title of Suraibu Dandampuran
Manyang, and their son was named
Idung and held the title of Dambung
Ilep Nyilu Patis Payung Andrau.
A great merchant from the Majapahit Kingdom named Tuan Padayar and his very beautiful
wife Samunin Batu came to the Nansarunai Kingdom to seek its trading commodities, which
included resin, tengkawang fruit, honey and wax.
When the merchant and his wife wanted to go home to Majapahit, Nansarunai was suffering
a prolonged dry season and the river (which is now the Tabalong River) had dried up. Moreover,
many items purchased by the merchant had not yet arrived, while downpayments had already
been given to the suppliers. Tuan Padayar decided that he would go back to Majapahit, taking
with him the merchandise that had been delivered, while Samunin Batu would remain in
Nansarunai to take delivery of the remaining items purchased.
After her husband left, Samunin Batu had troubles because of the lack of water. It was quite a
while since she had taken a shower; her body felt hot and itchy. For company, she kept a winsi (a type
of wren). She was extremely fond of this little pet bird.
Every day, the bird flew off somewhere and when it returned home, its body and feathers
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Ma’anyan Folklore
looked wet, as if it had been bathing. The bird landed near Samunin Batu, shaking its little body
and feathers, causing water to splash onto her. She wondered where her bird had found water.
“Dear beloved bird, where did you get the water? I notice that you always take a shower
every day. Please show me where it is,” asked Samunin Batu. The bird seemed to understand
and nodded while chirping cheerfully.
The next day, the bird flew off again, but this time it flew low and often paused to perch for a
while, as if to lead its mistress. Samunin Batu followed the bird. The journey was far and after passing
through dense jungle, they arrived at a well, where the water was clear and deep.
Now, this well belonged to Amah Jarang, a matueh of the Nansarunai Kingdom at that time.
Samunin Batu bathed in the well. Her body became noticeably fresher and her skin whitened.
Her body was so fragrant that she was more beautiful than ever before.
Each day, Samunin Batu returned to the well and bathed, until one day when Amah Jarang
came there and caught her in the act.
“This well is mine,” he declared, “so anyone who uses this water will be mine. So even
though I know you are the wife of Tuan Padayar, from now on you are my wife.”
Amah Jarang then took Samunin Batu to his home and made her his wife. She later gave
birth to a son, who was named Dambung Panding and held the title of Raden Riak Gansa
Purun.
Several years later, Tuan Padayar came back to the Nansarunai Kingdom. He was shocked
and furious to learn that his wife had become married by Amah Jarang. He then met with Amah
Jarang to buy back his wife.
Although the wealthy merchant offered nearly three-quarters of his entire possessions, Amah
Jarang would not release Samunin Batu. Meanwhile, Samunin Batu had fallen in love with Amah
Jarang.
Tuan Padayar decided to return home to Majapahit, but he seemed to carry a simmering
resentment. Once home, he gave all of his possessions to the Majapahit Kingdom with a request
that the Nansarunai Kingdom be punished for the actions of Amah Jarang. Consequently, the
Majapahit Kingdom launched a sudden attack. This was in about 1389. The Nansarunai Kingdom
was not expecting the assault, so ten of its matueh were killed and only one survived.
Datu Garinsingan, who held the title of Maharaja Handak Lala, was ordered by Amah Jarang
to save the women and children by taking them far into inland mountainous jungles. The place
they went to was called watang helang ranu tane ngagang wunrung, which means ‘land of leafy
palms that lies between two rivers.’ This place is believed to be between the Tabalong River and
Mahakam River.
This destruction of the Nansarunai Kingdom by the Javanese was referred to by the Dayak
Ma’anyan as Nansarunai Usak Jawa. Datu Garinsingan’s journey to save the Nansarunai people
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Ma’anyan Folklore
The Majapahit Kingdom launched a sudden attack
has caused the destruction Nansarunai Kindom.
It is called as Nansarunai Usak Jawa in Dayak Ma’anyan.
was called ma waruga karang anyan, which means ‘a journey to the flat ground.’ This is believed
to the origin of the name. So Dayak means ‘Dayak people who go to the flat ground.’
Among the children saved by Datu Garinsingan, there were 12 boys who later grew up
and launched a campaign to reclaim Nansarunai. In local lore, these men were called the
Pangun Raun. The most famous of them were Dambung Jarang, Dambung Idung and Dambung
Panding.
6. The Origin of Ijambe
A few centuries ago, the Ma’anyan Dayak tribe had a famous leader named Amah Kuruweno.
His courageous actions often saved his people from various dangers, including attacks by asang
(people who cruelly chop up their victims) and kayau (headhunters) from other tribes.
Whenever Amah Kuruweno’s territory was going to be attacked, somehow he always
knew about in advance and therefore struck his enemies first. His foresight and strategy left
his enemies desperate and trembling. The asang and kayau were afraid of Amah Kuruweno’s
might. As a result, the land of the Ma’anyan Dayaks, especially Paju Epat District, was safe and
secure.
