Adat Creation: About Sengalang Burong Immediate Family Members, His Descendant and Marriage Law.
According to Iban tradition, Sengalang Burong is a descendant of a powerful god named Raja Jembu. In Iban ritual liturgy, Raja Jembu is the guardian of the sacred whetstone (batu umai) used by Iban families in farming rituals, most importantly in the gawai batu festival and in the rites of manggol that initiates the clearing of new farm sites. These stones, which are individually sanctified during the Gawai Batu, are believe to come from Raja Jembu’s throne called ‘Batu Tinggi Dedinggai’. Raja Jembu married Endu Kumang Baku Pelimbang and bore six sons and a daughter. This family forms the principal pantheon of the Iban Petara.
These gods and goddess, like human beings, have genealogical pedigrees or tusut. They have remembered ancestors and descendants, which can be found in tusut of living Iban as below:
Raja Durong x Endu Cherembang Cheremin Bintang tauka Tukoh Lawang Pinggai Bekaki >> Raja Jembu x Endu Endat Baku Kansat, Endu Kumang Baku Pelimbang >> Aki Lang Sengalang Burong, Raja Menjaya, Raja Sempulang Gana, Bikhu Bunsu Petara, Raja Selampandai, Ini Inda tauka Ini Inee & Anda Mara (Ganga Ganggai).
Sengalang Burong x Endu Sudan Berinjan Bungkong, Endu Diu Tiong Menyelong = Endu Dara Tinchin Temaga, Endu Langgu Ketunsong Ngembai, Endu Kechapah Dulang Midong, Endu Bentok Tinchin Pengabas, Endu Kechapang Dulang Mas, Endu Moa Puchong Pengabas, Endu Dara Chempaka Tempurong Alang & Ajee
Endu Dara Tinchin Temaga x Menggin (Ming, Siu or Garai) = Sera Gunting x Seri Ngiang = Sera Kempat x Ranjau (f) = Ridoh (f) x Bada = Gupi (f) x Grasi “Belang Pinggang” = Geraman or Ensoh x Tebari (f) = Beragai (f) x Chundau = Beti “Brauh Ngumbang” x Duri (f) = Talak x Pandak (f) = Badas (f) x Girik = Blaki I x Buang (f) = Penyut x Endia (f) = Sudan (f) x Salang I = Blaki II x Beremas (f) = Tur “Bayang”, Ugap & Lada (f).Ugap x Nisi (f) = Salang II x Nati (f) = Limping x Tambong (f) = Uja x Sree (f) = Nyanggau x Gindu (f) = Indoo (f) x Attat = Benedict Sandin, Lenti (f), L.F. Mawar, Gerinching (f)Lionel F. Mawar x Roselyne Petri = Gregory Nyanggau (Author).
The eldest of Raja Jembu’s family is Sengalang Burong, or known as Aki Jugu Menaul Tuntong. He is the Iban God of War and augury, the most powerful of all the Petara. Next is Raja Simpulang Gana, the owner of the earth and principal God of Agriculture. Next are Bikhu Bunsu Petara (High Priestess of Bunsu Petara) and Menjaya Manang Raja, the principal shamanic God. Selampandai or Sempandai is the creator of man and God of Smithing, who is said to have fashioned the bodies of human being at his forge. Ini Inda or Ini Inee is the Iban Shamanic goddess. Anda Mara or Gangga Ganggai is the Iban God of riches and material wealth.
Sengalang Burong died and was buried on top of Tutop hill in the Ulu Merakai, Kalimantan Barat region. After departing their earthly domain he led a migration of the Gods to the various realms in the sky. But before they depart ways, Sengalang Burong divided his parent’s property. It is in this division that whatever each one inherited determined his or her special powers as a deity.
Ini Inda received Raja Jembu’s medicine box or lupong made of a bark of enteli tree, and all its content and so became celestial healer and, with her brother Menjaya Manang Raja, whom she consecrated as the first “transformed” divine patron of Iban shamans in the first ‘Bebangun’ ceremony on top of Rabong hill. Sempulang Gana was absent searching for engkenyang plant when the division of their parent inheritance took place. When he returned, he found nothing left of his parent’s estate except for the earthen firebox belonging to the family’s cooking hearth (tanah dapor). At first Sempulang Gana was angry, but was later informed by his father-in-law, Petara Semarugah, of its value. He discovered that he had received the most valuable inheritance of them all, the earth itself. Since then, as owner of the earth, all the other gods and all human being have had to make offerings to Sempulang Gana in order to obtain his permission before farming the earth.
