Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo A Record of Intimate Association with the Natives of the Bornean Jungles

Dyak fairy-tales and legends—I. DANJAI AND THE WERE-TIGER’S SISTER—II. THE STORY OF SIU, who first taught the Dyaks to observe the omens of birds—III. PULANG GANA, and how he ca...

There are occasions when one who has lived among a people like the Dyaks, and has learnt to know and to love them, looks forward into the coming years and tries to picture what...

Among the Dyaks a whole village, consisting of some twenty or thirty families, or even more, live together under one roof. This village house is built on piles made of hard wood...

_Manangs_ supposed to possess mysterious powers over evil spirits—Dyak theory of disease—Treatment of disease—_Lupong_, or box of charms—_Batu Ilau_—_Manang_ performances—_Pagar...

Up-country mission schools—Education—The Saribas Dyaks eager to learn—School programme—What the boys were taught—Some schoolboy reminiscences—A youthful Dyak _manang_—The story...

Certain religious observances—_Petara_, or gods—Singalang Burong, the god of war—Pulang Gana, the god of the soil—Salampandai, the maker of men—_Mali_, or taboo—Spirits—Girgasi,...

Courtship—Discussion where the married couple are to live—The fetching of the bride—The wedding ceremony—_Mlah Pinang_—Visit of bride to her mother-in-law—Bride’s dress—Bridegro...

the enemy’s country before the marriage-feast of any great Chief could be held. The head brought home need not be that of a man; the head of a woman or a child would serve the p...

Life beyond the grave—Wailings—Rice strewn on the dead man’s chest—The professional wailer—Feeding the dead—Carrying the dead—The grave—Articles buried with the dead—_Baiya_—Fir...

The itinerant missionary—Visit to a Dyak house—Reception—Cooking—Servants—The meal—Teaching the Dyaks—Christians—Services—Prayer-houses—Offertory—Reception of the missionary—Dan...

General remarks—Kind to children—Industrious—Frugal—Honest—Two cases of theft—Curses—Honesty of children—Truthful—Curious custom—_Tugong Bula_—Hospitable—Morals—Desire for child...

As has already been shown in the preceding chapter, the Dyak looks to the _manang_, or witch-doctor, to help him in all cases of illness. All sickness is caused by some evil spi...

Seven omen birds—Other omen animals—Omens sought before beginning rice-farming—House-building omens—Substitutions for omens—Good and bad omens in farming—A dead animal—Means of...

Bornean jungles—A picture from the past—Unsettled life—Sudden attacks—Head-hunting—Pirates—Malay pirates—Dyak pirates—Sir James Brooke—The _Royalist_—Rajah Muda Hassim—Rajah of...

Though the Dyak feasts differ in their aims, there is a great deal which seems to be common to them all. The social character of all these feasts seems to be of more importance...

Social position of the women—Dyak food—Meals—Cooking food in bamboo—Law with regard to leaving a Dyak house—Rule of the headman—A Dyak trial—Power of the headman in old days—Dya...

Sea Dyak stories—_Ensera_—_Kana_—The mouse-deer and the tortoise—Klieng—Kumang—Apai Saloi—The cunning of the mouse-deer—The mouse-deer and other animals who went out fishing—The...

The Couvade among the Dyaks—Harm to the child—Ways of evading these restrictions—Punishment for violating these restrictions—A Christian woman’s ideas on the subject—Witch docto...

The word “Dyak”—Other native races in Sarawak—_Milanaus_— _Kayans_—_Kinyehs_—Cruelty—_Ukits_—_Bukitans_—_Punans_— _Seru_—Sea Dyaks—Land Dyaks—The appearance of the Sea Dyak—Men’...

Trial by ordeal—Diving contests—A diving contest in Krian—A Dyak superstition—Names—Fruit found by the pathway—Circumcision—Fishing and hunting superstition—Madness—Leprosy—Time...

The Dyaks are very fond of singing, and it is no unusual thing to hear some solitary boatman singing as he paddles along. Weird beyond words, and yet possessing a quaint rhythm,...

