Tom’s note: These stories are from the headman of the upper class of the Leppo Tan Kenyah in 1959.
Improper Pregnancy
In ancient times, whenever a Kenyah woman was found to be with a child without a responsible man, the woman was sent far away into the forest where she had to stay alone in an open-sided hut erected for her. While confined there, any man could and did shoot at her with earthen open pellets from her blowpipe. This was to frighten all other women so that no one would do this kind of thing on their own. However, this treatment by blowpipe lasted only one day. When the woman delivers the baby it is killed by the mother. (Could this be because the woman may have copulated with an evil spirit from the unseen world ?)
The punishment could be invoked if a better class of girl was impregnated by a low-class person or a slave who was unacceptable in marriage to his parents. In that case, he ran the risk of being killed.
The reason why the Kenyah hates this kind of thing is that it makes the whole tribe sial. That is, it exposes the tribe to evil spirits. They may not find sufficient padi, fish and animal food or perhaps be defeated in a war against their enemies.
Nowadays (1945) the woman is only fined. She has to give two young pigs of medium size together with three full-grown chickens. These animals and birds were killed by a ruling of the aristocrats in the space outside the village. The killing, to store the blood, must be done in the opened-out skin of a banana trunk.
When these animals have been killed, all men of the longhouse have to tread in the blood with their feet to clean themselves spiritually and to pray to the universal gods and spirits not to be angry with them.
No one can eat the meat of these animals. It is placed on a special altar known as a techalk. After they return home from these ceremonies, they are not allowed to work until the next day.
Punished by new food
Long ago, according to ancestors, they ate only padi leaves. They cooked these for food. This happened in the days of the ancestor Akah Lorak. Later, they discontinued eating the cooked padi leaves due to the following incident: One day, a certain man entered his friend’s room to get a fire. At the time, the owner of the room was cooking the padi leaves for food. When he came in, the visitor straightaway opened the lid of the pot. He found that part of the leaves had turned into the rice while the other parts turned into leaves.
Then said the man who cooked: “up to now man ate padi leaves. In future, you will eat rice, because you have opened my cooking pot.” The man who cooked was angry at his friend who had opened the lid of the pot.
From that day onward, no man ever ate cooked padi leaves. This is how padi leaves became rice. No one knows quite why to this day.
Turning to Stone
Long, long ago there were two very closely related Kayan chiefs by the name of Ngau Wan and his nephew, Koleh Lalang Auang, who declared war against each other due to a drum dispute.
Koleh died in battle. His followers all fled south to the Mahakam River. When they came to the midpoint between the Batang Kayan and the Mahakam River, they felt troubled to leave their beloved village. So they settled halfway.
They gathered together dogs and cats that they got to copulate together. While the animals were doing this, it was so funny they broke into laughter. Instantly, the bright horizon changed to black and heavy rain began to fall. Thus, the house in which they lived immediately turned to stone and became Balio Batu.
This place is still in the Mahakam and is commonly known as Batu Kelau’. No human figures were seen on the rock; they are said to have been trapped inside the structure. The rock is regarded as a “picture” of the original longhouse.
A waterfall situated not far from Batu Kelau’ is known as Batu Alok. Generations ago, whoever passed this waterfall had to sing “O Lemalok, O Lemalok”, taking the proper time to respect this stone.
From: Enjok, Pabit Three Lepo Tau Punishment Stories in the Sarawak Museum Journal December 1965
Our book Sarawak River Valley Early Times to 1840 is available as an e-book on Amazon.com