Gawai Manuscript

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MANUSCRIPT FOR 37TH GAWAI

EXPEDITION By Aszan

science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind

-Albert Einstein-

6/29/2010



MANUSCRIPT FOR 37TH GAWAI EXPEDITION June 29, 2010

ROSE MEDIA PRODUCTION PROPERTIES

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THE 37th

GAWAI EXPEDITION 2010

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY

by

ASZAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

This manuscript represents all dialogues for The 37th Gawai Expedition 2010 videos. All script will be used as narration script and

first person view dialogue explanation concerning all about the video contents. All scripts are based on true fact collected from different source

including video recording directly from location, interview among local villagers, and internet information. This information are included and

maybe excluded from its source as it not connected to the video documentation. Hence, all items that included and contained inside these

documentary video are based on true facts and from different social overview that related to the documentation. These documentary videos are

also restricted in under protection on Malaysian Culture, Art and Heritages Ministry Board. So, any duplication or redistributes all or any

contents of these video are prohibited without any permission from the owners of these video.

By aszan

DOCUMNETARY VIDEO OVERVIEW

All of these video contents are recorded directly from Tr. Jegai, Ng. Sebiro, Sg. Gaat . This video presents all about how Iban

community in this longhouse celebrate Gawai Festival. Then this recorded ceremony will be compared with the information that has been

gathered. Then these entire videos are narrated based on theory and analytical overview during editing the video. Based on true facts and the

real history or how the Iban ethnics celebrate the Gawai Festival. All location overview are based on day recordings. And then all video are

reframed again to get a best quality video for documentation. And then these videos are combined again with my overview articles in first

person interview. In simple method of creation, these videos are accomplished with some external information from varieties source picture.





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ARRANGEMENTS

ITEM NARATION SCRIPT FIRST PERSON TALK

1.Intro NIL NIL

2. 1st talk no. 1 NIL The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated yearly on 1 June inSarawak, is both aReligious and social festival. Gawaj means ritual or festival andDayak is acollective name for the tribes of Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah,Kelabit, Murutand more.

Tracing its roots back to as early as 1957, the Gawai Dayakfestival was

formally gazette on 25 September, 1964 as a public holiday inplace of Sarawak Day. The first official celebration being on 1 June,1965, GawaiDayak became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for theDayakCommunity and is an integral part of Dayak social life today.Preparations for the festival begin early with brewing of tuak(rice wine) andtraditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugarand coconut

Milk). On Gawai eve, glutinous rice is roasted in bambooknown as ngelulunpulut. But we dont see on this video what we see is, hoe thecook the panto shoots.During my expedition Ive selected the Tr. Jegai at SG. Gaat asa place sites for my observation study. In this rural provincialLonghouse. I found that some of the tradition has been misspart in the ceremony. But not all of the ritual, just certain of them has not been used anymore in nowadays in thislonghouse. Just like any others longhouses that I have visited,





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this longhouse are also come on its own conceptual ritual thatsmake this place is different than the others longhouse that Ivevisited. Most of the ceremonies are really done in fully adatways. And there is still a lots of traditional ritual are still takeplace on the ceremony.

3. 1st talk no. 2 NIL Well, to get to this place we need to ride an express boat astransportation. Usually, during gawai seasons, it is verydifficult to booked a tickets since it is very numerous people arecompete each other to get a sit on this boat. Not that alsoSarawak river Board also restricted the the commercial rivertransport to take exceeded load of passengers. So we take theland road first, using mini bus from kapit to place calledMelekun. Around 10 minutes jouney.

4. Melekun5. On the ways

From here, we took the express boat and taking 2and half hours to arrive at Ng, Gaat. And then wetransit again using the long boat to get to my maindestination which is Ng. Sebiro.

NIL

6. 1st talk no. 3 NIL Tr. Jegai is A simple longhouse, still filled with a lots of varieties tradition keeping their most precious heritages. i feelits very fulfilled with adat. Whether old or new living style,this longhouse still leave its own tradition identities. Just like

any other longhouse that Ive visited, this longhouse stillremain the physical custom such house design. Filled with 11

rooms or bilek. Each room is design as the same like other roomexcept the interior design. Build in more than 3 meters high;make this longhouse very tall and having enough space forputting many kind of things under their houses such perau, orlong boat, and many other general stuff.

