Ngayau Tradition of Mualang People in West Borneo

NGAYAU AS AN OLD TRADITIONAL OF DAYAKNESE

IN WEST BORNEO

There are many kinds of Dayak tribe in West Borneo. Such as Dayak Mualang, Dayak Kanayant, Dayak Jangkang, Dayak Uud’ Danum and many others. And every kinds of Dayaknese have different language, custom, characteristic, culture, habitual and tradition. The Dayak people live in strong area and strong nature. They live in a group and they have cooperation, as when they open the field they don’t irrigate it or when they construct new resident (Longhouse). One of the characteristic which is look at the Dayak tribe is physical characteristic which mongoloid, ovalface, white skin or yellow sweet skin, almost eye slit, straigh hair there is weavy hair also and their body relative is not high, as well as recognized with their hospitality, the Dayaknese is very easy to associate with other sub-tribes. Like most other tribe, society of Dayak Mualang have many artistry are among others fine arts, music artistic and dance art. What is the including into fine arts that is artistic carve, matting, weaving and also forge the iron. They chisel the idol called pentik, making engraving draw typically Dayak mualang at especial ornament pillar of long house (rumah panyai) that is pillar of terrace where usually they install the antler to hang something like head fasten, big knife and others. That antler hanger named ringki' kawing. Lot of Dayak society is clever to forge the iron.  Iron forged to become tools to work like big knife, hatchet (kind of an axe) and also mandau to hunt.

Art Music of most important Dayak Mualang society is music art using instrument of percussion and vowel music. Artistic of music using instrument, its appliance is Tawak or gong, kendang or entebung, gegong, music of the entebung ai’ (a kind of music ciblon of East Java), and some other percussion appliance. Dayak Mualang Society have some popular dance in its area. Beside like weaving, make an instrument music, singing and do many artistry, they like dancing. Almost in every ceremony they doing dance. And they named the dance ritual is ngajat.

Ngajat is a dance of tradition of Dayak Mualang tribe in Belitang. This Dance is the artistry having the character of ritual loading Dance and custom ceremony. This dance represent one of the inheritance which still stay, although experience of the friction because of era growth.

It is seen from past story of Dayak Mualang tribe, ngajat have each function pursuant to its types. For example, ngajat to greet the war warrior whose come home from head hunting (mengayau). Mengayau in Dayak Mualang language mean to look for and dismember the enemy head. Mengayau is not a cruel and savage character to a tribe, but owning religion structure of separate Dayak tribe.

Mengayau or dismember the head is one of the condition to a men bolting adult of if he will construct the household in congeniality of related to that moment trust, After Mengayau of hence someone will be able to take care of its family from things having the character of negativity during the period, for example other attack Kayau terms, because a period of that most Dayak tribe have the tradition mengayau, and this matter represent the hold form live to incoming trouble to its region. In that period punish the jungle go into effect nature opened out of reach by territory of jurisdiction custom. Mengayau is an attack form group of Dayak tribe to enemy, in order to aggrandizing, demand of custom ceremony, and also to hold their live on. As evidence that all chevaliers can maintain its group, so that they cut the enemy head whom they have defeat. The head is greeting by old women in swinging and also in dancing attraction, in a cloth weave Engkerebang which is made by a maiden girl. All chevaliers whose have succeeded in mengayau graced one Kenyalang’s plumage in his head. And get a title (dijenang) as according to his skills.

Usually Dayak society formerly known as Ritual of Sword Worship before someone will go to Mengayau (head hunting). Ritual dance this sword early with a custom ceremony led by custom chief invitingly ancestor soul to request the guide and give the amenity to the boy who will to do the expedition of Mengayau. According to Lontaan (1974) any has four of purposes in “mengayau” are to protect agriculture, get power of soul, revenge, energy building.

These all about the short story of old tradition of one tribe in West Borneo named Dayak people. But, now when part of the Dayak people have every religion and they have their way to choose every religion according to their belief. And they trust that they have God of the world. They try to leave the old tradition. Until now, they never do the tradition.