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A Sarawakian legend of durian you probably never heard of

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A Sarawak Gazette writer, Lee Kok Yin published an article about a durian legend that he heard when he was teaching in rural Sarawak.

Here is a legend from local Sarawakians about the King of Fruits – the durian – you probably never heard of:

A Sarawakian legend of durian you probably never heard of
King of Fruits, Durian! Credits: Pixabay.

Once upon a time, there was a poor family of eight who earned their living through farming.

The sad part was the father, who was supposed to be the head of the family, was a lazy man.

So all the work and responsibilities fell to the mother.

One day, the mother fell sick and was unable to work on the farm. Even so, the father still refused to work and continued with his lazy ways.

Slowly, the family’s food storage started getting low and their farm slowly turned into a jungle.

As she lay on her sickbed, the mother prayed to God to save her young children from starvation.

Thinking there was no hope for her to get better and being sick was a burden for her children, the mother decided to kill herself.

She then jumped into a deep pool and drowned to death.

A few nights after her death, the children dreamed that the mother told them to go to her tomb where they would find food.

When they woke up, they realised all of them had the same dream. Believing the words of their mother, they all went to her tomb.

There, they saw a tall tree bearing hundreds of thorny fruits. When they tasted the flesh of the fruit, they found it to be sweet and delicious.

Thus, this was how durian came about.

Another meaning of liu lian or durian

The Chinese word for durian, “liu lian” also means to ‘stop and stay’. According to Lee, in the olden days, before Chinese merchants sailed to the islands of the South Seas, their wives or parents always warned them not to eat any durian.

They believed that those who once tasted its flavour, would forever stay in that foreign country.

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The first dragon boats to join Sarawak Regatta

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While the Sarawak Regatta was started a long time ago during Brooke reign, the dragon boats only made their debut on the Sarawak river in 1952.

Originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China’s southern Guangdong province, the dragon boat dates back 2,000 years.

Every dragon boat has a drummer who leads the paddlers with their rhythmic drum beats.

The first dragon boats to join Sarawak Regatta
Dragon boat

According To Kao Lun-wei, there were two dragon boats that rode the waves of the Sarawak river during the 1952 Kuching regatta; one was green while the other one was red.

They provided a colourful spectacle for the crowd and served to introduce the local Chinese into water sports.

“Properly used, the dragon boat races are run on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar, corresponding this year to the 28th May; but it was agreed by the promoters that it would be an excellent thing to join in with the rest of the paddlers,” Kao stated.

Explaining about the legend behind dragon boats, Kao wrote, “The great beasts of China, heraldic, mythical and potent are tigers, dragons, kilins and lions. Dragons are the incarnation of the spirit of the waters, of the clouds, seas and rivers. It is the emblem of the power of the emperor (having five claws in place of the usual four). The tiger is the king of beasts (having the character wang meaning king on his forehead) and presumably being a land animal is not a good term with the dragon.

“As the dragon is the king of the waters, it is not surprising that he should be taken for the shape of a ritual boat”.

The dragon boats at the then Kuching Regatta

According to Kao, time was kept by the beating of a drum and gong in each boat. The drums for the Kuching Regatta in 1952 were brought especially from Singapore.

As for the gongs, Kao said they were unable to buy the correct type of gong in time, and hoped to get some from Hong Kong later.

The dragon boats were launched at Pengkalan Batu with an eye-dotting ceremony just like how it has been done in these recent years.

Instead of the chief minister like today, the ceremony was carried out by a Chinese priest.

Kao pointed out the launching ceremony was not done like in the olden days. “One reasons for not performing the ceremony was that it would have cost the Dragon Boat Society about $400 in sacrificial pig, incense, crackers and priest’s fees.”

Present-day dragon boat races

However, it was not mentioned if the two dragon boats had won any race during the Kuching Regatta in 1952.

Fast forward to the 21st century, the dragon boat race in Kuching has gone a lot bigger with participants coming from all over the world.