When news came that the Kayu Tangi Kingdom was planning to invade the territory of the
Ma’anyan Dayaks, Amah Kuruweno decided to attack first in order to disarm the enemy. He set
out accompanied by six of his warriors. All of them were chosen because they had special powers
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Ma’anyan Folklore
(penyang) that made them immune to being wounded or killed in battle. Amah Kuruweno’s
wisdom prevented a number of casualties on his side. Before dawn, they had attacked the Kayu
Tangi Kingdom. Kayu Tangi soldiers were lying dead and wounded. They could not face the
wrath of the seven warriors. Amah Kuruweno finally came face to face with the King of Kayu
Tangi. The two were to duel with traditional heirloom weapons.
Before the duel, Amah Kuruweno told his six warriors, “You go home. Do not worry about
me. If I’m not back, it means I’m dead, but we have to die together. This is a formidable enemy.
If he can be defeated, we will be safe forever.”
After his men left, Amah Kuruweno and the King of Kayu Tangi fought fiercely. They were
both so strong that all of their heirloom weapons broke. These weapons, including machetes,
mandau (Dayak traditional machete), keris, spears and badik (a type of small poisoned keris),
were all bent out of shape or broken. The two ended up fighting without weapons.
Amah Kuruweno and
the King of Kayu Tangi
fought fiercely
which ended up with
peace by embracing
become brothers.
The fight lasted for three days and three nights. Eventually they stopped because they
were so tired. They embraced like brothers and the King of Kayu Tangi said: “Amah Kuruweno,
if this fight continues, it will never end. Better if we become brothers. I promise not to invade
your territory, and likewise you promise not invade mine; until our next descendants.”
Amah Kuruweno nodded in assent and walked away. Being so exhausted, he walked
aimlessly and wandered into the wilderness. After a few days in the jungle, he finally arrived
at a village.
He knew no one in the village. All of the villagers appeared to be busy, preparing to perform
a series of rituals for a week-long funeral ceremony.
They called the ceremony ijambe, which is the second and final stage of a funeral, taking place
long after burial. Ijambe involves the cleaning and cremation of bones. Amah Kuruweno stayed
in that place and by observing the people, he learned the course of the funeral ceremony.
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Ma’anyan Folklore
On the first day, old grave sites were dismantled and the bones were disinterred. After
being cleaned and washed, the bones were then drained and dried in a particular container.
This activity was called tarawen.
Next, wooden crates were made. The bones that had been cleaned and dried were placed
in these crates. This activity was performed on the second day and was called irumpak.
On the third day, the villagers tightened the floorboards in the balai (buildings with no
walls where villagers deliberated). Then the crates of bones were laid out tidily in the balai in
an orderly manner. This activity was called irapat.
On the outside of the crates, inscriptions were made using traditional dyes. This work was
called nyurat. It was the fourth day of activity.
The fifth day was a day of rest. Nowadays, during this rest day, people stage cockfighting;
therefore, this period was called nyawung.
On the sixth day, the villagers slaughtered sacrificial animals that had been tied to an
upright post. These animals were cows, buffalos, pigs, chickens and others. This activity was
called munu. At this particular ceremony, which Amah Kuruweno was observing, six fat oxen
had been prepared for sacrifice.
The last day, the seventh, was named mapui. It was the culmination of the ceremony and
involved cremating the crates of bones. Once they had finished burning, the ashes of the bones
from each crate were carefully taken and wrapped in a white cloth, which was then stored in a
tambak (special container for storing ashes of cremated bones).
As this particular ceremony concluded, everything suddenly changed. The villagers all
transformed into stealthy crocodiles, while the village itself turned into jungle, lakes and marshes.
Amah Kuruweno immediately left the area and eventually arrived safely back at his own village. It
transpired that none of his six warriors had made it back to the village. Amah Kuruweno then had a
dream, in which it was revealed that the six oxen sacrificed at the ijambe ceremony held by the shapechanging crocodiles were actually his men. Fortunately, Amah Kuruweno had not eaten any meat
from the sacrificial animals, he had only eaten fruit.
One time, after a harvest, Amah Kuruweno decided to hold an ijambe ceremony for his
parents and ancestors, in the style of the rites performed by the crocodiles. All members of
the Dayak Ma’anyan community were invited to witness the execution of the ceremony led by
Amah Kuruweno himself. It was the first ijambe ceremony performed by humans and set the
example for future funeral rites.
The second phase of the funeral ceremony is until now performed by the Dayak Ma’anyan
people in the area of Paju Epat, in the Villages of Siong, Telang, Balawa and Murutuwu. The oldest
ijambe burning furnace and balai, as well as the storage place built by Amah Kuruweno for the ashes
of bones, can still be found in Murutuwu Village, Paju Epat District, East Barito Regency.
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Ma’anyan Folklore
7. The Origin of Tamiang Layang
The destruction of the Nansarunai Kingdom by the Javanese forces of the Majapahit Empire
is known in local history as Nansarunai Usak Jawa. This calamity caused the Dayak Ma’anyan
tribe to scatter in search of new shelter. Their new villages included Banua Lima, Paju Epat,
Paju Sapuluh and Paku Karau, most of which were located on the watershed between the Patai
(Sirau) River and the Karau River.
Among the groups of newcomers moving to the area, there was one group that was not from the
Dayak Ma’anyan tribe. This group was led by Damung (in Dayak Ngaju dialect: Dambung) Sanen and
his followers, who came from Batu Nyiwuh Village (on the banks of the Kahayan River, now part in
Tewah District, Gunung Mas Regency). Sanen was busy looking for a new shelter until he arrived at
Murung Kaliwen (today, it is around Haringen Village), which was under the leadership of Patinggi
Jummu. Sanen asked Patinggi Jummu for permission to make a settlement for his group.
