Notes from Benedict Sandin Sources of Iban Traditional History published by the Sarawak Museum Journal 1994
Sumatra
Suriani and I have maintained the Iban came from Sumatra.
On page 140 n.2 “The question of where the Iban originated is largely unanswerable. On linguistic grounds, it has been frequently argued, that, as Malayic speaking people, the original home land of the Iban is probably outside of Borneo, most likely eastern Sumatra. …It is now considered probable that South western Borneo as well as Sumatra, was part of the original homeland of the Proto Malay language. The language from which all modern Malayic languages and dialects developed”.
We also have “Patinggi Gurang, a Sumatran ancestor…” Sandin p. 152
Coupled with the genetic evidence and explorations into Austroasiatic areas there is high probably that the Iban came from Sumatra.
The Flood
There is now considerable evidence that a tsunami struck Santubong. The discovery of a boulder with seashells embedded in the surface 2 km away from the sea,(Sahari and McLaughlin) the oral history as related by Sahari and McLaughlin (Sarawak River Valley p. 58-62) and the following from Sandin “a great number of tortoises came out of the water and attacked the Dyaks and other people, killing a great many of them…Garfish came out of the water and attacked human beings” leads credence to the Iban version of a flood. (Sandin p. 79)
Reason for the migrations
I have always been interested in what started the migrations. Sandin gives an interesting answer.p. 89-90
“…Arab traders arrived in a sailing ship from Jeddah. They gave the Iban and other people a Kayung cloth in exchange for rice. This was the first time the Iban had ever seen woven cloth. …Some years later, another group of Arabs came to Kayung. These Arabs preached the religion of Islam. Many people were converted to this new faith, including a considerable number of Iban. Those who refused to be converted were threatened with prosecution or were expelled from Kayong…After the Arabs had left Kalimatan for other countries in the region, the leaders of the Iban became disunited. Some said they and their followers would join the new religion, but the majority would not. Due to this disagreement, those who would not be converted moved upriver in great numbers, while those who were prepared to accept Islam stayed at Kayung….The Iban …who had adopted the Islamic religion began to call themselves Malay of Pontianak, Sampit, Kayung, Suka Dana and Sambas {Malays}. In time, they began to marry the new Malays from who had come to Kalimatan as traders from Meningkabau. (Sumatra) Eventually these people became farmers.”
The date was probably in the early 1300’s when Sunan Gresik began spreading Islam in north coastal Java.
The Laws
Another interesting fact about the Iban are the rules and regulations. These include rules for burying the dead p.94, war regulations p. 97, rules regarding adultery p. 97, obeying the call of the omen birds p. 108-109, the old laws of Singalang Burong (?)p.137, the spirits of the kitchen p.130, and rules for building longhouses p. 160.
In our book, the Batu Bergambar also represents a set of laws imposed by the first ruler of Santubong to punish the violators, but they have not been recorded anywhere. The oral history just says the punishment for violating the laws. Could the Iban have had a set of rules that resulted in the Bergambar? Yet Sadin does not record a set of laws for society to follow.
The names populated throughout Sandin and Sahari tell of two distinct groups. They indicate the Malays arrived in Sarawak in the ~800’s while the Ibans arrived at the mouth of the Kapuas river valley in the ~1200’s.The arrival of the Malays together with the Ibans in Sarawak from the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in ~535 is not recorded in this publication by Sandin.
I found these and thought they may be of interest to my readers.
Rules for Burying the Dead Sandin 94-95
- Immediately after death the corpse must be washed and dressed in its best clothes. After this, the forehead is marked with three yellow spots of tumeric. It is then placed on the porch (ruai) where it is placed in an enclosure of woven blankets measuring a meter of each side.
2. The next day, food must be offered to the corpse before it is placed in the coffin. The coffin is buried deep underneath the earth.
3. Returning from the burial ground, the deceased room must be closed especially at night. Dark in this world means its bright in the other world.
4. A ritual fire must be lit where food is placed for three evenings. The reason for this is that there is a fear the dead person might stray up to the longhouse and disturb the souls of the living.
5. For the same three days, an old woman will be appointed to eat black rice(asi chelom)which is an allowance for food during the period for mourning: black rice in this world is white in the other.
6. The sacred mourning jar is not to be opened except by a warrior who has managed to obtain a head, or by any man who can present a human head which he obtained in a fight; or by a man who has returned from a sojourn in enemy country.
7. After the mourning period has expired, a special feast known as Gawai Rugan or Gawai Antu must be held as the last ceremony. No widow or widower may remarry or anoint himself or herself with perfumes, coloured powder or dress himself in coloured garments. If such things happen, the offender will be brought before the chiefs and fined.(Sandin p. 94-95)
War Regulations Sandin 97-98
1. If a war leader leads a party on an expedition, he must not allow his warriors to fight a guiltless tribe which have no quarrel with them.
2. If the enemy surrenders he may not take their lives because his army will be unsuccessful in future warfare and will fight empty-handed in war raids. (balang kayau)
3. The first time a warrior takes a head or captures a prisoner, he must present the head or captive to the war leader in acknowledgement of the latter’s leadership.
4. If a warrior takes two heads or two captives or more, one of each must be given to the war leader.
5. The war leader must be honest with his followers in order that in the future wars may not be defeated. (alah bunoh)
Rules of Sex (Sandin p. 98)
1. No one is allowed to commit adultery.
2. If a man has sex with the wife of the war leader, both will be fined $14.00.
3. If a man has sex with a well-known warriors wife (bini manok sabong), he and the women will be fined $12.00
4. After a person’s death, the wife or husband of the deceased is to be known as balu, widow or widower.
5. If a person has sex with a widow or widower it is a great sin known as butang antu. The offenders are to be fined.
6. No widow or widower may remarry until after his or her deceased spouse has been honoured with a payment of a small fine.
7. If a widow has sex with a widower, it is a great sin, known as ngemulu antu. The offenders will be fined.
8. Any person marrying a widow or widower commits a great sin. (I guess this is outside #6)
9. If a widower marries a widow within the tunkun api period, that is a week after the death of the husband or wife , he/ she commits a great sin and will be fined very heavily.
10. When a man marries a woman, her family must always demand a marriage fee from him, the bung pinang
Rules of the Kitchen Sandin p. 130-131.
1. If a man has completed his house and does not cook food on the hearth he has made, he must produce one knife, one adze and two chickens. He will be fined one dollar and a jarlet.
2. If a man has completed his house, but has not made the kitchen according customary law, his negligence may cause the members of the household ill-fortune. He will be fined one panding which equals $2, plus one knife, one chicken and one jarlet.
3. Rice must be cooked in the kitchen at full moon and the appearance of the new moon.
4. If any member of the longhouse does not obey the kitchen rules, he or she shall be fined two chickens, one knife and one adze.
5. Should anyone in the longhouse fall sick because someone has not cooked in his or her kitchen as required by customary law, the offender must kill a sow that has once given birth to piglets and must produce one nyabor knife and one jarlet.
More from Sandin’s book at a later time