For 2019, there were 14 countries participating in The Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta including United Arab Emirates and United States of America.

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Looking back at a ‘pusau anak’ ceremony at Long San in 1962

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From April 29-30, 1962, a huge pusau anak celebration and the opening of a new longhouse were held at Long San.

It was a big occasion with many from throughout the Baram area being invited. The VIPs in the past included Marudi District Officer Malcolm McSporran, Kuching Municipal former president William Tan and Chinese Kapitan Ch’ng Teng Seng.

“’Pusau’ really means to name a child or children. This is the old custom, which nowadays merely means to name a child,” Stewart Ngau Ding wrote in his Sarawak Gazette article published on June 30, 1962.

“There is no time fixed between one pusau anak and another. It is celebrated when a house has a lot of children, after a good harvest, etc. The children to be pusau vary in ages from one month to 10 years.”

Furthermore, it was expensive to pusau one or two children. Most people waited until they had a lot of children so that every door of a longhouse may pusau their children at the same time.

This pusau anak celebration in 1962 at Long San was interwoven with Christianity. Hence, it was not carried out in its purely traditional form.

How Long San’s pusau anak celebration went down

On the first day of the celebration, people started to gather in the ruai. The late Bishop Anthony Galvin conducted a service to bless the new house.

After the service ended, the men brought out 64 jars of burak (rice wine) to the verandah, placing them in a line.

Then the mothers and helpers brought out their children to be pusau and sat them down in two lines behind the jars of burak. Each jar represented every child, and each door was decorated with items to indicate the sex of the child.

Looking back at a 'pusau anak' ceremony at Long San in 1962

It was not necessary to sit near one’s own jars or burak. Stewart stated, “It is impossible to distinguish the sex of a child to be pusau from the jars of burak. But it can be easily distinguished from the hanging up of sarong, hornbills, houses, parangs or shields, decorated with rolled-up local tobacco.”

Additionally, the number of sarongs, hornbills, or houses or parang or shields at every door signified the number of boys and girls in that bilik. They were hung outside every door where the children were to be pusau. The hornbills, shields or parangs signified boys and sarongs or houses, girls.

Speaking to the crowd, the bishop stressed religion and added that it was necessary to practice good adat lama, or old customs such as this one. He hoped that the young generation would not forget the good adat of their ancestors although now they embraced Christianity. Then he said a short prayer and went around to touch every child on the forehead and call it by its new name.

Attending to the guests

Stewart then went on to describe about how they treated their guests during the ceremony.

“The guests were sitting in two long rows. Then a woman led the way from downstairs, wearing the traditional dress of a man going to war. She was followed by other women but in ordinary traditional dress. There were about six other women dressed like the first one. They came in line. It was very impressive sight.”

He stated, “The first woman took a slice of a fat from the second girl who carried the fat in a large container. Then she pushed the fat into guests’ mouths and then she usually smeared the face by her oily hand. The guests could return the compliment if he wished by taking the fat given and smearing her face with it. There was no compulsion to eat the fat and guests were supplied with leaves or a container in which to put it. A guest could not take too much fat. Then the third girl holding a handkerchief took a spoonful of ayer lia (ginger water) from the fourth girl which was carried in a container. After she had served the guests, she usually cleaned their mouths with her handkerchief. The next group followed on the same routine.”

According to Stewart, when the women served the guest, they were not allowed to talk or to smile. They were supposed to be absolutely solemn. There were two sets of these groups representing one child of maran rank (higher rank). For those of lower birth, one group would be enough.

This marked the end of the pusau anak ceremony. As Stewart put it, it was the most exciting and impressive part of it.

Then in the afternoon the celebration continued with fun and games. Meanwhile at night, they drank and ate till their hearts drank contentedly.

The children who had their pusau anak ceremony during this event must be in their 60s or 70s now. Do you know anybody who might be one of these children? Plus, do you know the significant of giving the guests fat and ginger water? Let us know in the comment box.

