CHAPTER 5: TABOO

 WHEN "ORANG TUAI" SPEAKS... 
PREPARED BY ARRISH

The word taboo comes from the Polynesian word tabu (also spelled tapu), and is generally defined as a prohibition against a particular activity. Usually rooted in moral or cultural beliefs, a social taboo tells people what’s proper behaviour and what’s not.Taboos are important because they help us get along. Without these rules and prohibitions, we would just do whatever we want.At the very least, breaking a taboo can result in some awkward moments. 

What are we going to tell about is the taboos of the Iban native. The Iban are a recognises in Northwestern areas of Borneo. The Iban are native to this area, namely inside of the state Sarawak located in Northwest Malaysia, near Brunei. The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo called 'Sea Dayaks’ by the British, Ibans mostly live in Sarawak.

The traditional religion of the Iban was primarily animalism but in recent years, most have converted to Christianity or Islam. There are still a number who adhere to the old religious belief system. For the most part, the traditional Iban religion revolves around the worship of their ancestors and the maintenance of cosmic order through the proper observance of rituals and taboos. Taboo violation is generally met with sanctions said to restore cosmic and social balance and to avert supernaturally-caused misfortune. Here some example

1.SILENT OMEN

If going fishing, they cannot say they are going fishing or tell about it or end up with nothing.

2.FORETOLD TRAGEDY

While they going into the jungle,they heard a certain bird chirp (Burung Ketupong), it means bad luck and should avoid going in or else they will get

harmed.

1    3.BLOODY HOUSE

     The ritual of sacrificing animals (for the blood) before beginning a project such as building a longhouse.The animal blood is spilled on the foundation of the building, I'm guessing it's to appease the spirits and ensure that the project goes smoothly.

1    4.THE SIGN OF MATURITY

     The Iban will draw tattoo on their body when they achieved maturity to show a great spirit of their warriorship.The tattoo is "Bungai Terung"

1    5.UNTOLD CUSTOMS

    Iban marriage has to comply with the requirements of customary marriage, such as a fine that has to be paid in order to avoid a married couple calamity.If the couple has blood-tied,they will showered by the blood of animal to avoid the disaster in the family.

1     8.THE DEATH ROAMING

        They believe that whenever there is rain while the day is sunny,it is the moment for death spirits,ghosts and giant go out for hunting and the hunt for humans.

7.THE HEAD-HUNTERS.

The Iban has a supernatural job as a head-hunter.They will cut off their emnemy’s head and hang it at their house as the sign of greatness and braveness.However,the head become a supernatural thing like it is alive and the Iban will serve the head (give food or do some rituals).

8.TABOOS FOR PREGNANCY & BIRTH:

During the seventh month of her pregnancy, the woman and her husband begin to observe taboos. Some of the taboos are: 

· Both husband and wife are prohibited the handle of a knife otherwise their child will be born deaf. 

· They are not allowed to break an egg for if it is done it means that the child will go blind. 

· They must not slaughter animals or birds as it can result in their child being deformed and suffering from a bleeding nose. 

· The man and his wife are not allowed to eat anything inside a mosquito net as this can mean that their child will get stuck in the womb during birth. 

· They are prohibited from carrying a stone on their backs otherwise their child will be born paralysed. 

· The couple will not touch a corpse because they fear that their child will be deformed by fainting.

9.THE OMEN BIRD (BURUNG NENDAK)

The eight omen bird, (Nendak ) whose earthly manefestation is white rumped shama is a poor hanger-on rather than a relation, carries omen of considerably less importance. He is the son of Sibal Ibal, who live in the valley at the foot of the waterfall, along streams surrounded by trees (Sibal Ibal ke diau di lebak banchak wong, di sungai rintai lulong).

Interpretation of Nendak as Omen Bird:

1. If a Nendak bird flies close to you when you are cutting the bush in your farm, it is not a good omen, as it acts as a messenger to tell you that you will be fined by another man with whom you have a dispute.

2. If you are on a journey, but have just left your house when a Nendak bird flies directly across the road from the left to right (ngeraup), it is not a satisfactory omen. It is known as raup moa malu, an omen which foretells that something will cause you to feel ashamed (malu) that day or some­time during your trip.

3. If the Nendak bird flies across the path on which you are traveling from the right hand side at the midway point of your journey to another per­son’s house, it is a good omen, raup ulih, which indicates that you will get anything you want during the trip. This kind of omen is also excellent if you see it on your way to work in your padi field.

4. If you see a Nendak bird fly from the left side of the road towards your right in front of you (raup) as you go to cut the bush on your padi land, it is also an unfavorable omen, the same as if you see it fly in the same di­rection when you leave the longhouse on the way to your farm. This parti­cular omen is known as raup rau and foretells that you will be empty handed at the end of the year, i.e. an indication of your bad harvest.

5. If after you have finished clearing (nebas) your farm, you see the Nendak bird fly from your right hand side to your left, it is not a good omen. It predicts that someone will exceed you in obtaining more padi at the end of the year. But if you see it fly from the same direction at the end of the path to your farm, it is a good omen, known as raup ulih, which indicates that you will get a lot of padi that year.

6. If you see the Nendak bird fly from the right side of the path towards your left (mimpin), it is more effective than the raup indications mentioned in No. 5 above.

7. When you are traveling to your farm in order to start your first harvest(matah), and you see a Nendak bird fly from the right side of the road towards the left (mimpin), it is not a very good omen. It indicates that your harvest at the end of the year will be very slow.

8. If a Nendak bird flies from the end of the longhouse into the building, it is. an omen which bears the message that one of the young men of the house will soon be fined for having sexual intercourse with a woman in another village who has now conceived and will claim that the young man is the father of her unborn child.

9. If you and your spouse pay a first visit to the latter’s house after your, marriage and if you hear the voice of a Nendak bird from the right side of the road, it predicts that you will have a number of male children in the future. If you hear its voice from your left hand side it indicates you will have more daughters than sons.

10. If as you go to hunt or fish, you hear the voice of a Nendak bird from the right side of the road, and later you hear the voice of Beragai from the left side of the road, they indicate that your carrying baskets will be filled to the rim with the meat or fish you will bring home that day.

11. If you are going to collect honey from a bee tree and, as you come near the tree, you hear the voice of a Nendak bird on the left hand side of the road, it is a good omen, and indicates that you will collect a large amount of honey and young bees.

12. If you hear the voice of a Nendak bird from the right hand side on the way to collect honey from a bee tree, it is also a very good omen which in­dicates success.

13. If when you leave your house to collect honey, you hear the voice of a Nendak bird from the left side of the road it predicts a heavy rainfall which may cause the climbers to be unable to climb the tapang tree.

14. If as you move into a new longhouse you hear the voice of Nendak birds thrice, one from the right hand side of the road and the others from the left, they are good omens. They predict that you will be healthy while living in this building.

If the households have all settled in the new building when the voice of jaloh is heard, it is also a very good omen, as it means that they will be as safe as if they are living in a house made of stone, and malevolent spirits may not see them or endanger their lives.

It should be added that the voice of a Nendak bird is primary for strengthening omen and reinforces the message carried by the calls of the other augural birds. Its voice, when heard alone, is significant and is mainly used as burong kena bejalai, an omen for travel. Its flight is considered to be a more powerful portent, but only when it is raup or pimpin should it be respected by staying away from farm work for a day; never otherwise.