Sanen was allowed to make a settlement in a place located one day’s river journey from
Murung Kaliwen. Throughout the day, Sanen and his followers paddled up the Patai River.
Late in the afternoon, Sanen suddenly exclaimed several times to his followers in the Dayak
Ma’anyan language, “Ma iring! Ma iring!” which means, “Pull over! Pull over!”
The river was sufficiently wide and deep at the place where they stopped. Until this day,
this place is named after ‘Ma iring,’ with just a slight change in pronunciation. It is called Lubuk
(river-pool) Ma Miring.
Sanen went onto the land and found a lot of long segmented bamboo plants, which were
thin yet very tough. This was Tamiang Bamboo. Sanen sat cross-legged in the bamboo groves at
the edge of Lubuk Ma Miring and asked for guidance from a deity, Nanyu Sangiang.
In his prayer, Sanen encountered someone dressed in white, who said his name was Jiwata
Ma Miring. Jiwata means ”the ruler of water”.
The local spirit allowed Sanen to make a
settlement in that place, located near Lubuk Ma
Miring. Sanen was told that plants would thrive
there and the people would surely always be
prosperous. In the Dayak Ma’anyan language,
”always be prosperous” is Jari Janang Kalalawah,
which today is the motto of East Barito regency.
While receiving his divine guidance, Sanen
had disappeared for a few hours. His men went
onto the land to search for him, but they could
not find him amid the vast bamboo groves. They
thought he must have been layang (lost).
Sanen went onto the land and
found a lot of long segmented
bamboo plants, which were thin
yet very tough. This was Tamiang
Bamboo. Sanen sat cross-legged
in the bamboo groves at the
edge of Lubuk Ma Miring and
asked for guidance from a deity,
Nanyu Sangiang.
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Ma’anyan Folklore
After
the
encounter
with Sanen, Jiwata Ma Miring
disappeared. Sanen went back
to his boat. All of his men were
ordered to stop at that place.
They unloaded their belongings
and lifted them up to the top of
the steep river banks.
Damung Sanen
asceticed and
received guidance
from the spirit,
someone dressed
in white to make
a settlement not
far from Lubuk Ma
Miring.
Sanen explained to his
people that he had not been
lost, but had been sitting in
prayer and had met with the
unseen ruler of the place and
received permission to settle
there. Sanen then established a village there and was given the title of Damung Tamiang.
The settlement until now is known as Tamiang Layang. The most famous chief of the
village was Tamanggung Jayakarti, who participated in the Banjar War (1859-1863) under the
leadership of Prince Antasari, fighting against the Dutch.
Tamiang Layang Village grew increasingly large. Now it is a small city and the capital of
East Barito Regency.
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Bakumpai Folklore
C. Bakumpai Folklore
1. Kuta Bataguh
No one knows the exact date of the establishment of the small country of Tanjung Pamatang
Sawang, which was on Kupang Island (now part of Central Kalimantan’s Kapuas Regency). The
territory became known as Kuta Bataguh (literally ‘Reinforced Fence’) because it was protected
by a traditional fortress or fence made of ironwood during a fierce war.
Back when Tamanggung Sempung was chief of the territory’s Tumbang Pajangei village,
his first wife Nyai Nunyang had a daughter named Nyai Undang. This girl became famous for
her great beauty. News of her beauty spread far and wide. Many men came from across land and
sea to seek her hand in marriage, but all of them were rejected because Nyai Undang already
had a fiancé, who was from among her relatives.
One day, three pencalang (single-masted small sailing boats) docked at Tanjung Pamatang
Sawang. The sailors introduced themselves as noblemen, so they received a customary
hospitable greeting from the friendly local people.
A feast was held, along with the drinking of tuak (a potent alcoholic beverage). A manasai
dance (for honoring guests) was held around a sangkai lunuk (a ceremonial structure made
from banyan tree branches, covered with cloth and festooned with flags), accompanied by the
beating of gandang (cylindrical strap drums) and garantung (gongs).
Nawang, one of the visitors from the boats, was the younger brother of the King of Solok
on Mindanao Island (now the southern part of the Philippines). He was accompanied by his two
mighty aides, Daeng Dong and Dayoh Bolang.
During the feast, Nawang saw Nyai Undang and was instantly attracted to her. He had
heard rumors that she had rejected many suitors because she already had a fiancé, but he did
not care.
Nawang went to Nyai Nunyang and expressed his intention of marrying her daughter. Nyai
Nunyang told him that Nyai Undang already had a fiancé from among her own people, but
Nawang remained persistent. Finally, Nyai Nunyang said: “Go home, young man. I will tell you
the time when you can meet in person with my daughter, , yai Undang. You can hear for yourself
what she will say to you then.”
A few days later, Nawang was invited to appear before the betang (a traditional Dayak longhouse,
inhabited by hundreds of people with familial or blood ties). Nawang came with his two loyal aides,
Daeng Dong and Dayoh Bolang. After sipping tuak from a carved buffalo horn wrapped in woven
beads, Nyai Undang asked Nawang his intentions.