Sengalang Burong took for himself a powerful war-charm called igi mudan, and so became the god of war and of divination and the principal source of omen birds. When Sengalang Burong separated from the Orang Panggau at Nanga Nuyan, he led his followers to a celestial world called Tansang Kenyalang. He built a substantial longhouse with his own bilik at its centre and the apartments of his seven son-in-laws, the seven principal augural birds, at his sides, relative to one another, signifying the meanings attribute to augural signs each bird represent or conveyed. The eight augural birds, nendak, is not a relation, but a poor client of Sengalang Burong. He lives in a room without verandah attached to Kelabu’s apartment. Ketupong (Jaloh or Kikeh), Beragai and Pangkas (Kutok) apartments are on the right side of Sengalang Burong, with Bejampong, Embuas and Kelabu (Papau) apartments to his left side. The seventh omen bird, Kunding or Burong Malam, the husband of his youngest daughter with whom Sera Gunting committed incest with, Endu Dara Chempaka Tempurong Alang, had to leave the paternal longhouse after the incestuous affairs. Kunding is actually a cricket, though his name literally means “night bird”.
These omen birds are said to possess certain particularly human characteristics. Ketupong, the senior son-in-law, is the natural leader. A man of few words, he must be heeded when he makes his appearance on earth. Ketupong has two manifestations; when he speaks with a slow tik-tik-tik, is important; his fast repeated alarm cry is known as Jaloh, which indicates the message be treated with most urgency.
Bejampong is known for his swiftness and agility, is second in command. Beragai also called Burong Gaga (the happy bird), due to the “laughing” sound of his call. Beragai serves as shaman-healer (manang) in Sengalang Burong’s longhouse. The other five birds, have more or less equal power although Burong Malam have the least influence since he and his wife have left their longhouse. Nendak, being a poor hanger-on rather than a relation, carries omens of considerable less importance.Through this complicated system of omens, Sengalang Burong regulates communication between gods and man. The gods instruct man by sending birds or animals with messages sanctioning or disapproving the activities of humans.
In the course of his return journey from Sengalang Burong’s longhouse, between the sky and this world, Sera Gunting meets the spirit of the moon (bulan), the seven sisters (Bintang Banyak or Pleiades) and the three sisters (Bintang Tiga, the Orion’s Belt). From these stellar goddesses, he learned the signed that the farmers must observe to determine the time for them to clear and plant their farms. From the spirit of the moon, he learned the rule that regulate days of labor, rest and planting various crops or plants corresponding to the phases of the moon.
After the death of his grandfather, Sera Gunting led a migration to Tiang Laju Mountain, on the Kalimantan-Sarawak frontier. Here, between the headwaters of the Undup and Kumpang rivers, a few miles south of present day Engkelili town, he lived out the last years of his life, a respected pioneer and the greatest of all Iban lawgivers. With his death begins, the first migrations of the Iban to Sarawak, includes that of his followers led by Kajup.
Sera Gunting x Seri Ngiang = Sera Kempat x Ranjau (f) = Ridoh (f) x Bada = Gupi (f) x Grasi “Belang Pinggang”.
Three generations after Sera Gunting, another marriage law was modified. This involves the marriage of Gupi to Gerasi Belang Pinggang. According to Saribas narratives, her parents raised Gupi as a secluded child. She was kept in a family loft where it is made impossible for any man to court her. The family’s female slaves attended to all her needs. Despite the tight vigilance from the family, Gupi was miraculously courted by an antu gerasi in human form.
In time she conceived and when her condition became apparent, her parents brought her out of seclusion and lived as any other family member. On the eighth month of Gupi’s pregnancy, her father began to notice something strange happening. Someone had left a pile of firewood logs in front of his family’s apartment. A few night later, ginger and smoked fish were placed inside the family room by unknown person. The parents just kept quiet, as they could not guess who had put them there.
Early in the morning after Gupi had delivered her child, a very handsome young man was seen sitting at Bada’s gallery. Bada attended to the stranger and courteously asked him where he came from. The young man explained that he had come from far away country to be with Gupi when she gave birth to their child. He also said that it was him that had sent the logs, ginger and smoked fish for Gupi’s used during her confinement.
