Pangkas

Pangkas or Kutok (pictured left) whose earthly manefestation is Maroon Woodpecker – Blythipicus Rubiginosus, is the son of Bujang Lachau Kuring Lansik Merening Bara Api, Langgong Janang Berani Kempang Nyundang ka banang mata seligi (Lachau Kuring who stares with eyes as bright as fire, Langong Janang who is extremely brave, can turn aside the blade of seligi spear). He is married to Endu Bentok Tinchin Pengabas, Endu Letan Pulas Mas, the fourth daughter of Sengalang Burong.

He came from the Tengang Ruji Ridge, which sounds like the merry damsels, Pulling the string of the tip of their Jew’s harp, on the cool resam grass, which sounds like the strong damsels, playing the Jew’s harp by pulling its string (Diau di Tinting Ruji, Munyi sida Dara Melanyi, Ngentum Tali Kelapong Ruding, Di Deman Madang Resam, Munyi sida Melanyi dara ganggam, Bekachu Malam Bemunyi Beranaing).

Video: Youtube video courtesy of byawn4us

Praise name (Ensumbar or Julok):
Pangkas Remaong Raras Kelili Panjong, Kutok ke bejulok Santok Lunju Begelong. Or Kutok ke bejulok Beliong Rasok retok-retok nebok keruntok leka mata.

Special possession:
keeper of raras tree and sharpened wooden spear (seligi) made of nibong palm trunk that grows at the edge of the forest (Ngembuan raras dalam babas dikirai ka genteran sangkoh agong, ngembuan seligi di babas tisi digaga ari lambar nibong)

Interpretation of Pangkas or Kutok as Omen Bird:

1.      If a poor farmer hears the voice of Pangkas while he clears or fells the trees on his farmland, it is a good omen which increases his luck in farming. If it is heard by a very well-to-do farmer, it is not a good omen as it indicates that the success he already enjoys may be withdrawn.

 

2.      If you hear jeritan Pangkas, the voice of Pangkas at the moment you be­gin farm work, it is a good omen which indicates that padi will be with you in the year, meaning you will reap an excellent harvest. This call is also favourable when heard at the outset of other undertakings, and is sought by men as they set out on travels or trading expeditions, begin to clear fields, or start to hunt or fish in the jungle.

 

3.      If you are fashioning a piece of wood into a handle for your knife or a spear shaft when you hear the voice of Pangkas, you must not use the wood for the purpose intended as later the weapon will fatally wound its user. But if you are cutting wood for the handle of an inherited spear or knife when you hear thejeritan Pangkas exactly when you cut it, it is a good omen that indicates that you will successfully kill your enemy in war using the weapon.

 

4.      If you hear the voice of Pangkas while you are working in your farm, and later you hear the voice of Beragai and finally the voice of Ketupong, it is not a good omen, because Ketupong utters to you words of two interpre­tation, i.e. the Ketupong and Jaloh words, which can cause you to suffer from ill-health and die in due course.

 

5.      If you hear the voice of Pangkas while on your way to pay your first visit to your wife’s house after your wedding, it is not a good omen and you should divorce her temporarily for one month and later you should split the ritual areca nuts again in a small marriage ceremony for your reunion as husband and wife.

 

6.      If you are on your way to a hunting expedition and you hear the voice of Pangkas on the right side of the road, it is not a good omen, as it indicates that your dogs will bark at the animal and follow it too far away from you. If you hear the same omen from the left side of the path, it is also not good and indicates failure in killing the game you seek.

 

7.      If you hear the voice of Pangkas on the day you complete the felling of trees on your farmland, it is not a good omen, as it indicates that your padi will not grow well. If it does grow well, your own health will be bad in due course.

 

8.      If you hear the voice of Pangkas Kutok at harvest time it is not a good omen as it foretells that you will reap your grain in a short time at the end of the year, which shall cause famine to your family.

 

9.      If you hear the voice of Pangkas or Kutok on your way to tap wild rubber in another country, it is a bad omen, which indicates failure in obtaining anything during the trip. Or if you do obtain the rubber, you will sell it when the price of the commodity is very low, and the price will rise again after you have sold it.

 

10.    If you hear the voice of Pangkas to your right as you go on a hunting ex­pedition, it indicates that early that morning a big wild boar will be held at bay by the barking of your dogs, and you will kill it only after a number of your dogs have been wounded by its tusks.

 

11.    If as you bring your inherited property from your parents’ house to your own, you hear the voice of Kutok, it is not a good omen, as it indicates that regret will fall on you from those who see the loss of this property from your family’s possession.

 

12.    If you hear the voice of Kutok as you land at a place where you intend to collect jungle produce, it is an omen of regret, as you will get nothing at that place.

 

13.    If as you are following warriors to war, you hear the voice of Kutok as you reach the gathering of the war party, it is an unsatisfactory omen, as when you fight you will kill an enemy, but will not be able to collect his head and will be left empty handed. This omen is known as burong lebu, “ omen of futility”.

 

14.    When you leave the war camp and you hear the voice of Pangkas from the right hand side of the road, you should respect it with another night stay in the camp, as this omen becomes an omen for the whole war party who may have regret due to their weakness in the coming fight. If you respect it, the omen will be neutralized.

 

15.    If you hear the voice of Pangkas on the right side of the path you are following as you reach the war camp, it is an excellent omen which indi­cates that you will be very strong in fighting your foe in the coming battles.

By Gregory Nyanggau Mawar
Uchu Sengalang Burong