DYAK 132 DYAK
I t is the blood only, says he, “ that is prized, or considered efficacious. That blood
is considered to he so by them, the following might tend to show. During my stay
m the house of Kmpa Batu, one of his children, a little hoy, was at the point of death
from fever. After exhausting all their skill in applying remedies, as a last resource
the chieftook a young chicken, and passed it a number of times over the face of the
child. Then, with his most valued war-sword, killed it at the window, and threw it
upwards from him, in the direction of the setting sun. The sword, with the blood on
^ he then held over the face of the child as before, with a fervent invocation, desiring
that his child might not die; and, laying himself down beside the unconscious little
sutterer, he indulged m the wildest paroxysm of grief.”
jP*e however, it would appear, is not always of so harmless a description.
Regarding human sacrifice, the Kayans strenuously deny,” says the same writer,
the practice, at the present day; but it would seem to have been prevalent amongst
them formerly, especially on the occasion of the king or principal chief taking possession
of a new-built house, and also on the occasion of his death. They acknowledge
that an instance of this most revolting custom took place about two years ago, on the
occasion of the chief Batu-dian taking possession of his new house. The victim was a
Malay slave girl, brought from the coast for the avowed purpose, and sold to the chief
by a man who was also a Malay. I t is said to be contrary to the Kayan custom to
sell or sacrifice one of their own nation. In the case alluded to, the unfortunate
victim was bled to death. The blood was taken and sprinkled on the pillars, and
under the house, but the body was thrown into the river.”
The singular custom of swearing a solemn friendship may be considered a religious
ceremony, and is stated to be peculiar to the Kayans. Both the authors cited underwent
the ceremony, and describe it in nearly the same terms. This is Mr. Dalton’s
account of it. “ During my detention in Borneo, altogether fifteen months, I experienced
much attention and kindness from many Dyak chiefs, particularly from Selii,
with whom I was some months. Indeed, I was always of opinion that I was unsafe
elsewhere. Being the first and only European he had ever seen, we no sooner met
than I informed him through an interpreter, as he could not speak a word of Malay,
that I had come on the part of the Europeans to make friends with him; and trusted
he and his people would do me no harm. I mentioned this at once, fearing the Sultan
of Coti (a Malay prince) had given some previous orders by no means favourable
towards me. Seiji replied that he was incapable of such an act, but for our future
good understanding it was proper that all his followers should know on what footing
we were, and therefore requested I would make friendship. On my gladly consenting
he went in person and stuck a spear into the ground above his father’s grave This
being the signal for a general assembly, each of the chiefs sent a person to know the
rajah s pleasure. I t was that every wamor should assemble around the grave by
twelve o clock the next day. Some thousands were present; a platform of bamboo
was raised above twelve feet above the grave, and on this Seiji and I mounted
accompanied by an Aji, his high priest. After some previous ceremony, the Aji pro^
dueed a small silver cup which might hold about two wine-glasses, and then, with a
piece of bamboo made very sharp, drew blood from the raja’s right arm. The blood
ran into the cup until it was nearly full. He then produced another cup of a similar
size, and made an incision in my arm, a little above the elbow, and filled it with
blood. The two cups were then held up to the view of the surrounding people who
greeted them with loud cheers. The Aji now presented me with the cup with Seiji’s
blood, giving him the other one with mine. Upon a signal we drank off the contents
amidst the deafening noise of the warriors and others. The Aji then half filled one
of the cups again from Seiji s arm, and with my blood made it a bumper. This was
stirred up with a piece of bamboo, and given to Seiji, who drank about half. He then
presented the cup to me, and I finished it. The noise was tremendous : thus the
great raja Seiji and I became brothers. After this ceremony I was perfectly safe, and
from that moment felt myself so during my stay among his people. Drinking the
blood, however, made me ill for two days, as I could not throw it off my stomach.
The raja took his share with great gusto. Great festivities followed, and abundance
of heads were brought in, for nothing can be done without them. Three days and
nights all ranks of people danced round the heads, after being, as usual, smoked
and the brains taken out, drinking a kind of toddy, which soon intoxicates them’
They are then taken care of by the women, who do not drink—at least I never
observed them.”