He handed over a golden tray covered by a finely woven cloth that was like silk. Nawang opened
up the cloth to reveal a set of embroidered fabrics and jewelry studded with gems and pearls.
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Bakumpai Folklore
Then Nawang said, “Nyai, take this as a sign of my passion and the sincerity of my heart in
asking you to be my wife until the end of my life.”
Calmly, Nyai Undang pushed the tray back and said, “My respect to you is very high.
Unfortunately this proposal is too late. I cannot break the promise I have made to my relative to
whom I am betrothed. If you wish, you can think of me as your sister.”
In facing a difficult problem, especially a conflict of interests, a mutual recognition as
brothers and sisters can resolve the problem. But Nawang, who was already lovelorn, had closed
off his conscience and was now completely blinded by lust. Such blind love is very dangerous.
“Nyai, I am determined not to leave before I get what I want,” he declared.
Nyai Undang stood up,
turned around and walked
Nyai Undang swiftly stabbed Nawang with
a duhung and he fell down, drenched in blood. into the inner room without
Daeng Dong and Dayoh Bolang as well as the saying another word.
whole crew of the three pencalang, began to Nawang was not thinking
rationally because of his
rage and wanted revenge.
passion. Disregarding the
people who were in the
inner room, as well as the prevailing customs, he stood up, followed Nyai Undang and grabbed
her hands behind the curtain.
Nyai Undang thought this man had gone too far and was now embarrassing her. Quickly,
she took a duhung (traditional lancet-eyed machete of Dayak leaders) that was hanging on the
wall. This particular weapon was called ‘Raca Hulang Jela’ and was made of sanaman mantikei
(iron, easily bent but sharp). Nyai Undang swiftly stabbed Nawang, who was not expecting the
sudden attack.
Nawang fell down, drenched in blood. Upon witnessing this, Daeng Dong and Dayoh Bolang, as well
as the whole crew of the three pencalang, began to rage and wanted revenge. However, Nyai Undang,
who was sawuh (crazy with anger), and the people of Tanjung Pamatang Sawang outnumbered the
foreigners and fought them fiercely. They slaughtered all them, leaving no survivors.
News of Nawang’s death finally spread across the ocean and reached the land of Solok. King
Sawang was determined to avenge his brother’s death, regardless of the fact that Nawang had been at
fault. For King Sawang, this was a matter of blood for blood. He then prepared his forces.
Word of the planned attack reached Nyai Nunyang, who became sick and died. Inevitably,
Nyai Undang succeeded her mother and became leader of the country of Tanjung Pamatang
Sawang.
Aware that her stabbing of Nawang had brought her country to the brink of invasion, Nyai
Undang sent tokok bakaka (objects that convey messages) to all the communities living along the
Kapuas Murung River, the Kapuas River, the Kahayan River and the Katingan River. These particular
tokok bakaka were lunju bunu (killer spears). Such spears have betel lime chalked onto the blade,
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Bakumpai Folklore
which means “help is needed immediately because the whole tribe is in imminent danger of attack.”
The Dayak tribal leaders came quickly to help Nyai Undang. Among them was her fiancé,
Sangalang, who was the brother of Antang Bajela Bulau of Tumbang Habaon.
There were also Nyai Undang’s half-brother Bungai and his cousins Rambang, Ringkai
and Tambun of Tumbang Pajangei; Nyaring, Ramping and Kandeng of Miri River; Isoh of Batu
Nyiwuh; Etak of Tewah; Hanjungan of Sare Rangan; Atang of Penda Pilang; Sekaranukan of
Tumbang Manyangan; Renda, Rangka and Kiting of Tanjung Riu; Lapas of Tumbang Miwan;
Rumbun and Hariwung of Tumbang Danau; Dahiang of Sepang Simin; Tombong of Tangkahen;
Uhen of Manen Paduran; Kaliti of Bukit Rawi; Rakau of Tumbang Rungan; Kandang of Gohong;
and Andin of Pangkoh. According to the story, they and their followers numbered about 5,000
people.
After everyone gathered, it was decided that a kuta (traditional fence or stronghold made of
round ironwood, coconut trees, betel nut trunks, bamboo and palm trees) should be made to defend
the country of Tanjung Pamatang Sawang.
Rendan of Mantangai led the search for ironwood along the Mangkutup River, a tributary
of the Kapuas. Stakes of this round ironwood, with a sengkang (diameter) of half-an-inch, were
then brought to Tanjung Pamatang Sawang on rafts Lanting Panjang Garing Langit for seven
days and seven nights.
Within a week, the entire territory of Tanjung Pamatang Sawang was surrounded by
a tightly built fortress of round ironwood, with a height of six meters and a length of 1,000
meters and a breadth of 1,000 meters; so it was called Kuta Bataguh (Reinforced Fence).
Rambang and Ringkai, as was the custom of the Dayak tribes in determining their actions,
sought guidance by summoning an eagle through a ceremony called manajah antang. The eagle
was named Antang Kabukung Kawus and it dwelled in Tantan Liang Mangan Puruk Kaminting,
near the upper levels of the Kahayan River.
From the direction of its flight and from its choice of patinju (a perch that is read an
omen), the eagle predicted the local tribes would defeat the coming invaders. Upon learning
this portent, the assembled forces roared with a war cry that is called malahap (a scream of
unanimous feelings to do something together).