Bada in turn told him that he and his wife suffered bad reputation because of their daughter’s pregnancy and their ignorance of the man responsible for it.
“You need not worry about that”, said the stranger, “for the child is mine, and accordingly Gupi is my wife for she has made use of the things I sent her”.
“This is very good news to us,” said Bada, “for if you are really the child’s father, we are indeed very much relieved and happy”.
Bada straightaway asked if the marriage feast (melah pinang) could be held as soon as possible. The young man agreed to marry Gupi in a proper way provided that they present him the following articles:
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Bunga Pinang literally means the “areca flower”.
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A brass cannon to represents a bridge to cross the many rivers from his country to that of his wife.
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A blowpipe to represent the rail of the bridge.
He explained to Bada and his wife why he requested these articles:
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The marriage feast will be known as melah pinang. If the areca tree has no flowers, the marriage will not be successful.
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A bridge is needed, because a young man coming from a far away country must cross many rivers. Without the bridge he cannot cross them and his guiding spirit will not be with him.
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The bridge must be railed because without it, his guiding spirit will be afraid to cross.
After his explanation, Bada and Ridoh agreed to give the young man the things he requested. Next day a melah pinang ceremony was celebrated for the couple. Thus the traditional rules of marriage introduced by Rukok and Remi was modified and that these modifications by Gerasi Belang Pinggang and Gupi were observed by later generations of Iban.
There are other myth that is associated with the origin of divination and augury. These includes that of Jelenggai and Bunsu Bintang Banyak which taught the Iban on how to make use of the star Pleiades for guidiance when they want to farm on earth. Then followed by Jelenggai’s son named Selamuda who is married to Dayang Manis Muka (Bunsu Babi), a daughter of a wild boar chief. From this marriage, the Iban were taught on how to use the liver of the pig for divination, predict their future fate either during sickness or in hopes of obtaining riches and material wealth or other success in life. This myth thus charters the ritual practice of liver divination traditionally performed by the Iban at the outset of important undertakings.
In the generations that follow the Iban migrations to Sarawak, came another prominent Iban major law-giver named Jelian. He was an early Undop pioneer leader associated with instituting the rules to be followed in erecting a longhouse, constructing tomb-huts (sungkup) for the dead, building the “fence of fire” (pagar api) used in shamanic rituals, and lighting the nightly vigil-fires (tungkun api) during initial mourning (pana). According to some other account, he also began the practice of planting cotton used in weaving cloth (pua kumbu). Jelian is best known for introducing the “kitchen rules” or adat dapur. This rules he instituted after his encounter with the spirit of the hearth or antu dapur. The rules required that every family must prepare rice on its longhouse hearth at least twice during each lunar cycle, at the time of full moon and on the night prior to the appearance of the new moon. This rule is still observed in more traditional longhouses in the Saribas. The effect of this rule is to stress social integrity of the longhouse and the ritual interdependencies of its members and to prevent any family from absenting itself for prolonged periods or from moving from the house without first ritually compensating the others. The modern ways of life have made practicing this tradition difficult due to rural-urban migration in search for economic self-sufficiency. Compensation is usually in the form of a sacrificial pig to get rid of the longhouse hearth.
Another notable law-giver and modifier is Chief Beti Berauh Ngumbang. He is noted for his modification of the Sengalang Burong incest law as instructed by Puntang Raga and also instituted the adat tebalu or rules of the widow or widower. The modification in the form of punishment applied to the offender in incestuous relationship would save many lives and would still avoid supernatural repercussion to the people. Prior to that, any incestuous marriages are punishable by putting the couple to death using bamboo spikes. The modification to this punishment allows sacrificial pigs to be used depending on the level of the couple relationship.
Beti himself was married seven times and seven times a widower. Throughout all of these marriages and the death of his partners, he observed them with full integrity and respect. With this he instituted the rules of giving respect to a widow or widower upon the death of their partners. This rule govern mostly the behavior of the widow or widower during and after the mourning period until the completion of the final ritual for the dead is performed in the form of Gawai Antu. He instituted two types of tebalu, the tebalu mata and tebalu mansau, which is accorded to a widow or widower depending on their general behaviour or character as observed by both families within the period under observation. This rules is still observed by traditional Iban in the Saribas region to this day.