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The Sale of Japanese vessels by the Custodian of Enemy Property

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The Sale of Japanese vessels by the Custodian of Enemy Property

Let say that a foreign country comes to attack us in war. After a while, they are chased back to where they came from leaving a lot of stuff behind. Some of these were originally taken from the civilian population and some belonged to the enemy. So, to whom does this property belongs to?

That is when the Custodian of Enemy Property comes in. It is an institution that handles property claims created by war.

In ancient times, these properties were considered as war loot and belonged to the ‘winner’ of the war.

However, in the Fourth Geneva Convention Article 147, this became categorised as a war crime.

All over the world, there are many records of Custodians of Enemy Property being established after wars ending.

For instance in India, The Custodian for Enemy Property for India was established to manage Pakistani property taken in the Second Kashmir War (1965).

Meanwhile in North Borneo (present-day Sabah), The Custodian of Enemy Property Jesselton was left in-charge of ships left behind by the Japanese after World War II (WWII).

A notice was given out to the public on Jan 31, 1952, about seven years after the war had ended, opening up the tender to purchase these ship wrecks.

This was the notice put out by the Custodian of Enemy Property:

Sale of Wrecked Vessels

The Custodian of Enemy Property, Jesselton, North Borneo, under the provision of the Japanese Property, (Vesting) Order 1951 invites tender for the purchase of certain wrecked vessels formerly of Japanese ownership lying around the coast of North Borneo. Each or all of the following vessles are offered as they lie and where they lie:-

1.The Custodian accepts no responsibility for the correctness of any part of the above description. In particular the tonnages given must be taken as merely estimated indications. Intending purchaser should arrange for their own inspection and survey of the vessels as they lie.

2.The successful tenderer will be required to obtain the approval of the Marine Superintendent Labuan, North Borneo, for the intended procedure of dealing with any wreck. Wrecks may be demolished at site. But if it is intended to attempt to float the wrecks, prior permission must be obtained from the Marine Superintendent who will require to be given full particulars of the method to be employed and of the equipment to be used in order to ensure that proper and safe methods to accordance with good salvage practice are employed. And that when floated or being removed any wreck is not likely to become a danger to navigation.

3.As regards wreck No. 1. it shall be a condition of sale that the vessel shall be totally removed, or that if partially removed or that if partially removed there shall be at least six fathoms of water over the vessel and clear obstruction at spring tides.

4.Tenderers must undertake to remove or demolish wrecks not later than 12 moths from the date of this notice. Scrap metal exported from the colony will be liable to export duty.

5.The full purchase amount must be paid to the Custodian of Property, Jesselton by the successful tenderer within fourteen days of notification of acceptance of the tender.

6.Tenders should be forwarded in sealed covers marked “Tender of the Japanese Wrecks” and addressed to the Custodian of the Property, Jesselton, North Borneo and must reach his office not later than June 14, 1952.

7.The Custodian does not bind himself to accept the highest or any tender.

Custodian of Enemy Property

KajoMag did not find any information on who bought these Japanese wrecks after this notice was published. Do you have more information on The Custodian of Enemy Property in Borneo after WWII? Let us know in the comment box.

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The history of water fluoridation in Sarawak uncovered

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Did you know that water fluoridation was first introduced in Sarawak in 1962? That was even before the state became part of the Malaysian federation.

Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities.

In the US, water fluoridation started in 1945 while the first state in Malaysia to install the system was Johor in 1957.

The number one reason for introducing fluoride to the public water supply was to prevent dental health problems.

So how does it work? The water works the surface of your teeth. It creates low levels of fluoride in saliva which reduces the rate that your tooth enamel de-mineralizes. At the same time, the water help to increase the rate of tooth enamel remineralizing in the early stages of cavities.

According to a Sarawak Gazette article published on Jan 31, 1962, the incidence of dental decay was very high.

