th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 1

Field Notes |
May 9th, 2016
\\ 11.00 WIB \\
From Pontianak (Supadio International Airport) to Putussibau, Kapuas Hulu (Pangsuma Airport).
\\ 12.00 WIB \\
Arrived to Pangsuma Airport, continue by taxi to terminal of bus in Putussibau. It takes +15 minutes
from airport.
From terminal of Bus, we use a small bus from putussibau to go to our destination Sungai Utik
(ibans village). It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes from putussibau to Sungai Utik.
\\13.15\\
Arrived to Sungai Utik. Take a walk about 5 minutes to the Ibans longhouse of Sungai Utik.
We met Remang (Raymundus Remang, about 40 years old - we called him Pak Remang) as
Administrative Headman of Sungai Utik Longhouse1 , and we stay in Pak remangs house (room). We
also meet Apai Kudi (Father of Pak Remang, + 70 years old) and also Apai Janggut as an indigenous
leaders of Sungai Utik village/longhouse.
After that, we found one man make traditional tattoo. There are some famous and popular
traditional motif such as Bunga Terong, Buah Andu, Ketam Bahu, Engkabang Rarah, and Ukir degok.

One village mean one long house

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 2

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 3

And the last (oicture below) named Ukir Degok. Ukir degok made in neck. This tatto is a special
symbol. If an human want to make it, they have to do some ritual before make it with some
requirements consists:
- Anak Jaguk (small crock), salt, tobacco, iron (in the ritual, the man who want to make it had
to bit the iron, to be strong as iron),
All of the requirements used in this ritual to invoke protection, safety, happiness and long life from
God, for the man who create this tattoo and the man who tattooed.

\\19.25\\

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 4

Move to another village, to record a balian or bemanang ritual (the curing illness ritual / shamanic)
in Dusun Pulan, Desa Batu Lintang, Kecamatan Embaloh Hulu, RT 01/RW 01, Kapuas Hulu West
Kalimantan. It takes 10 minutes from Sungai Utik Longhouse to Pulan Longhouse by car.
There are three types of bemanang ritual.
1. Manang Sirang (using spirits languange, most take very long time)
2. Manang Melayu (using malay languange and sometimes using islamic word)
3. Manang Iban (most simple, no pawang, no musician. Manang using Iban languange)
First time we met Jawang (Vinsensius Jawang, 48 years old) to ask and permission to documented
the ritual.
This ritual is the second time / days, those already held since a day before.
\\19.45\\
[Preparing the audio and video installation].
A shaman was lying on the floor, waiting for preparation the requirements of ritual. A ritual conduct
by a manang (shaman) and a pawang (diviner/translater/assistant for the manang). The shamans
name is Ibu Lit, and the pawangs name is Pak Iya. Both of them come from Laok Rugun village,
and they dont know exactly about their age (both of them +70 years old). It also involved two
musicians play a tawak (gong) and a tubung (percussion/drum). The patient is a women who has
sick about 1 week and they said that she couldnt curing by Doctor, so they use traditional-curing
ritual to heal her.
For the tawak (gong), diameter = 19 centimeter. The tubung, diameter = 8 cm, length of tubung = 74
cm.
\\19.55\\
[Ritual was began.]
The manang (shaman) use some accessories in her head. She speak using languange of spirit (bahasa
roh) named besirang, recitative like with the pawang whilst sit in papan ayon manang (swing). There
arent people understood the languange except the pawang (translater/diviner). So, It is function of
pawang.
Then, Both of them prepare and check the requirements of ritual even talking each other by
besirang. While they check the requirements, musicians play the music using a gong and tubung
(hand drum).
The requirements consist:
1. Mayos Pinang
Pinang is betel palm. It is very important thing in this ritual. Mayos Pinang / Tongkol pinang
covered by seludang / spatha (seath or spathe of inflorescence of palm tree). In the end of ritual,
the manang (shaman) will see the inflorescence inside the spathe, because it will determine the
result of ritual using manangs magical view.
2. Pandong Manang
The pandong manang placed in the center of ritual place. It known as tiang tengah (center pillar),
consist of Bayans branch and foliage.
3. Papan Ayon Manang
It is a swing where the manang (shaman) and her assistant (pawang) sit together whilst ritual is
held.

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 5

4. Sabang Leaves
Sabang Leaf or cordyline is one of important requirement in this ritual.
5. Pulut (glutinous rice), rendai, tumpi, chicken, jawa, lingkau lesit, pulut itam (black glutinous rice);
all of them put into the plates
6. Water, coffee, arak, beram, tuak. Also Cigar
The requirements in 5th (Pulut, etc.) put in plates, they are use 9 plates in this ritual. Some
requirements put in square basket named kelingkang manang. They are shaping some dolls,
symbolized the bad spirit.

\\20.20\\
After manang finish check the requirements with pawang, both of them take the position to papan
ayon manang (swing) and still besirang (speaking using spirits languange).
Then, manang remove the accessories in her head and put the cloth in her head, like a veil. They
swinging the papan ayon manang. At the same time, they are besirang.
After that, the manang (shaman) cover her head with the cloth and get unconscious for a few
minute in papan ayon manang. At this moment, the pawang still besirang and waiting for entered by
spirit / transcendence.
Then, few minute later she (manang) wake up.
She goes to inside room where the patient lie down for some minutes. (I dont know exactly because
I was in the outside at this time).
When she finished, she back to outside and healing another patient. The other patient is neighbour
and live in same longhouse. In this ritual sometimes another people who has sickness could
participate in this ritual, beside primary patient.
\\21.06\\
After finish all of curing/healing in this session, again, she is singing in recitative (besirang) to speak
with the spirits. She seat again in the papan ayon manang.