In the generation that follows, new rules cropped out to serve as guidiance for social order. One such rule is the formation of adat pati nyawa during the times of Chief Sulang. This started as a suggestion for peaceful settlement between two parties, Raja Semalanjat and Chief Kanyong, to avoid outbreak of civil war over wrongful or accidental killing, which happens during a hunting trip. This rule governs the actions to be taken and fines imposed against the culprit in cases of wrongful killing and followed as a civil law in Iban community until the arrival of modern law.
It is my hope that these traditional adat be preserved and continue to be instituted and used. The main objective, as the source indicates, is to avoid supernatural repercussion that could befell upon the community where the offence or bad omen occurs. As christain god communicates through their prophets, the Ibans gods communicate through dreams, birds and signs in nature. Preserving our natural environment should be the closest thing to our heart. If we do not protect our environment, we will lose our cultural Identity forever. We share this world with all living things and every little thing have roles to play to support life in this one and only earth….or we’re all dead.
Research & compiled by Gregory Nyanggau Mawar
E-mail: gnmawar@gmail.com
Source materials: by Professor Clifford Sather & Late Benedict Sandin, published on The Sarawak Museum Journal Vol.XLVI No.67, Dec 1994.
Is Raja Semalanjat related to or descendant of Raja Ningkan?
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In the generation that follows, new rules cropped out to serve as guidiance for social order. One such rule is the formation of adat pati nyawa during the times of Chief Sulang. This started as a suggestion for peaceful settlement between two parties, Raja Semalanjat and Chief Kanyong, to avoid outbreak of civil war over wrongful or accidental killing, which happens during a hunting trip. This rule governs the actions to be taken and fines imposed against the culprit in cases of wrongful killing and followed as a civil law in Iban community until the arrival of modern law.
Raja Semalanjat is the son of Sera Bungkok who was an early pioneer leader to the Batang Ai Region. Raja Ningkan is another Iban Pioneer leader in the Kapuas Region.
Why did Benedict Sandin state that Lang died and buried at Tutop hill? How could Lang migrated to the sky after his death and buried on earth?
What do you think? You’ll have to analyse those Iban spiritual journey as any other religion spiritual journey. Christian religious belief is based on the spiritual journey of Jesus Christ. Muslim religious belief is based on the spiritual journey of Nabi Mohamad. Iban religious belief is based on spiritual journey of Sera Gunting.
I think the sequence of events is as below:
Lang divided their parents’ properties with his siblings.
Lang separated from Orang Panggau at Nanga Nuyan.
Lang died and his corpse buried at Tutop hill.
Lang in the form of his soul migrated first ahead of his siblings to the sky. Upon their deaths, his siblings also migrated to the various realms of the sky. All their souls migrated to the sky (upperworld) (instead of Sebayan/lower world for ordinary people) which befits godly status. The soul of ordinary human beings migrate to sebayan upon death.
I don’t think resurrection happen here or body flying skywards on migration.
They don’t fly like bird to the sky … they just ascend to the sky. What proper term can you call that? is it not resurrection in Christian term? There is no Iban vocabulary for that. Did Jesus just fly to heaven or ascending to heaven?
So in other words, you mean that Lang died and buried at Tutop hill, and then his soul ascended/migrated to heaven in the sky? The same thing happened to his siblings. Is this what Benedict Sandin means to state?
Or do you believe their corpse bodies were resurrected and ascended to heaven along with their souls?
In resurrection of Jesus, his corpse body became alive (rised up) again with breath after death.
It appears in the case of Lang and his siblings, only their souls ascended upwards to heaven in the sky as they are of godly status to the Iban but their corpse bodies remain buried on earth. This scenario jives with the Iban belief that upon death. The souls of the dead humans travel or migrate to Haedes/sebayan which is the lower world and their corpse bodies remain buried on earth. Is this correct?
If correct, the same scenario applies to the case of Orang Panggau and Gelong’s migration to the sky as well.
Candy,
The analysis is based on my own social history theory. It do not represent other writers views. Benedict Sandin and other writers are just my reference and source materials. My views are not absolute as I tried to make them more “logical” or historically coherent. The sequence I presented should be read over and against the mythic and historical narratives of the Iban oral tradition. You need to create your own analysis and interpretation.