“Decayed, missing and filled teeth are the accumulated ill effects of this decay and it constitutes a major dental health problem. Surveys carried out by a dental officer of the Medical Department among Simanggang school children have confirmed this high incidence. The suffering which decayed teeth can cause is only too well known. The extent to which the ability to chew and speak is affected and the disfigurement they cause, are common knowledge.”

Introducing water fluoridation to Sarawak

Sarawak used sodium silicofluoride in its water plants because “of safety in handling and relatively low solubility in water (0.8 per cent).”

The article further explained, “The chemical contains 60 per cent available fluoride and is therefore, added to the water supply in quantities of 1.2 parts per million part of water to give the required 0.7 parts of fluoride. Many types of dosing equipment are available but that selected for Sarawak is a simple displacement doser designed by the Hydraulics Branch of the Public Works Department and constructed in Brooke Dockyard.”

A simple metering device was installed to adjust the dosage of solution to the water passing through the plant.

For precautionary measure, the water plant operator back then regularly checked the fluoride level of the water at intervals of less than one hour.

On top of that, they also sent bulk samples of water bi-weekly to be analysed by the Chemical Bacteriological Laboratory.

To assure all Sarawakians, the article stated “One may ask of, despite all these precautions, it is possible to obtain an accidental toxic does. The answer is an emphatic ‘no’. It has been estimated that one person would have to drink about 500 gallons of water fluoridated to 0.7 parts per million a day in order to receive a toxic does.”

Overall, the cost of fluoridation equipment and installation to water authorities in Sarawak was estimated between $500 to $1500.

Additionally, the recurring cost of treating the water with fluorides was 0.04 cents per 1000 gallons.

This was considered to be a small cost to improve the dental health of Sarawakians.

The history of water fluoridation in Sarawak uncovered

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How Apai Saloi, the trickster, makes Loki look like a noob

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During a particularly fruitful durian season, Tambap or better known as Apai Saloi made plenty of tempoyak (fermented durian) with his family.

Looking at their work, Apai Saloi had an idea of selling their tempoyak to the people who lived up and down the Gelong River.

He told Indai Saloi (whose name was Chelegit) of his plan. But before he set out, he put dung below the tempoyak in all of his jars. He thought the smell must be similar, and that he would be able to sell more.

Satisfied with his handiwork, he went out to sell his tempoyak to those living in the longhouses along Gelong river.

As his longboat approached the longhouses, he began to call loudly to the people in their longhouses to come and buy his tempoyak.

Excited, for it is a family favourite even to this day, many came down to buy the tempoyak from Apai Saloi.

Apai Saloi’s fraud is uncovered

He even went as far up as Keling’s house at Panggau Libau located in the headwaters of the Gelong river. Apai Saloi’s trickery didn’t go unnoticed for long, the women discovered the dung in Apai Saloi’s tempoyak and were outraged, telling their husbands about Apai Saloi’s fraud.

In their anger, the men rushed down from the longhouse to catch him.

After they caught him, Simpurai (one of Keling’s first cousins and his head warriors) ordered Apai Saloi to be put in an iron cage to wait for his punishment.

Three days later, the people of Panggau Libau decided to take Apai Saloi downriver to throw him into the water while he still in the cage.

When they came to Lubok Wong Dalam Nerajang, a deep pool of water, they went to a nearby longhouse to inform them of what they were about to do, leaving their boat with Apai Saloi in the cage.

More victims of Apai Saloi’s fraud

When he was left alone in the boat, a man named Sabungkok came sailing down towards Apai Saloi’s boat.

Sabungkok asked him what he was doing inside the cage.

“I will go into this water to see my deceased parents and relatives in the other world,” Apai Saloi answered.

Hearing this, Sabungkok also said that he would like to meet his deceased relatives.

Apai Saloi saw his chance for escape, telling Sabungkok, “If you want to see them like me, then open this cage and come inside with me.”

Believing Apai Saloi, the poor man quickly opened the door and entered the cage.

After he had entered, Apai Saloi left and sailed away in Sabungkok’s longboat.