A few days later, 25 pencalang approached Kuta Bataguh from the direction of the mouth of
the river. The boats flew banners and yellow flags with an emblem of a red anchor surrounded
by three stars. These were the flags of King Sawang, who was leading the attack. The boats
anchored off Kupang Island. According to elders, King Sawang’s army numbered more than
8,000 men.
Some white-flagged sampans carrying messengers emerged from the war vessels and
rowed to the coast. One of the messengers said, “Our King Sawang, who controls the entire
coast of Borneo, together with his commanders Latang, Lahuk, Awang and Litung, has come
here to punish the people of this country for killing his brother Nawang and for killing Nawang’s
79
Bakumpai Folklore
aides Daeng Dong and Dayoh Bolang, and all of the crew members of the three pencalang three
months ago.”
The people of Tanjung Pamatang Sawang wanted a peaceful solution. One of the elders,
Rambang, said politely, “Does King Sawang not deign to come here with his commanders, so
that we can explain what really happened? With all our goodwill and sincerity, we as honorable
men, assure the safety of the King, even if later an agreement may not be reached to resolve the
problem.”
“We only deliver the words of our King,” replied one of the messengers. “There can be no
bargain with you people of this country, other than unconditional surrender.”
Then the messengers returned to their King’s pencalang. Rambang and several other
commanders went back inside the fortress and closed the lawang (door) tightly.
A few moments later, the pencalang docked at the edge of the river. Armed with spears,
swords and copper shields, the invaders jumped down from the boats and screamed as they
encircled the fortress. Once King Sawang’s army was close enough, it was showered with
poisonous damek (blowpipe darts), spears and sharpened bamboo, wielded by the heroes who
defended Kuta Bataguh.
Like swarms of ants, the invaders climbed the fortress wall with ropes. When they reached
the top of the wall, their heads were cut off with mandau (traditional Dayak machetes). This
situation was repeated almost all along the fortress wall.
Hundreds of the invaders then picked up a massive wooden battering ram and tried
to smash down the two-inch thick ironwood door of the fortress. That’s when they were
bombarded with poisonous damek. The attackers lay sprawled on the ground, like slashed
weeds, but they were soon replaced by hundreds of other troops, who were protected by
copper shields. To overcome this, Rambang, Ringkai, Tambun, Bungai, Sangalang, Nyaring and
the other commanders showered them with stones the size of coconuts, followed by more
poisonous damek. By this time, thousands of the invaders had died but the attack continued.
When dusk came, the invaders retreated toward their pencalang.
At that moment, Bungai and Tambun suddenly emerged from the fortress and ambushed
the retreating soldiers. Wedged between the Kuta Bataguh warriors, who were almost as fresh
as the Kapuas River, and all of the other local fighters, who were sawuh, the invaders were
trapped. The situation of defenders rushing out at that time can be likened to water pouring
out from a broken dam.
King Sawang’s army was destroyed. All of the pencalang were swarmed over. Some people
dived in and pulled the anchors onto land.
Nyai Undang was also involved in the fighting. She angrily strode straight toward King
Sawang, remembering that her mother’s death from anxiety had been caused by the actions of
these sea people.
80
Bakumpai Folklore
Tanjung Pematang Sawang
was surrounded by
a tightly built fortress of
round ironwood which was
known as Kuta Bataguh
(Reinforced Fence)
She was escorted by Sangalang, her future husband, lest anyone tried to attack her from
behind. Finally, Nyai Undang came face to face with King Sawang. The beautiful female leader
of Kuta Bataguh had vowed to wash her hair in the blood of her enemy, whom she considered
so disrespectful.
She fought ferociously, until eventually her duhung penetrated King Sawang’s body.
The invading army had been completely crushed. Those who surrendered were made jipen
(slaves).
The war had lasted only a single day. It was a tremendous victory. Among the Kuta Bataguh
forces, only a few dozen people had suffered minor injuries.
Surviving leaders of the invading force who surrendered sincerely and swore to be loyal
citizens of Kuta Bataguh, were assimilated through marriage with local women and were given
the title of Dayaks.
Among them were Tamanggung Pandung, who was an ancestor of the Dayak Bakumpai
tribe; Tamanggung Rangas, who was an ancestor of the Berangas people; and Tamanggung
Imat, who was an ancestor of the Alalak people.
After the bodies of the slain had been buried properly, the people held a ceremony of
mamalas petak danum (cooling down the land). They also held a ceremony of manyaki kawan
pangkalima (strengthening the warriors’ hearts by applying the blood of sacrificial animals) in
accordance with the Dayak traditions.
The mamalas petak danum ceremony was held to re-cool the earth, so that plants in the
gardens and fields could produce good yields after being splashed by hot blood during the
war.
The manyaki kawan pangkalima ceremony was held to seek forgiveness from Ranying Hatalla
(God of the Kaharingan believers) for having killed people in the fighting.
When all was completed, Rambang then said, “In my opinion, while all the leaders are still here,
we’d better hold the wedding of our brother and sister, Sangalang and Nyai Undang. This needs to
be done so that there will be no more marriage proposals and no more attacks on Kuta Bataguh.”