I would like to believe that the body and soul of the Lang’s group ascended to heaven if Benedict Sandin did not state that Lang died and was buried at Tutop hill.
Because Benedict Sandin said Lang died and was buried at Tutop hill, I tend to believe that only his soul traveled or migrated to heaven of his godly status but his dead corpse remains buried in earth. This is logical in terms of Iban belief that states the souls of dead bodies of ordinary Iban traveled or migrated to sebayan.
Body resurrection and ascension to heaven only occurred in the case of Jesus. Other prophets’ bodies did not get resurrected, did not ascend to heaven and remain buried in earth, if I’m not mistaken.
Orang Panggau and Gelong also migrated to the sky. If their body and soul ascended to heaven, then only in Iban belief that so many alive bodies and souls (Lang’s group and Orang Panggau-Gelong) ascended to heaven because in other religions, human body dies and gets buried on earth.
Only Jesus’ dead body was resurrected to be alive again as far I know before the judgement day.
To understand the origin and development of Iban religion, you have to make comparative study of how other religion or culture develope. With religion and culture, social order develop. Fortunately, Iban culture and religion develop in quite a similar pattern as some major religion, like christianity. The difference is that Iban spiritual experience took a different path as we believe in dreams and system of augury to guide our path in our daily activities or predetermine our future venture. Thus our culture became very intricate and warrant lots of studies, analysis and research.
I thought Iban religion has more similarities with Hinduism instead of Christianity, which suggests that Iban religion maybe an upshoot of Hinduism.
I find it hard to believe that the dead body (corpse) of Lang was resurrected and ascended to heaven because according to Iban belief, only soul migrates to sebayan, Mount Rabung for manang (and maybe lemambang) and to heaven ins the sky for gods/deities while dead body remains buried in earth.
Even if Lang’s corpse was resurrected and ascended to heaven, how did his family members in Tansang Kenyalang, his 6 siblings and the whole lot of Orang Panggau and Gelong migrated to the sky? It was not said that they died and buried first. It was said that they migrated to the sky, presumably with live bodies and souls. If their live bodies ascended to heaven in the sky, then it appears they are more powerful than Lang himself.
Also in any religions in this world, only Jesus’s corpse was claimed to be resurrected and ascended to heaven, most probably because Jesus is the son of God.
So I believe resurrection does not occur in Iban religion but soul ascension to heaven does occur in case of their godly status of these deities and cultural heroes.
There is no doubt that there are similar hindu terms used in Iban worship … like Petara, the ritual pole called Tiang Chandi, etc. But what branch of Hinduism? Imagine the whole Lang’s community and Orang Panggau migrated or ascend to the sky … in Christianity, only Jesus did it. That is the uniqueness of Iban belief.
I would like to believe that “uniqueness” but at the same time, dislike the idea because others may consider it impossible or illogical that Lang died and was buried in earth at Tutop hill but resurrected to ascend to heaven in the sky while the alive bodies of his family, his siblings and people of Panggau and Gelong ascended to heaven in the sky straightaway from the earth without undergoing death first. It appears Benedict Sandin did not state the details of this migration in that way either. Is it stated in the Saribas pengap?
It appears that they migrated to higher places eg Lang’s group Tutop hill and Orang Panggau-Gelong was said to migrate to the sky via a hill as well. They might live here isolated because they were no longer “sepemakai” with ordinary Ibans.
They might die and were buried in earth but their corpses might transform into augural birds and snakes but their souls migrated to heaven in the sky due to their godly status.
Did Jesus corpse ascend to heaven? or Jesus apparition ascend to heaven? Jesus corpse was stolen from his tomb. What did Jesus deciples saw? … his corpse or his soul? I believe the same concept or theory applies to Sengalang Burong and the orang Panggau. The pengap song only narrate how we human invite those pantheon of Gods to our festival. The concept of demon, spirits and God living in the sky or heaven are all similar in Hindu and Christian religion. The soul of human and all living things wander on earth and underworld.