Shortly after Apai Saloi left, Simpurai and his friends came to the boat. They threw the cage into the water, thinking Apai Saloi was inside it.

Some weeks later, Apai Saloi accidentally bumped into Simpurai and his friends.

They were surprised to see him alive. Again, Apai Saloi took this opportunity to trick them yet again. He told them he had met his parents and other dead relatives in the other world but was able to return safely to this world.

After listening to this, many wanted to see their dead families and friends just like Apai Saloi claimed to have done.

Many cages were made for the people who wanted to be thrown into the river. Unfortunately, all of them were drowned.

How Apai Saloi, the trickster, makes Loki look like a noob
Many drowned believing in Apai Saloi’s lies.

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The history of illegal gambling and chap ji kee in Sarawak

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More than a hundred years ago, chap ji kee or chap jee ki was a famous gambling game in Sarawak. Today, you can be thrown in jail for playing the illegal gambling game of chap ji kee.

What is chap ji kee

It is believed this game started in Johor in the early 1890s before spreading to Singapore, Malaya and eventually Sarawak.

Based on the 12 game pieces from Chinese chess, each piece was assigned a number.

The gamblers then lay bets on a combination of two numbers from 1 to 12. Hence, there were 144 possible combinations.

The numbers could also be replaced with other characters such as animals or Chinese characters.

There were few ways to bet; firstly one could bet on the combination of numbers in a particular order. Winners could earn winnings up to 100 times their bets.

Secondly, the gamblers could bet two numbers to appear in either order. Win this and you get paid up to 50 times the stake.

Or gamblers could bet on one single number from either draw and get paid 20 times their stakes.

Another popular form of playing chap ji kee involved gamblers placing their bets on gaming tables and using Chinese playing cards. This version was known as chap ji kee pangjang or long chap ji kee.

The history of illegal gambling and chap ji kee in Sarawak
The longer version of chap ji kee used Chinese playing cards in their bets. Photo by Pixabay.

At first, chap ji kee was played on a board or table with gamblers staking their bets in person.

Slowly, the game evolved into collecting bets from gamblers at their homes or on the street. This was to avoid detection of authorities who prohibited the game.

In Singapore, the game was called the “housewives’ opium”. Bored housewives turned to the game as a way of bringing more excitement into their lives and provide some distraction from their daily responsibilities.

Although the women in general did not play for high stakes, the little winnings they had was satisfactory enough to buy something nice for themselves or their children.

Chap ji kee in Sarawak

In Sarawak, gambling was legalised by the Brooke government since it provided a large revenue to the state.

Some historians believed that the Brooke government could hardly do without opium and gambling.

Apart from needing the money, it was also a way for the government to keep the activities under their radar.

Back then, the Brooke government would not have had enough resources to enforce any anti-gambling laws.

At first, these gambling dens, just like the opium farms, were run by the government.

On July 1, 1885 under the issue of the Farms Order, the government opened a tender to private contractors for periods of three years.

The first company to receive the tender was Ong Ewe Hai & Co. It had the exclusive rights to open and keep gambling houses. Furthermore, they were allowed to license the opening and keeping of gambling houses within the district from Tanjung Datu to the Sadong river.

Back then, the government even assigned two policemen to keep the peace at these gambling houses in Kuching.

At first, there was no restriction on the opening hours of these gambling houses or the age of gamblers.

So young and old were welcomed to throw in their money at any given time of the day.

Restrictions on gambling

By the late 1920s, Kuching Chinese community leaders started to petition the government to put tighter rules on gambling.

Finally, the government announced their tighter restrictions in a notice which was published in the Gazette on December 1928.

The notice stated that from 1st January, 1929, public gaming would only be permitted in the following streets in Kuching; Carpenter Street, India Street, Bishopsgate Street and China Street.

On top of that, chap ji kee and those under 16 years of age were not allowed to gamble in Kuching and throughout the first division.

