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.