What Benedict Sandin did was to gather all the data on Iban history as much as possible. He did not go in length to make comparative studies, analyse and compile those data into social history as other scholars, academician and other professional researchers and writers did after him. But it was based on his data he gathered that these professionals make their studies and presented their analysis in higher academic perspectives. Do you know that the ancient Jews who practice Judaism also perform bebiau ritual with chicken like what the Iban did? There are many other cultures that practice animal sacrifice and blood letting like ancient Rome, Greek, Indian, Egyptians. They were the source of many modern religion in this world.
It does not matter whether our readers or we ourself like or dislike or agree and disagree with what we write. We just present those analysis as what we thought is acceptable to us.
Ok, Jesus’ apparition or soul ascended to heaven skywards and his corpse was stolen from the tomb. This suggests that corpse cannot be given life again to become alive again even for the son of God and even by someone like Jesus himself who can perform the miracle to give life to a corpse before that (if I remember correctly).
So did Lang die and was buried at Tutop hill first and then his soul ascended/migrated (pindah in Iban term) to heaven in the sky?
How about his family of Tansang Kenyalang, Lang’s siblings and Orang Panggau & Gelong? Did they ascend to the sky with live body, or died and was buried in earth first and then their souls ascended to the sky like the case of Lang?
Manang dies and gets buried in earth but their soul ascended or migrated to Mount Rabung. Is it the same for the case of lemambang?
Ordinary Iban dies, get bruied in earth and their souls descended or migrated to sebayan as the lower world. Their souls become dew eventually, become rain and get absorbed by paddy to become rice and get eaten by Iban men or other creatures. So it as a cycle of reincarnation as mentioned by Hinduism.
There is no mention in the Iban oral history that the other member of Tansang kenyalang family died and ascend to heaven. The oral history only mention that Aki Lang died and was buried at Tutop hill and that his followers migrated to the zenith of the sky or heaven where they dwell. When Sera Gunting visited them for the second time, he was travelling to the sky passing by the spirit of the moon and the stars. There he was reunited with his grand father, Aki Lang again. This indicate that Aki Lang ascended to heaven in Iban belief system, together with his followers as told by Sera Gunting when he returned to earth.
By the way, the soul of dead Iban never becomes dew or rice in our belief system. They just live in the menua Sebayan and occasionally wander around on earth. Reincarnation is based on Buddhism belief.
I read somewhere about the soul becoming dew.
Not in my writing. This could be another myth from other sources. Oral history have as many version as there are orators. Even in the bible, there are as many version as there are disciples. They all have different perceptions.
So the evidence that Lang ascended to heaven after his death and burial is Sera Gunting meeting him at Tansang Kenyalang for the second time. I think that is possible because his soul ascended or migrated to heaven. Did the same process happen to Lang’s family of Tansang Kenyalang, Lang’s 6 siblings and Orang Panggau & Gelong?
In the Iban belief system, the orang panggau live between the human on earth and the God in the zenith of the sky (heaven). For that reason, in every Gawai pengap, the bard called for Orang Panggau to help organise a trip to heaven to invite the gods to our Gawai.
Understood but the orang Panggau-Gelong still dwells in the sky.
If Sera Gunting is the only human who can travel to the sky, by virtue of his birth (demi God, demon and human), it’s not surprising that the orang Panggau-Gellong can travel to the celestial world or between the visible and the unseen realm.
Prof Clifford Sather, Apai Daniel bisi nyebut semengat mensia nyadi embun dalam bup ia senentang manang ngau belian lambar 57 ngau 87 (Seeds of Play, Words of power).
Quote: By the way, the soul of dead Iban never becomes dew or rice in our belief system. They just live in the menua Sebayan and occasionally wander around on earth. Reincarnation is based on Buddhism belief.
Iban also believe in dreams. What is the origin of believing in dreams? Is this practice copied from Hinduism. Christianity or Islam?
I already mentioned that dreams is part of our oracle in our belief system. I’m not sure if it originate from other cultures. But we learn to interpret dreams, read pig liver as part of our oracle system to forecast our future. In Christainity and Islam, they have prophets, though old testaments also mention that God speak to individuals through dreams or via apparitions. Buddhist use meditation method for prophesy.
Prof Clifford Sather, Apai Daniel bisi nyebut semengat mensia nyadi embun dalam bup ia senentang manang ngau belian lambar 57 ngau 87 (Seeds of Play, Words of power).
Quote: By the way, the soul of dead Iban never becomes dew or rice in our belief system. They just live in the menua Sebayan and occasionally wander around on earth. Reincarnation is based on Buddhism belief.