What make this longhouse different than other traditionallonghouse is, the verandah or tanju is a little bit smaller. So I





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was wondering why? Where will they bask their adi ? So as Isurvey around the longhouse, down in front of their houses,they create such like a cage but there is no roof madden frombamboo around 12 feet length and 8 to 10 feet width. So this isthe place where they use to bask the padi seeds before its blend

to rice.

Talking about the Gawai festival. Well, its very different inhere. What are making its different are the arrangements of theceremony from the morning of the 31st may until midnightcontinue directly to next morning of 1st June. So line up its likethis;

First they goes for the adat betemu , and then continued toBerunsur Rituals, betanggas, biau ranyai rituals, The miring,standing up the Ranyai, hanging the buah ranyai and berdara

rituals during the midnight until netas ranyai in the 1st morningof June.

Early in the morning at 8 oclock First is the adat betemu. Thisis my first time watching these rituals. The main motive of thisritual is to bless the newly borne child among the elderly peopleof the longhouse and the most important is the Spirits of petara.So the child will live in happiness, strong and healthy.

7. Adat Betemu The rituals start by preparing two tawaks, pua kumbu,tajau, hard metal, and an empty plate. It begin byasking the two elderly person of the longhouses sittogether at the Tawaks , and covered with the puak kumbu at their back. While the two elderly areincantation or dibiau with the grandfather of thebaby the grandmother of the newborn child give thebaby to one of them to hold. First they kiss the baby,

NIL





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and then they touch the head of the baby and touchagain using the same hand to their head. Next, thewill look at the hole of the tajau, and touch the hardmetal before the baby are passed to their partner.

This ritual continues until the entire elderly personof the longhouse finished taking part for the ritual.

8.1st talk no. 4 NIL The Miring or Bedara. It is very common ritual. Every place inanywhere Iban longhouse still kept this tradition. Basic ritual,are just the same like other procedure the difference is only themotive of the rituals. Like this moments at this Tr. Jegai, themiring rituals are preparation before the the next adat berunsur goes.

After the adat betemu, the ownwers of the bilek endur ranyai orthe place where the ranyai will stand up, will make thepreparation for the miring rituals.

Generally the purpose of making offerings are:

To give honor to Gods (Petara), Holy spirit (OrangPanggau & Bunsu Antu) and souls of our deadancestors (Petara Aki-Ini) whom we invited to ourvarious festivals.

To give thanks to Gods for their blessing and help. To seek blessing, good fortune, good health,happiness, peace and harmony.

To make a wish (niat). Seeking success in ventures (trading, headhunting,

bejalai etc.) Seeking forgiveness and protection from

supernatural repercussion for human sins (incest,illegitimate pregnancy, wrong doings, bad dreams,bad omen, etc).





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9.Berdara rituals preparation part.1

10.Berdararituals

preparation part.211.bebiau

Basic ingredient for common piring.

Tobacco & wrapper (daun apong) Betel nut set (pinang, sirih, kapu,

gambir) Cooked rice Salt Sweet rice (Asi manis) Ketupat (glutinous rice packet cooked in

palm leaves) Glutinous rice asi pulut (white, red,

yellow & black colored glutinous ricecooked in a bamboo)

Rice cake penganan iri Rice flour and coconut powder Sagun

Banana fruit (pisang) Beras kuning Letup or Rendai (puffed rice or pop rice) Eggs Telu manok Telaga a small cup contains rice wine

(tuak) Bulu manok: a feather of a fowl used

during prayer (sampi) is plucked out anddipped in its blood when it is killed.

After the piring and the miring are settled down, thetukang nasak directly will perform the bebiau rituals.So the there will be no disturbance during the adatberunsur being in progress.