1929 was also the year when public gambling in Kuching would only be allowed from 4pm to 6am.

By 1930, the prohibition of chap ji kee and of gambling by those under the age of 16 was extended to the whole of Sarawak.

If gambling was legal, why was chap ji kee illegal?

According to The Sarawak Gazette writer Loh Chee Yin, it was not surprising that chap ji kee was prohibited as it caused the greatest misery among the people.

“There is no skill in the game and the dividend is high – a $1 bet will give you a return of $10, and $10 will yield $100 and so on if you are lucky,” Loh wrote.

He continued, “I remember the scene of a Chap Jee Kee den operated at a shophouse along Wayang Street during Japanese occupation period. Twelve Chinese characters were painted on a table measuring about 5 feet by 8 feet.

“The banker sat on one side of the table with two assistants standing around. Twelve similar characters were carved on ‘chips’, which were kept in a sack made of thick cloth. The banker placed his hand inside the sack and selected the character he wanted by feeling with his finger, similar to the Braille used by the blind! The chip was then hidden inside a wooden box about the size of a match box, then placed on top of the table. Each better started to put his bet on the character that he thought was in the box. Finally the banker revealed his chips and paid accordingly. The result was written on a small blackboard hung up in front of the shop. One session took about fifteen minutes.”

Chap ji kee back then and today

Loh also shared stories of gamblers sleeping in the graves of their relatives in the hopes that the dead would reveal a favourable word or a result of a chap ji kee game.

“All dreams during the night were closely examined to see whether they had any relations to the twelve characters. The bankers in their turn, made offerings to their gods, asking for protection against the spirits which might reveal the secret of his words. In short; hell of a mess,” he shared.

While chap ji kee is still a form of illegal gambling to this day, the variation of this game might be still played in private and isolated circles today.

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An Iban legend about the immortal Garai and his blowpipe

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Here is an Iban legend from the Batang Ai area as recorded by N.S Haile on Aug 31, 1954 in the Sarawak Gazette.

A long time ago, there was an Iban Balau man named Garai.

One day, Garai went out hunting in the Klingkang Range with his blowpipe where he bumped into a very large spirit known as Antu Gayu.

Despite the blowpipe in the spirit’s hand, Garai was not frightened by Antu Gayu as he stood his ground.

Looking at Garai’s bravery, Antu Gayu challenged him, saying, “Let us see who can stick his darts into that rock. Whoever is successful will kill the other.”

Antu Gayu then pointed at a sheer sandstone cliff located in the Klingkang range.

Garai agreed, letting Antu Gayu go first.

While the spirit was selecting three of his strongest and sharpest darts, Garai excused himself and disappeared into the babas (bushes).

It did not take him long to find a pedalai tree from which he tapped some of the sticky rubber, and wound it around the tips of his darts before returning to the spirit.

Antu Gayu shot his three darts first. Although his darts were spirit darts which are much stronger and sharper than human darts, they still could not shatter the rock.

Meanwhile, Garai’s darts stuck into the rocks thanks to the pedalai rubber.

“It seems I’m the winner. You can see my darts have all stuck in. Well, nothing remains to be done but to kill you,” Garai said to the spirit.

The spirit immediately showed himself a coward as he tried to bargain for his life.

Garai’s reward after winning the competition

An Iban legend about the immortal Garai and his blowpipe

Antu Gayu tried to offer Garai some gold to which he replied he already had plenty.

The spirit then offered him some jars and gongs and Garai also said he had plenty.

“Well then, some medicine to make you a strong walker,” Antu Gayu said.

Garai responded, “I already am a strong walker, I can go farther and faster than anyone else in this area. I think it will be the best if I just kill you.”

Again, Antu Gayu negotiated offering him the charm that would make Garai irresistible to women.

To that Garai answered that he was a happily married man, so he did not need the charm.

Finally, the spirit offered him something that he took into consideration: eternal youth.

“You’ll never get old! Never die! What do you think of that?” Antu Gayu asked.