81
Bakumpai Folklore
Rambang’s opinion was approved and the marriage was performed. Marriages were also
performed between Bungai and Karing, Tambun and Burou, and many other couples. After
everything was finished, Rambang, Ringkai and their men returned to Tumbang Pajangei,
Tambun settled with his wife in Tangkahen village and Bungai at his in-laws’ place in Tewang
Pajangan Village.
The other Dayak heroes returned to their home villages. Sangalang and his wife Nyai
Undang were the leaders of Kuta Bataguh and still worried about future attacks. They were
afraid to face another war and they were reluctant to be a burden on their relatives again,
because wars were always troublesome. They thought it would be better to make themselves
invisible, rather than be bothersome to others. The ordinary citizens of Kuta Bataguh then
scattered and moved to many different lands in search of peace.
Kuta Bataguh was abandoned and disappeared over time. It is believed to have been located in
what is now Pulau Kupang village, Selat district, Kapuas regency, between Alai channel and Bataguh
channel, which is a rice cultivation site.
Some people believe that Kuta Bataguh, which was located on the watershed between
the Barito and Kapuas rivers, and near the Kahayan River and many anjir (canals, channels),
became weak because it did not have a strong naval defense.
Also, there were many security problems that crippled Kuta Bataguh’s economic
foundations. These problems included pirate attacks, as well as the arrival of fully armed
European forces seeking trade and colonies. Among them were the Portuguese, the Spanish,
the Dutch and the English.
Other causes of Kuta Bataguh’s decline were the collapse of the Majapahit Kingdom, which
had previously acted as a patron, and the absence of a close relationship with the neighboring
Banjar Sultanate, which held different beliefs. Also, there was no authority figure, such as
Maharaja Patih Simbar Laut.
For those who believe, Kuta Bataguh is a place to make a wishes/intent. In 1953, seven
flag poles were erected in memory of those who had made themselves invisible. Also erected
were two pasah parapah (small open-sided huts that house sacred objects) as places to make
wishes.
In December 1986, the discovery in the area of treasure in the form of gold pieces prompted
many people to perform illegal excavations. At first, these excavations were carried out only by
locals who lived around the site, but later there were thousands of treasure hunters working day
and night, especially people coming from outside South Kalimantan Province. The plundered
treasures included gold jewelry with gold content of 16 to 23 carats, a variety of weapons,
beads, gemstones, pottery fragments, fortress posts and ironwood from old buildings.
Because there are no authentic manuscripts, the history of Kuta Bataguh has been quite
difficult to uncover. The existing story was sourced through word of mouth and through spiritual
confirmation, making it difficult to verify scientifically.
82
Bakumpai Folklore
2. Lendir Kartamina
In a small village there once lived a family with an only son, named Tunggal, who had begun
to enter his teens. The family owned a large rattan plantation, located quite far downstream
from the village.
The parents were busy harvesting rice in the fields, so Tunggal had to work alone on
the plantation, cutting rattan. He told his parents that he would spend a week alone at the
plantation, rather than travel there and back to the village each day.
At night, Tunggal slept in a hut on the plantation. After two days there, he was feeling
annoyed. Every time he returned to the hut after working, he noticed that someone had been in
and eaten his breakfast leftovers. Yet there was no one living nearby. Every time he came back from
work, he had to cook again, even though he was tired.
One morning, Tunggal pretended to go off to work as usual. But then he stealthily returned
and hid near the hut. After waiting a while, he saw a crocodile approaching the boat-house
where he had secured his boat.
The crocodile crept up and suddenly transformed into an extremely beautiful woman. As
if she owned the place, the woman walked up and entered Tunggal’s hut.
From outside, Tunggal peered into the hut and saw the woman eating his breakfast
leftovers. He then strode up to the hut and stood in the doorway. The beautiful woman paid
him no heed. She continued eating calmly and ate up all of the food.
“Do not stand in my way!” said the woman, when she wanted to exit.
“I’m not letting you out, because I want to marry you,” declared Tunggal, captivated by her beauty.
“Don’t do that,” replied the woman. “I’m not an ordinary human,” she warned, and she tried
to push her way out.
Tunggal then grabbed her and there was an exciting tussle. But Tunggal was unable to hold
onto the woman because she was immensely powerful. She freed herself from his grasp and
jumped down onto the ground. Before she could stand again, Tunggal was already on top of her
and did not want to let her go. He put his hand tightly around her neck.
Now, the woman no longer seemed to be trying to fight. However, her hands, just like powerful
levers, hit the ground and she pushed down. Her body then lurched forward and she plunged
immediately into the river. Tunggal followed her into the water.
It turned out Tunggal was able to breathe in the river, as the water, seemingly enchanted,
remained just an inch away from his body. Tunggal and the woman then arrived at a big house, which
was like a palace. Its glittering walls were adorned with sparkling diamonds.
The woman’s father, the owner of the palatial house, came out to see Tunggal and asked: “Do you
know that we are not ordinary humans? What is your intention in following my daughter here?”
83
Bakumpai Folklore
Without any hesitation, Tunggal replied: “I already know who she really is. I’ve made up
my mind. I want to make her my wife.”
The old man saw that Tunggal’s sincerity was a solid foundation for establishing a happy
home, even though the differences between the young couple were huge. Tunggal then married
Kartamina, the old man’s youngest daughter.