One version of the story is that Lang “terangkat terebai ke langit” (lifted/flown to the sky) when Bungai Nuing forced him to berayah dance. In this version, it seems both body and soul flown and thus migrated to the sky. This, however, condicted the Sandin version which stated that Lang died and buried at Tutop hill. So which version is logical and correct?
This myth is more like the myth of Damu aka Antu Gerasi Belang Pinggang
Do you mean the myths of Lang flying skywards and of Damu aka Antu Gerasi Belang Pinggang are similar in nature in that both Lang and Damu can come and go, also fly bodywise skywards?
In one Iban ensera, it is said that the separation between Iban and Orang Panggau and Gelong occured after a dispute during a gawai when the drunk Bungai Nuing was tied down (dipasung alu ditancang ngau temeran agai geladak) while before that it was agreed (presumably during begeliga) not to do so any drunk persons. As a result, Keling said to the Iban longhouse chief that in the future, the Iban and Orang Panggau-Gelong can no longer be “sepemakai agi”. When going back, it was told that Orang Panggau-Gelong then stretch a string of cotton (“narit ubong”) across the river. This string bridge enabled only birds and snakes (bansa burung and ngau ular) can cross over (niti). Thus, Iban was separated from Oran Panggau-Gelong.
Another ensera said that Keling and Orang Panggau-Gelong migrated (pindah) to the sky by climbing up a mountain to reach the sky.
Is the sequence of events below correct?
Lang divided their parents’ properties with his siblings.
Lang separated from Orang Panggau at Nanga Nuyan.
Lang died and his corpse buried at Tutop hill.
Lang (Is it in the form of his soul?) migrated first ahead of his siblings to the sky. Upon their deaths, his siblings also migrated to the various realms of the sky.
All their souls migrated to the sky (upperworld) (instead of Sebayan/lower world for ordinary people) which befits godly status.
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Sengalang Burong died and was buried on top of Tutop hill in the Ulu Merakai, Kalimantan Barat region.
After departing their earthly domain, he led a migration of the Gods to the various realms in the sky.
But before they depart ways, Sengalang Burong divided his parent’s property. It is in this division that whatever each one inherited determined his or her special powers as a deity.
Sengalang Burong took for himself a powerful war-charm called igi mudan, and so became the god of war and of divination and the principal source of omen birds.
When Sengalang Burong separated from the Orang Panggau at Nanga Nuyan, he led his followers to a celestial world called Tansang Kenyalang.
I still cannot understand this aspect of Singalang Burong story, did he die first and then migrated to Tansang Kenyalang?
If yes, how could a dead and buried person migrate to Tansang kenyalang in the sky? Did he rise from his grave like Jesus’ resurrection and then migrate to a celestial place called Tansang Kenyalang or what?
Or did he migrate from Nanga Nuyan to inland towards Tutop Hill in Ulu Merakai where Sera Gunting went to twice on a sojourn? This scenario was possible because the story said Sera Gunting and his father crossed over a big shallow lake which referred to the Danau Santarum before reaching Tansang Kenyalang. Inland indicates deep forest where hornbills reside in their nests which are called “tansang kenyalang” in Iban.
Quote:
Sengalang Burong died and was buried on top of Tutop hill in the Ulu Merakai, Kalimantan Barat region. After departing their earthly domain, he led a migration of the Gods to the various realms in the sky. But before they depart ways, Sengalang Burong divided his parent’s property. It is in this division that whatever each one inherited determined his or her special powers as a deity.
Sengalang Burong took for himself a powerful war-charm called igi mudan, and so became the god of war and of divination and the principal source of omen birds. When Sengalang Burong separated from the Orang Panggau at Nanga Nuyan, he led his followers to a celestial world called Tansang Kenyalang. He built a substantial longhouse with his own bilik at its centre and the apartments of his seven son-in-laws, the seven principal augural birds, at his sides, relative to one another, signifying the meanings attribute to augural signs each bird represent or conveyed.