Most of the Sea Dyaks live on the banks of the rivers, so that travelling is usually done by boat. The lower reaches of the river have very swift tides, against which it is impo...

The Dyak is fond of travel, and, like other people, loves to visit foreign countries and to return and relate his adventures to his stay-at-home friends. He is always at home in...

At certain times of the year the Dyaks are very busy at their farms, and go to work early in the morning, and do not return till late at night. But they have their slack times,...

Head-hunting—Women an incentive—Gruesome story—Marriage of Dyak Chiefs—Legend—Some customs necessitating a human head—A successful head-hunter not necessarily a hero—A dastardly...

Certain religious observances—_Petara_, or gods—Singalang Burong, the god of war—Pulang Gana, the god of the soil—Salampandai, the maker of men—_Mali_, or taboo—Spirits—Girgasi,...

Head-hunting—Women an incentive—Gruesome story—Marriage of Dyak Chiefs—Legend—Some customs necessitating a human head—A successful head-hunter not necessarily a hero—A dastardly...

Life beyond the grave—Wailings—Rice strewn on the dead man’s chest—The professional wailer—Feeding the dead—Carrying the dead—The grave—Articles buried with the dead—_Baiya_—Fir...

The couvade among the Dyaks—Harm to the child—Ways of evading these restrictions—A Christian woman’s ideas on the subject—Witch-doctors and their methods—The waving of a fowl—Tr...

Seven omen birds—Other omen animals—Omens sought before beginning rice-farming—House-building omens—Substitutions for omens—Good and bad omens in farming—A dead animal—Means of...

Social position of the women—Dyak food—Meals—Cooking food in bamboo—Laws with regard to leaving a Dyak house—Rule of the headman—A Dyak trial—Power of the headman in old days—Dy...

Courtship—Discussion where the married couple are to live—The fetching of the bride—The wedding ceremony—_Mlah Pinang_—Visit of the bride to her mother-in-law—Bride’s dress—Brid...

_Manangs_ supposed to possess mysterious powers over evil spirits—Dyak theory of disease—Treatment of disease—_Lupong_, or box of charms—_Batu Ilau_—_Manang_ performances—_Pagar...

Bornean jungles—A picture from the past—Unsettled life—Sudden attacks—Head-hunting—Pirates—Malay pirates—Dyak pirates—Sir James Brooke—the _Royalist_—Rajah Muda Hassim—Rajah of...

The itinerant missionary—Visit to a Dyak house—Reception—Cooking—Servants—The meal—Teaching the Dyaks—Christians—Services—Prayer-houses—Offertory—Reception of the missionary—Dan...

Dyak fairy tales and legends—I. DANJAI AND THE WERE-TIGER’S SISTER—II. THE STORY OF SIU, who first taught the Dyaks to observe the omens of birds—III. PULANG GANA, and how he ca...

Up-country mission schools—Education—The Saribas Dyaks eager to learn—School programme—What the boys were taught—Some schoolboy reminiscences—A youthful Dyak _manang_—The story...

General remarks—Kind to children—Industrious—Frugal—Honest—Two cases of theft—Curses—Honesty of children—Truthful—Curious custom—_Tugong Bula_—Hospitable—Morals—Desire for child...

Sea Dyak stories—_Ensera_—_Kana_—The mouse-deer and the tortoise—Klieng—Kumang—Apai Saloi—The cunning of the mouse-deer—The mouse-deer and other animals who went out fishing—The...

Trial by ordeal—Diving contests—A diving contest at Krian—A Dyak superstition—Names—Fruit found by the pathway—Circumcision—Fishing and hunting superstition—Madness—Leprosy—Time...

The word “Dyak”—Other native races in Sarawak—_Milanaus_— _Kayans_—_Kinyehs_—Cruelty—_Ukits_—_Bukitans_—_Punans_— _Seru_—Sea Dyaks—Land Dyaks—The appearance of the Sea Dyak—Men’...