Garai in the end agreed, “If you can make me stay young forever, I won’t kill you.”

The Antu Gayu then produced a small knife and he asked Garai to swallow it.

After feeling assured that it would not cause him any harm, Garai did as the spirit told him to do.

“Now, you will never get old. Unless, you told anybody the reason for your everlasting youth and of how you put me to shame with your blowpipe, then you will die,” said the spirit.

How the immortal Garai spent his life

So Garai went on living his life day by day without getting older. When his wife got too old, with her consent he took a younger woman as his new wife. And he continued to outlive seven of his wives.

His grandchildren and great-grandchildren all became older than him.

Like all curious grandchildren, they wondered at his immortality, and begged him to let them know his secret. After being persuaded by them, the immortal Garai decided to tell them the truth, resigned himself to death.

But first, he asked them to prepare a big feast to celebrate the end of his life.

So pigs and chickens were killed and cooked while tuak (rice wine) were brewed.

Once all the feasting was done, Garai began to tell his story on how he gained his immortality.

As he finished his storytelling, the knife that he swallowed flew out from his throat.

Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and the immortal Garai met his end by being turned into stone. Shaped like a man but smaller, people began to call it “Batu Garai”.

Legend has it the stone is now kept by the people of Marakai in Kalimantan, and that it is locked in a chest. Some people believe it has extraordinary medicinal and therapeutic properties.

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Iban pregnancy taboos as recorded by Rev William Howell

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Born on Sept 15, 1856, Reverend William Howell was a Eurasian born to a Welsh engineer named Frederick Howell and a Malay woman.

He was raised in Kuching before he left for England to study at St Augustine’s College in Canterbury.

When he returned to Sarawak in 1878, he spent most of his life preaching in the Batang Lupar area.

While doing his missionary work, Rev Howell contributed many articles on Iban folklore, culture and language.

On March 16, 1910, he published an article in The Sarawak Gazette highlighting the pregnancy taboos practiced by Iban women in the olden days.

Apart from what have listed below, there were plenty other pregnancy taboos according to Howell “of a minor character which are not worth mentioning”.

Iban pregnancy taboos as recorded by Rev William Howell

Here is a list of Iban pregnancy taboos as recorded by Rev William Howell:

1.It is forbidden for husband and wife to cut off creepers that hang over the water or the road, or else the mother would suffer from hemorrhage after delivery.

2.It is forbidden to dam a stream, to plait rattan, to make a bubu (fish trap) and to drive a nail into a board, or else the woman would have difficulty in the delivery.

3.It is forbidden to pour out oil, or else the child would suffer from inflammation of the ears.

4.The husband and wife are forbidden from fixing the hilt of the parang for fear the child will be born deaf.

5.The expecting parents are not allowed to break an egg or else the child would be blind.

6.They are not allowed to plant banana plants or else the child would be blind.

7.The husband and wife are forbidden to burn the wood of the ficus to warm themselves or else the child would be dumb.

8.They are are forbidden to kill any animals or else the child would be deformed or have a nose bleed.

9.To scrape smooth the shell of a coconut is forbidden, or else the child’s hair would not grow.

10. Not to bring a freshwater turtle into the room, if not the child would not be born.

11.Never dye anything black, or the child will be black.

12.If the woman were to go anywhere, she must return by the same way so that her child should not know how it is to be delivered.

13.The expectant mother is forbidden to eat anything in a mosquito net or else the child will be a stillborn.

14.The expectant mother is not allowed to carry any stones or the child will be paralysed.

15.Speaking of stones, the pregnant mother is not allowed to cast stones into the water, or else the child will not be delivered and the mother will die.

16.Do not bend any piece of wood into a circle or else the child will not prosper.

Animal sacrifices to ensure smooth pregnancies

Overall, the whole period of an Iban woman’s pregnancy was filled with anxiety and fear that the bad spirits (antu) might assault her and her innocent baby.