NIL





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12.1st talk no. 5 NIL If Miring is done during major festivals, dedicated people areused to prepare and bless your piring. e.g. the tukang nasak.They are usually a team of warriors who are tasked to prepareand bless the piring during Gawai Burong (refer to my web logon the subject of Gawai Burong). It is said that these warriors

hands have been cleansed with the blood of their enemies andthey are the best people to perform miring ceremony in anymajor festivals. That is also why we place high values for thosewarriors in Iban society even if they are beggers or having nosocial status. They are respected because they are closer toGods and Holy spirits who protected them in their venture.

Adat berunsur. This is the most important part among theceremony during the Gawai celebrations.

The concepts are just the same as during the miring rituals.

What makes its difference is there is more tradition rituals thatmake this rituals more even fulfilled. For examples is theperson who involved in this ritual will sprinkled with the bloodfrom the chicken. And then they will recited by the beliau andsweep their body using the leaves of sabang to dissipate the badspirit before they throw the piring at nearby river. And manymore spiritual rituals.





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13.Berunsur part. 1

14.Berunsur part. 2

15.Berunsur part. 3

All of the person who involved for the rituals firstlywill be dibiau using chicken at their own tanju,tangga, or at the land nearby their house. Then thechicken will be cutted at the throat and the bloodthat came out from it will be sprinkled to all of the

member for the rituals And then they will walktogether in line going down to the nearby river totake a bath and release their own piring for each of them.

This ritual are also walk together with two ladyplaying the Gongs and tawaks . This is used to mean,so there will be no disturbance during the ritualsand they believe that God is hearing to them andwatching them during they execute the rituals.

At the river, the person who participated in thisritual will get to the water, and then they will diveshortly the water and immediately release the piringfrom their hand before they rise up again. And thenthey must throw one of their cloths as symbol thatall of their bad spirit thrown away.

And then, they will be biau again and their bodyswept with the sabang leaves. After all settle up, theywill return back to the longhouse for the next ritual.

NIL





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17.1st talk no. 6 The ritual is quite easy to understand as its executed with easyconceptual meanings by the way they precede the ritual. All of the arrangements are symbolic, filled of real tradition from thepast that will never end.

As we can see, during the ritual is executed, we can hear thesound from the gongs and tawaks . These sounds are verycommon in any place of longhouse that we see in Sarawak. Thissound means a lot with various definition of each believerdepending on situation or ceremony. So, in this ritual situation,it is used to make The God ( petara ), Holy spirits (orang panngau and bunsu antu ) and the soul of the dead ancestor ( petara aki-ini )to join the spiritual ritual in order to listen for their wishesduring the sampi is recited. Also to protect the all the personwho involved on this ceremony.

After everything is done, they will return back to theirlonghouse again to complete the ritual.

18.Berunsur part.4

Once they arrive at the longhouse, other member of the longhouse will serve them with rice wine (tuak )and they also need to precede the adat muai mata inorder to give the petara drinks, before they enter thelonghouse. After that all of the person that involvedwith the ritual before will clean themselves beforethey proceed for the next ritual. This is the final of the adat berunsur ritual.

19.1st talk no. 7 This is the final procedures from the ritual of adat berunsur . it is

called as adat betanggas. These rituals also have the samemeaning with the previous other ritual. The difference is onlythe entire member that involved to the ritual on adat betanggas will be combed by an old lady member of the longhouse inorder to trash all poise that still left on their body so they willbe really cleaned from the bad spirits.





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20.Adatbtanggas

All of the member that included on the adat berunsur will sit at the tawaks and combed by an old lady totrash all the remaining bad spirits and finally all themember of the longhouse that sit and watch theritual will be dibiau again to thanks all their support

during the ritual execution. And as a symbol of theend of the ritual.

21.1st talk no. 8 After we took our lunch, around 1 afternoon, all the manmember of the longhouse will go out and fill the coconut tree aspreparation for the ranyai. In meantime, the beliau and theowner of the bilek will prepare for the piring that used for themiring ranyai and biau ranyai before the ranyai is build and standup. The piring is a bit difference than the other common piring, because, for the ranyai the tradition will use a large plate so it senough space to put all the eggs that collected from all elevenbilek of the longhouse.