Three months passed. Tunggal began to miss his parents. When he mentioned this to his
father-in-law, the old man said: “My son, I actually really love you, but I also realize that you
don’t belong here. You should go back. Now, because your wife is not an ordinary human, you
must follow my instructions in order to bring her into your world for good.”
“Father, whatever the requirements are, I will try to fulfill them,” said Tunggal, interrupting
his father-in-law.
“I believe you’re capable of doing it,” said the old man. “First, you must go home to your
village by yourself. Build a house with walls, floors, an attic and a roof made from logs the
size of calves. There must be only one door, no windows and a hole in the attic. Provide a rope
ladder that can be drawn upward easily. The entire floors and walls must be strongly woven
with rattan. Before meeting with your parents and other humans, both you and your wife must
stay in this house for one night. This house must be finished within a day and it must be built
away from other people’s houses,” he instructed.
There were many other instructions, all of which Tunggal memorized by heart, while
his father-in-law led him back to land. Their path did not pass through any water at all and
strangely, it was apparently very close to Tunggal’s village.
Tunggal’s parents and relatives, and the entire village, were very excited to welcome him
home. It had been three months since he had disappeared without a trace and even the shamans
had not been able to explain what had happened to him.
Later that night, Tunggal spoke to the villagers about his adventure and his plans. He asked
his friends to help him build a house exactly like the one his father-in-law had specified.
The next morning, all of the villagers turned out to help Tunggal. Everyone was curious to
see his wife, so they all willingly pitched in and helped him build the house. By that afternoon,
the house was built.
At dusk, Tunggal went back along the path which cannot be seen by ordinary people and
then he arrived at his father-in-law’s house. After a farewell party with his in-laws, and accepting
the ritual division of property, Tunggal and his wife were escorted to the village boundary.
Tunggal then took his wife into the new house and locked her inside with him. In the
afternoon, a frightening thing started to happen. His wife, Kartamina, turned into an enormous
crocodile and pounced ferociously on everything.
Quickly, Tunggal climbed up the rope ladder, which he then pulled upward into the attic.
Meanwhile, his wife, still in the form of a crocodile, thrashed into the walls below and threw
84
Bakumpai Folklore
Kartamina,
Tunggal’s wife who
transformed to be
a crocodile.
herself around the only room of the house. After two hours, she transformed back into a
human.
Once the situation was under control, Tunggal went back down and cleansed the body of
his wife, who was lying on the floor, panting. A fishy-smelling mucus fluid was coming out of her
body, which he then cleaned.
Kartamina did not say anything. Only her eyes were shining pitilessly, staring at Tunggal
without blinking. Two hours later, she once again turned into a crocodile. She raged and
pounced on everything.
Tunggal scurried back up to the safety of the attic and observed the crocodile. After her rage had
subsided, she transformed into a human.
Her eyes were staring, and she was panting. As before, Tunggal went down and cleansed his
wife’s body. There was a lot of mucus fluid coming out of her, but the fishy smell had diminished.
Her eyes were not as wild as before.
Two hours later, the same thing happened again, but this time, the crocodile’s movements
were weakened. She just crawled around the room as her mouth snapped open and close. A
moment later, she rolled over and turned into a human again.
According to her father’s messages, this third change would be the final one and thereafter
she would never again become a crocodile, but would forever remain in human form.
Tunggal came down from the attic, lit the house’s bright lamps and washed the mucus
off his wife’s body, which was no longer smelly. Then he bathed his wife. Her breathing was
normal; her eyes were not as sharp as earlier. After they both ate and drank, they slept soundly
until awakened the next morning.
That morning, they went to Tunggal’s parents’ house. The entire population of the village
greeted Tunggal happily. Everyone was astonished by the great beauty of his wife. According to
85
Bakumpai Folklore
them, no one could match her beauty. Tunggal’s parents welcomed their daughter-in-law with
a festive party. The couple then lived happily for the rest of their lives.
As per the instructions provided by Tunggal’s father-in-law, the mucus that came from
Kartamina’s body during the last transformation was kept by Tunggal. With a special processing,
the mucus was mixed with oil from certain types of coconuts. This oil still exists today and is
called crocodile oil.
Most of the people who make a living from coconut plantations around the Central Kalimantan
coastal areas near the mouths of the Kapuas, Kahayan, Mentaya, Pembuang and Barito Rivers (in
Dusun Hilir and Jenamas Districts) possess some of this crocodile oil.
When the oil is applied to a piece of wood or a coconut frond’s midrib, the timber or frond
will look like a crocodile; so it is used to scare away thieves and keep the coconut plantations
safe.
The owners of the crocodile oil also use it to help them when traveling by boat. When the
oil is applied to a boat, the vessel will glide along the water as if being pulled by at least three
crocodiles.
Almost a century ago, a fisherman was pulling in his catch from the Barito River at Mangkatip
village when his net became snagged. He assumed it was tangled in the branch of a fallen tree in
the river. The fisherman jumped into the water to release the net because it would have torn if he
had kept pulling it. At a depth of only about three feet, he discovered the net was snagged not on a
branch but on some strange type of wooden object.
The fisherman shook the object, uprooting it from the riverbed. He then resumed pulling
his net up but part of it was still snagged, causing the wooden object to move up and down.