After the death of his grandfather, Sera Gunting led a migration to Tiang Laju Mountain, on the Kalimantan-Sarawak frontier. Here, between the headwaters of the Undup and Kumpang rivers, a few miles south of present day Engkelili town, he lived out the last years of his life, a respected pioneer and the greatest of all Iban lawgivers. With his death begins, the first migrations of the Iban to Sarawak, includes that of his followers led by Kajup.
meri aku tusun gawai ngemali umai (sintau)
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Can anyone explain the difference between tebalu matak and mansau?
He instituted two types of tebalu, the tebalu mata and tebalu mansau, which is accorded to a widow or widower depending on their general behaviour or character as observed by both families within the period under observation.
The question is answered somewhere is this blog:
In the case of a person who has undergone the period of being a widower for a considerable period of time, and when it is the correct time for him to marry again, and where suspicions arise, a ritual (ngambi tebalu) is held some months after a person’s death, at which a part of his or her property is taken away by close relatives of the deceased. After this, the widow or widower is cleared to marry again, which is then organized in accordance with the marriage rules which have been laid down.
A widow or widower who makes use of the tebalu mansau is the one who disapproves of the taking of his or her late partner’s properties unless it is done after the time when he or she is holding a grand festival for his or her dead partner. This grand festival is called Gawai Antu (literally means Ghost Festival). Normally, the clearance of one’s period of being a widow or a widower is done before a ritual of drinking rice wine from the bamboo cane ceremony (nganjong buloh) by a warrior is about to start the following morning, at the end of the festival. Despite the clearance of a widow or a widower from the forbidden period of re-marriage after the tebalu mata festival is being performed, it does not mean that he or she will not be obliged to hold a Gawai Antu ceremony for his or her late husband or wife. A widow or widower who cleared his or her widow ship at this stage is accorded the highest respect from the member of the society for their patience and respectful to their late partners and their member of families.
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[…] Origin of Adat Iban Part 6 […]
Where is Rabong Hill? What is its modern name on map?
minta nuan ngarang cerita pengingat tuai nya..ke sida ngiga bunsu petara..ku minat ka nemu cerita nya lebih detail…
Thanks 4 the info. i will contact Dato, as u r rite, he did his anthropology research for Phd.
Thank very much sir..
Thank u for the info, but anyway, i wil cite ur adat iban, di ambi aku aba Museum Sarawak lagi.
Wish me Luck!
Wa,
Good luck to your research… arap ka mujur. I remember YB Dato Dr. James Masing did the same research before for his Phd. (If I’m not wrong)
Greetings!
ka nemu ari ni penatai pantun iban. Maioh agi ke leka jako tauka lyrics di publish. Udahnya, nama amat sida weaver needs ka bamimpi, ka ngulih ke motive. So, enti nadai mimpi, nadai ulih bertenun?
Pedis pala deka interview, kelalu maioh data ka enda sama ari setiap urang.
Aku diatu benung begiga ke data kena support research aku on pantun iban, then to be orchestrated in symphony orchestra. – Melody pantun iban accompanied by the orchestra-.
Thank u.
regards,
wa
Wa,
Aku enda tentu nemu pasal asal pantun Iban. Tang main bukai baka Renong enggau Pengap tu endang bisi sangkut paut enggau pengawa enggau pengarap kitai Iban. Baka Renong Kayau dikena lebog orang ngayau enggau pengap gawai dikena leboh orang begawai. Semua utai tu bisi penatai magang… ukai digaga sengapa pia.
Bisi cerita menoa Panggau Libau uchak? Really love to read the stories. keep on doing it, for sure i will be your website regular visitor. I add this site to my favorites anyway.
Cheers!
Thanks Hamid.
manah amat cherita nuan. walaupun aku laut senanjung, tapi aku aku rindu amat nengar cherita iban kliak. tahniah
Sujang,
Pengap & Atur Gawai Batu bisi udah dipublish aku ditu. Semua jalai atur Gawai kitai Iban sama sabaka magang semina leka pengap serta bagi Petara ti diambi kitai ngabang enda sabaka.
Aku amai cukup pengaga ati macha cherita ti udah dikarang nuan tentang iban. Lalu mega aku arap ke nuan ulih meri penerang enggau lebih dalam agi pasal gawai kitai iban iyanya baka gawai batu.
Thanks Jana …. I still have alot of articles to be published.
manah amat cherita, penatai pengarah lama kita iban ke ditulis nuan. Arasp ke maoih agi oleh di gaga nuan dudi ila.
ari aku
Jana Elai