Ranyai is a main symbol for the gawai fest. The purpose of it isvariative. One is to put all the community of the longhouse sittogether around of it to create a closer relation among of them.They will talk chit-chat, laugh, sing, and dance and drinktogether. So I can say that its symbol of the longhouse unity.Other than that is a symbol of homage to their God ( petara ).





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22.miring ranyai During the man of the longhouse filling the coconuttree. Member of the bilek where the ranyai is standup later will prepare the properties for the miring ranyai ritual.

Egg will be collected from all bilek members to fillthe large piring for the piring ranyai. The procedureis same as like the other miring ritual. Except thesampi recital.

23.adat muaimata

Before the biau recited for the ranyai. Muai mata ritual must be executed first.

The need around 5 to 7 awns of tuak mixed witheggs and filled with blood of chicken.The concept of this tradition is often seen in other

longhouse in all area of of Sarawak. This is mean togive the petara drinks. So all of the member of thelonghouse will fell cool and relax during the rituallater.After the mixture of the muai mata prepared, all of the member must do the muau mata ritual byscooping the mixture to the others bowl on theother side of the serve the mixture. It is also can bedisposed to the ground of the longhouse by any holeof the floor of the longhouse. Or it is also can bedrinked.

24.Adat miauRanyai After all the member of the longhouse has finisheddoing the muai mata rituals, now it is the beginningof the reciting the biau ranyai by the beliau of thelonghouse. In purpose to have a clear an clean frombad spirits area for the ranyai to build up. a chickenwill be used to te accomplished the recital. Not onlywhere the place for the ranyai is build up, also the

piring that is already arranged will be recited withbiau. So the all of the things that included for ritualsis blessed by the petara.





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25.1st talk no. 9 Another form of baum is the baum rumah. This is a meetingcalled by the Tuai Rumah to which representatives of eachfamily are invited to discuss matters of common interest to thewhole longhouse. Despite their individualism, the Ibanfrequently refer important decisions to the whole community,

and once a decision is made through community discussion,individual longhouse members are expected to accept andfollow the consensus arrived at. Such meetings may be calledfor a number of special purposes. The baum bumi, for example,is held just before the beginning of a new farming year todiscuss farming matters, such as the location of padi fields, or tosynchronize the time of clearing. The baum begawai is held toarrange for any kind of gawai festival, to determine the TuaiGawai or festival leader, the number of guests to be invitedand so on. Hence this tradition will be used of how to selectwhere and which bilek will used as the place to stand the ranyai

tree.26.persediaanRanyai

27. persediaanbuah ranyai

After the lomghouse community meeting, a mediumbit large coconut tree will be placed to the centre of the tuai gawai ruai s and decorated will a lot of things like snacks and there is some ballons. Tomake it more even creative. This Tr. Jegai hangsalong a baning, just like a turquoise. And kekura asmall turtle.

This mini things, will be cut off during the netas ranyai ritual. At the morning.





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28.photo slide After settled all, the member will take place infrontof the finished ranyai to capture a memorial photo.

There is also variative ranyai we can see from anyother places that decorated with their own

creativity. Other than coconut tree, some of themalso use banana tree or oil palm tree. To representsthe ranyai .

29.1st talk no.10 After all preparation is ready for the Gawai. That time isaround 4 or 5 oclock in the evening. Every person at thelonghouse will get back to their own bilek to preparethemselves for the Gawai celebration night. The ladies will takepart in preparation for their family dinner. Some of the elderman and young boys will hang at the ruai . Drinking tuak , talkwith each other. They also baum for the activity that will theydo on that festive night. The discussion is about singing

contest, hitting the tawaks by covering their eyes, turning theturtle (main meling kekura ) . and many more activities.

From my observation every each ritual on that days, muststarted with mirings first. Its the same on that night. All of the11 bilek will prepare the piring for the God Blessings rituals andwishes (sampi ). It begin from the first room or setak ili . all of the room will proceed the miring ritual until the end of thelonghouses bilek or setak mah ka ulu . After that, tuai gawai or theplace where the ranyai is stand up will sit again at the tawaks while the they are executing the miring.

After everything is done, which mean all possible ritual hasbeen executed. All stuff that is used for the ritual will becleaned up and putted inside the room of the bilek .