Although it be stated by Bums that the Kayans have no priesthood, it will he seen
from the account now given, that parties performing at least some of its functions,
do really exist. Most probably they will be found to he persons professing to heal
by charms and incantations. The name applied to them, Aji, is Sanskrit, and means
incantation. In all likelihood, the Kayans received it through the Javanese, whose
monuments of the times of Hinduism are described by Mr. Dalton as being frequent
throughout their country. See Borneo.
The Kayans believe in the existence of birds of good and of ill omen, regulating their
conduct especially by the manner of flight of such birds, and this, probably, in a greater
degree than any people since the days of the Romans. Mr. Dalton gives the following
account of a bird of ill omen, which may probably be the Kadasih of the Javanese, a
species of cuckoo, the Cuculus flavus of naturalists, whose plaintive, pleasing, but
monotonous note is considered by this people as ill-boding. “ There is a certain bird of
which they stand in great awe. When they hear the note of this bird, no inducement
can urge them further on the same line of road. I have been frequently out shooting
when we heard it. On such occasions they would invariably stop and tremble
violently, and immediately take another road. I never could obtain a sight of this
bird of ill-omen, for such it is considered. If I attempted to advance a single step
nearer the sound, they took hold of me, and pointing towards the sky with gestures
of apprehension, forced me a contrary way. The notes are very similar to those of
our blaekbird-^equally sweet, hut much stronger. Notwithstanding my becoming
brother to the great raja, I always entertained an impression that I should be
murdered, if by mischance I happened to shoot one of these birds. I t is evidently a
superstitious feeling, this particular bird being looked upon as an evil genius.”—
page 53.
The following is Mr. Bums’s account. “ The custom of drawing omens from the
direction of the flight of birds is common to most of the tribes of Borneo, but with
the Kayans it is not connected with their ideas of the Deity. The hirds that are
held as ominous by them are about ten in number. From the flight of the rhinoceros
horn-bill they draw omens of success, or the reverse, in war; and any of the
ominous kind flying from the right to the left bank of the river, is considered
inauspicious, but the reverse favourable and a prognostic of success. Journeying on
the rivers, should one of the ominous sort cross from the right, they immediately
halt,.—kindle a fire on the shore,—smoke their leafy cigars, and generally wait till a
bird less vindictively inclined crosses from the opposite direction. If this does not
happen, they very often return to the place from which they started. One instance
I experienced from the whim of a pretty little bird called lukut, from its being
spotted or streaked, taking its flight from the right to the left bank of the river. I
was obliged to retrace a considerable distance to the place we slept at the previous
night, and recommence our journey the following morning. On another occasion,
in descending the upper part of the Tatau river, one of the birds of fate crossed
from the unlucky side. The party immediately halted,—went on shore,—kindled a
fire and betook themselves to their accustomed smoking over it, hut were not disposed
to move onward, unless one more favorably disposed should take its flight from the
opposite side. However, on reminding them of their belief, that fire is efficacious in
appeasing the hate of birds, and that they had observed their usual custom of
kindling a fire and smoking, they were prevailed on to resume an onward course.”
Vol. v., p. 147.
The strangest of the customs of the Kayans, and it extends to several of the other
wild tribes of Borneo, is in some degree analagous to circumcision, although far
more painful, dangerous and preposterous. I t is called in the language of the
Kayans utang, and the operation is performed at the age of puberty. The people
themselves can give no account of its origin, nor assign any reason for it. Both the
writers whom I have so frequently cited, describe the operation fully. “ There are
certain people,” says Mr. Dalton, “ who perform this operation on hoys arriving at
the age of puberty.—-The pain is such that many are affected, and die of lock-jaw;
whilst many others die from mortification taking place. It is shocking to observe the
state to^which many of them are reduced in consequence of this singular and absurd
custom. It isremarkable that this custom, however absurd, does not appear to
have been peculiar to the wild tribes of Borneo, for it extended to the Philippines,
or at least to the large island of £ebu before the conversion of the inhabitants to
Christianity; and Pigafetta describes the operation almost in the same terms
and details as our recent English travellers.— Primo Viaggio intorno al Globo,
p. 94. '
The practice of perforating the lobes of the ears, and distending them by the use
oi ponderous ear-rmgs, so that they shall reach to the shoulders, and sometimes even