Tales from the Countryside by Luke Pihee JohengReview by Tom McLaughlin Borneohistory.net A Bidayuh Journey Tales from the Countryside is a beautiful book about the origins and coming of age of a Bidayuh resident in Kampung Stass and the history of the Malaysian Indonesian Confrontation. Chapter one tells of the oral history of the origins […]
Bidayuh Kampong Life Read More »
Since I arrived here 12 years ago, I have heard of the stories about the Mouse Deer. I wanted to find examples, but the stories in English were all prohibitively expensive. Finally, a few months ago, a volume appeared in Ireland and was termed a “reading copy.” I jumped on it. When it arrived three
KOKOK of Beluran This spirit takes the form of a monster human being. It has long straggling hair with the upper lip being deformed and hangs over the jaw. When it wants to eat, it has to lift the upper lip to put food in its mouth. Many people have disappeared and been found days
The Saga of the Child of Padan Sigau (A Sebob Saga) Padan Sigau lived at Tebau Na-a A man of great renown He married a lady called Bungan from Alo Mara They had a child, the child of Bungan who was born at Tebau Na-A A very brave lad he proved to be an expert
Tom’s Note: This article was hard to read and decipher as well as being long. I read it over three times coming back to sections several times. Please remember these are old beliefs and do not reflect the Melanau of today. The earth is an egg riding on the horns of a water buffalo. When
Melanau Beliefs and Crocodile Stories Read More »
Tom’s Note: This piece was written in 1978 about the Gawai Mpijog Rantau Festival for the first clearing of the padi (rice) fields. It was supposed to be filmed by Professor Geddes who made a contribution of pigs, fish, eggs etc. worth RM1000 but the camera broke down. The article states the celebration was conducted
Former Bidayuh Customs Read More »
Melanau Tale On the Oya river, a few bends above Tamin and just below Skuau, there once lived two brothers whose Chieftain father had died. Both were still young, kind to everyone in the village and good at every undertaking. The elder of the two was elected to succeed his father and was acclaimed by
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The Selako are one of the dyak groups living in Lundu between Malaysia and Indonesia on the border. Batang Saka ‘ampat is a cluster of about 20 houses. (1978) After the birth of the child, the umbilical cord is cut off off by the midwife (bidan) with a bamboo splint. (panatak pusat) The child is
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Each evening, my wife and sit out on our balcony on the 20th floor of the Riverine Condo. We often light a candle, have dinner and discuss the days’ passing. This is our time. After sunset, we see a boat and a man circling the above buoy. He usually has a head lamp on and
Sarawak River Fishing Read More »
Note: This is a first person essay which I have abbreviated to fit the Internet form of reading. Enjoy ! I arrived in Kuching at the end of October, 1971. The monsoon season had just brought the first and longer lasting rains of the wet season. What was I doing in Sarawak? “everything about Tarsius”.