For instance, a bad dream or a small accident such as a fall was considered a sign of incoming danger during her delivery. Hence, a fowl had to be sacrificed to appease the spirit.

Back then, it was common to hear women talking about how many fowls had been killed during her pregnancy.

Do you know any other olden Iban pregnancy taboos? Let us know in the comment box.

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How Dayak peacemaking ceremonies were carried out during the 19th century?

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Modern day peacemaking usually has some hand-shaking gesture and official announcement in front of the media if it has gathered public interest.

In 19th century Sarawak, peacemaking ceremonies back then were somehow more interesting.

It usually involved some kind of tajau (jar) being exchanged and sometimes even human sacrifice.

Here, KajoMag looks back at how Dayak peacemaking ceremonies were carried out in the olden days of Sarawak:
1.They rip each others’ harvests to the core.

This Dayak peacemaking method was reportedly practiced by people living along the Sadong river.

The first White Rajah James Brooke stated in his personal journal, “When peace is made between them, one tribe visits the other, in order to feast together; and on these occasions, whatever the number or visitors may be, they are at liberty to use the fruits of their hosts without hindrance. At their pleasure they strip the coconuts off the trees, devour and carry away as much as they can, without offence. Of course the hosts in turn become visitors, and pay in the same coin.

“All the Dayaks are remarkably tenacious of their fruit trees; but on the occasion of the feast, beside taking the fruit, the visitors fell one tree, as a symbol of good understanding; of course it is only once that such liberties are taken or allowed. At other times it would be an affront sufficient to occasion a war.”

A Dayak peacemaking ceremony that could cause another war did not exactly served its purpose. Perhaps that is the reason why the second White Rajah Charles Brooke put an end to this tradition during his reign.

2.They sacrificed a slave as a sign of peacemaking

Well, this is a Dayak peacemaking ceremony that you definitely will never see again.

Resident O.F. Ricketts once described a Murut peacemaking ceremony where a human sacrifice involved.

He wrote, “Occasionally feuds have been settled between two tribes, the aggressors having made full compensation in payment of jars, brassware, and two slaves. It was custom to kill one of these slaves to make up for the relative lost.”

3.They sacrificed some pigs

Charles witnessed many peacemaking ceremonies during his reign. One of them took place between the Ibans from Undup and from Dutch Borneo (Kalimantan).

During the ceremony, both sides agreed that the first to draw their weapon on another in the future must be fined eight jars.

Then they sacrificed some pigs with the blood sprinkled around the ceremony. Some even took the blood home to sprinkle at their houses. This was to wash away any evil tendencies there might be hanging in the atmosphere and to appease the spirits.

4.They exchanged weapons between themselves

Just like the Iban, the Kanowit people also sacrificed a pig during their peacemaking ceremonies.

Spenser St. John recorded, “A pig was placed between the representatives of two tribes who after calling down the vengeance of the spirits on those who broke the treaty, plunged their spears into the animal and then exchanged weapons.”

The representatives then bit each other’s blades to complete the ceremony.

5.They poured the blood of fowl on themselves

St. John also witnessed a ceremony where two men who were feuding would never look at each other even when they were in the same house.

He wrote, “They refused to cast their eyes upon each other till a fowl has been kill and the blood sprinkled over them.”

The second White Rajah recorded in his book Ten Years in Sarawak that although fowl was involved in the Dayak peacemaking ceremony, no blood was sprinkled over those who were present.

They waved fowls over the heads of the guests for those who came to the ceremony “to conduce to good and friendly feeling and to prevent either party from quarreling and fighting.”

How Dayak peacemaking ceremonies were carried out during the 19th century?
Dayak Festival in a traditional Longhouse, 1846, Dutch Borneo. Illustration by C.A.L.M. Schwaner. Credits: Public Domain.

Regardless of how the signs of peacemaking were made, the ceremony usually ended with festivities.

Do you know any other ways how Sarawakians hold their peacemaking ceremony in the olden days? Let us know in the comment box.

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