As the ceremony opening, all family members of the longhousewill sit together in front of the ranyai . as symbol of unity. Here,the tuai rumah will make speech which is called as jaku lalau before the ceremony begins. usually he will talks about the adatwhile night in goes on, no jealousy among husband and wife, no





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fight, and so on. He also will give an advice to all his folk allabout their responsible in their family, their jobs, for studenttheir education and so many things more. After that, theceremony goes for the happy dance done in same routine whichis called the tanda poco-poco .

I really like this part. It is very interesting part, we sing, danceand laugh together, it feels like that im the most happy duringthe ceremony. We can see from the youngsters to elderly, all of them will stand together in line while doing the routine. It isnot the part of the tradition, but it is an idea that comes up fromelsewhere and absorb to this ceremony and make this ceremonygoes wow well it kind a very social on that night, becauseapart of the dance, some of the member from the longhouse willgive you tuak or ai pengayu makes the night more even enjoyfull.

30.poco-poco

dance part. 1

After the jaku lalau from the tuai rumah. All of the

longhouses member will stand up and stand instraight line to prepare for the poco-poco dance. Oncethe music is started, all of them will clap togetheruntil they start the routine of the dance and repeat itover and over until the music fade.

Not only the youngster nor ladies are participatingthe dance, even the elderly member of the longhousewont miss to take part for the dance.

31.1st talk no.11 Ngajat, the traditional Iban ethnics warrior dance. This the real

tradition dances that we can see in numerous places aroundSarawak. This dance also presented at this longhouse duringthe ceremony. Followed by the traditional music, like sape andtaboh. My expedition is the best thing in here, where one of thelonghouse members invite me to perform the dance. Luckily Ihave learnt this dance at school. So it makes me no problem toperform the traditional ngajat dance. Im proud of myself of that.

Mostly the elder member will begin the dance and thenfollowed up by the ladies and youngsters one by one.





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32.ngajat dance This is the traditional ngajat dance. It mean the theIban warrior dance. This dance is symbol of brave,politeness and the spirits of Gods among the IbanEthnics. the dance will goes together with thetraditional Iban music called sape or taboh.

These dances will performed by the entire memberof the longhouses who can dance this traditionaldance. From the elderly until to the youngsters.

33.poco-pocodance part.2

After the ngajat dance is performed, the ceremonygoes again with singing contest and much otheractivity until the next sunrise. Here they will dance,sing, drink, and talk and laugh together.

34.1st

talk no. 12 Its in the morning around 6 to 7 o clock. The final Gawairitual. The netas ranyai ritual. This ritual is a symbol of thelivelihood that given from the petara.

The ritual is more over like a dance ritual. First is the personwho goes ritual, need to prepare themselves with the long sharpsword or duku. What they do is doing the ngajat dance circulingthe ranyai and then they have to cut the buah ranyai . As asymbol of the livelihood that given by the petara.

And the person who starts the ritual will pass the duku to other

member after he finished the ritual. The rest member of thelonghouse will take part in this ritual until the buah ranyai isfinished. Once finished, the coconut tree will be flop down andthen the final person who flop the tree will feel the tree to getthe shoots, and leaves the ladies to cook it as serve for the alllonghouses member breakfast meal.





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35.netas ranyai This is the netas ranyai ritual. The ritual is more overlike a dance ritual. First is the person who goesritual, need to prepare themselves with the longsharp sword or duku. What they do is doing thengajat dance circuling the ranyai and then they have

to cut the buah ranyai . As a symbol of the livelihoodthat given by the petara.

36.1st person talk After that, I dont know happen. Its feels kind a tired.Participating the ceremony from the morning until the nextsunrise make me fell so happy, educated with the tradition thatis a little bit different from the other Iban in this Sarawak bythe way they celebrating the Gawai Festivals. I learn a lot fromhere.

Well I dont have any idea what happen that morning, because Ifall asleep, just like the other member. You know drunken.

But the ceremony remain the tradition that wont lost from thislonghouse.

37.endingcredits

NIL NIL





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Gawai Manuscript