It turned out to be a carved piece of wood, about three-quarters of a fathom (1.4 meters) in
length. The fisherman threw the object up onto the river cliffs, which were overgrown with
kumpai (a type of edible reed that grows on river banks). On that day, the fisherman’s catch was
more bountiful than usual, so he was able to sell more fish.
That night, the fisherman had a dream. Someone dressed like a knight from the era of the
Daha or Jenggala Kingdom came to him and said, “Pahari [brother], do not be half-hearted in
helping me. Have mercy on us, both father and son. Please pick up my son who was left behind.”
Surprisingly, the knight was able to speak the Dayak Bakumpai language.
Each night, the fisherman had the same dream. He was confused because he could not
understand what the knight wanted. He related the dream to his brother, who would row the
boat when they went catching fish in the river. What had he done that the man in his dream
considered half-hearted? To whom had he ever given help, while he could barely even help
himself?
86
Bakumpai Folklore
A fisherman who
always had a dream
from someone who
asked for his help.
After some days, the whole family was told about the recurring dream. They discussed
it with the fisherman and tried to recall the things he had done recently. Then the fisherman
remembered the carved wooden object.
So the family went to that place at the river. Some then picked up the carved object from
the cliff-top, while others dived to the bottom of the river, where the net had snagged earlier.
There, they found a smaller piece of carved wood, which seemed to have been part of the larger
carved object.
The two carvings were taken to the top of the cliff and placed under a kapuk jangkang
(kapuk randu) tree, which was hundreds of years old. Later that night, the fisherman had a
dream. He was visited by the same man again. This time, the man’s face looked excited.
“Pahari, I thank you for all your kindness to us. But if pahari would help us further, we will
return the favor; not only to you, but to all the people of this village. My name is Tiger-Horsesin-Mountain, while my son’s name is Son-of-Tiger-Horses-in-the-Sea. Make for us a simple
shelter,” the man requested.
So the fisherman then made a pasah (small open-sided hut) and placed the two carved
objects inside it. After that, he had no more dreams about the knight. His fortunes changed.
Every time he did something, he succeeded. The other villagers then followed him; they made
their wishes through the two objects invoking the gift of Almighty God.
These Kamantuhu (guardian spirits of the village) have been moved four times because
of the changing geographical conditions of Mangkatip Village. Residents feared the carved
wooden objects may become lost or damaged because the flow of water had eroded the cliff
overlooking the river.
As for Mangkatip Village, ever since the guardian spirits have been domiciled there, the
village has never been attacked by headhunters, robbers, plague or any other disasters. Such
87
Bakumpai Folklore
disasters have instead befallen many villages upstream and downstream from Mangkatip.
Upon careful examination, the carved objects were probably pieces of a bow from a sailboat.
They may be made from teak. The spirit inhabiting the larger of the two objects never said how it got
there.
The derivation of the names of Mangkatip Village’s guardian spirits is a matter of some
conjecture. In the old days, the elders spelled the word for ‘sailboat captain’ (nakoda) as ‘anak
kuda’ (son of a horse). So could it be that the village’s guardian spirits are a sailboat captain and
his son? So far, it remains a mystery.
The dwelling house of the guardian spirits of Mangkatip Village is still well maintained
by the villagers. Sometimes the spirits are given offerings. It is easy to find the building in the
village because there are many yellow pieces of fabric fluttering around it like flags, as a sign
of gratitude from pilgrims whose wishes have been fulfilled in that place. Mangkatip Village is
part of Dusun Hilir District, South Barito Regency.
88
Conclusion
conclusion
This book that introduces the Dayaks Lawangan, Ma’anyan, Bakumpai and Biaju who
inhabited the East Barito and South Barito Regencies, Central Kalimantan Province was written
completely.
The writing can be done by the initiative of PT Equatorial Bumi Persada and funded by
Noble Foundation.
The company with its corporate social responsibility has been trying to preserve the
culture of the Dayak tribes in the operating area. The concern, support and appreciation from
the community and the government are important in the conservation of Dayak culture. The
interests of the business and the preservation of culture and customs should be maintained so
as to create continuity and harmony between them.
Making this book is like eating fruit, it just peeled its skin, and hopefully the fruit flesh
can be eaten by others. We realize that it needs lot of efforts in exploring the Dayak cultural
heritage which also is part of Indonesian heritage.
This work is the result of our best efforts to raise, maintain, and preserve the culture
and customs of the four Dayaks above mentioned. As the saying goes in the Dayak Ma’anyan
language: tueh ambung, tueh ayau, tueh kulat ngandrei watang (mature due to the praise,
mature due to the age, mature due to the surrounding circumstances).
The most sincere gratitude was conveyed to the customary leaders and advisors, the
custom elders, the village heads, and the sources for all information, data and correction that
were carried out jointly.
Hopefully the readers of this book will get useful insights, draw the meanings from the
stories. It is also hoped that this book will be more useful for young generation in the future,
and will inspire the cultural observers to be able to do more in preserving the culture of the
Dayak tribes in Central Kalimantan Province.
89
Bibliography
bibliography
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Badan Pusat Statistik dan Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah Kabupaten Barito
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90

Getting to Know the Dayaks - Lawangan, Ma`anyan

Transcription

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