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 6

She repeats cover her face/head with her cloth. At this moment, she sleep and become
transcendence, entered by another spirit.
When she was sleep, pawang then besirang to call another spirit. Then, She wake up with another
spirit.
Everytime she wake up, pawang always gives her welcome drink such as coffee, tuak, beram, or
arak for the spirits, sometime also with cigar depend on the spirit.
Pawang goes outside and throw away the beram (traditional alcohol), the purpose is to call the
spirits .
The step of ritual then repeated, depends on the shaman.
The Scheme of the rituals

\\ \\
Although the ritual scheme is repetitive, but the curing ways had different ways, also different stuff
depends on the spirits.
There are several moment which pawang dancing and use music. Usually before dancing, she use
the ornaments in her head. While musicians playing the music, manang will dance. But shaman only
dance while musicians play the right music. If not, she will be angry.
Usually the tune called Tebah Ajat, played by a tawak / gong and a tubung (drum).
While manang dancing, some men sourround the shaman and pawang throw the rice , following
manangs step. They do that because while dancing, usually she fainting suddenly/fall to the floor
and they (the men) will track her down.

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 7

After that, repeat to the scheme ----

May 10th, 2016

\\ 00.19\\
manang got one stone and she shows it to pawang and some people. Then pawang put an oil light
behind the stone to see something inside the stone

Usually, the manang collect the stone like this. To my knowledge, the stone comes from magical
power. And it used to healing the sickness.
\\ 01.00 \\
In the end of ritual, all of the people include manang and pawang do a late-dinner together (I forget
the name of late-dinner of this ritual in Iban languange Pak remang also told it to us, I think Ken
write it).
Break .
\\ 04.00 \\
The ritual was begin again in the early morning, manang besirang ( we still sleep, wake up on 5.30)

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 8

\\05.48\\
Preparing to forest / to the farm, to healing the farm. The manang told to pawang that the patient
has a mistake to the spirit who lives in the forest/farm. She (patient) disturb the spirits that live in
the forest with her activity (to my knowledge, it is because carelessly she burned something in her
farm in forest), so manang has to healing the farm also.
\\ 06.18 \\
Go to forest/farm. Its not too far from longhouse and take about 5 minutes.
Along the way to forest, the manang still besirang accompanied by music (gong/tawak and
tubung/percussion). Both of musicians play the tune named tebah ajat.
Both of musician are old women. Ibu Siti is play Tubung and Ibu Siman play tawak. Both of them are
about + 70 years old.
\\ 06.23 \\
Arrive to the forest, and we are stop in front of a big tree. Then pawang with some people prepare
the requirements. They spread a mat on the grass, and put the requirements on it. After that ritual
was begin. She lying down in the mat and cover her body with the cloth. Then pawang besirang call
the spirits. And Wake up. (like the scheme, but not use the swing)
Manang use her properties in her head. She takes some sabang leaves and mayos pinang, hold it.
Manang walked around the big tree while besirang and waved the leaves. Then, she takes a chicken
and she slaughtered it. The chicken blood is collected in a bowl. She only use the chicken blood for
the ritual.
Again, she walked around the big tree and besirang. She also splashed the chicken blood to the big
tree using sabang leaves and mayos pinang.
After that, people burn the chicken, then eat it together. Manang share arak to the people around in
the forest.
\\ 07:57 \\
Back to the longhouse. And continue healing process to the patient. In this ritual the patient is better
than before. She can sit outside together and follow the ritual.
Manang still besirang and do many thing. The ritual concludes by look into mayos pinang which still
covered by the spathe, to know the result of ritual. If the mayos pinang seems good and fresh or
young, Its mean good, and vice versa.
At the end, they found the good mayos pinang, and the ritual ends by good result.
To remember, one day before (may 8th), they held a ritual, but they found bad result. So, they repeat
it on the next day (9th)
\\ 11.00 \\
Finish the healing ritual. People unload the center pillar (pandong manang) and bring to outside
longhouse. Manang / Pawang cut the swing.
\\ 11.30 \\
Now, time to pull out the spirit from the body and Pawang besirang to call manangs spirit back to
her body. She lying on the floor and people covered her with the cloth.

th

th

Field Notes | May 9 12 , 2016 9

In this time, they have to make sure that no one rice tacked on manangs body. If it happened,
manangs spirits can not back to her soul.
\\ 11.46 \\
Manangs spirit already back. Ritual has done.
\\ 12.00 \\
Lunch and and talking about the ritual with pawang and manang in Pak Jawangs house
(Unfortunately, I still dont have time to do transcripction for the recording)
\\ 12.55 \\
Back to Sungai Utik.

\\ 16.00 \\
Apai Janggut told that there are no gong maker in Iban village in sungai utik. Most of them buy the
gong from malaysia, or legacy from family.
About Bunga terong, Bunga has special mean. He also said that all living thing come from bunga
(flower) as analogy. The scheme based on thougt of Apai Janggut is
Flower Fruit Tree --- Flower
Also with human and animal.
Terong (Terung in Bahasa Indonesia, Eggplant in English) also special thing and symbol in Iban
people. Eggplant leaves also has a meaning and story.
At first, sky and earth are one. And someone separates it use a long stick. In the top and beneath
point of stick, he put eggplant leaves . And since that, sky and eart are separate. (Im looking for this
history)
[ Another translation, recording are not yet transcribed ]

May 11th, 2016

In the morning, all of women in Sungai Utik Longhouse gathered to make Beram (brem) for gawai.
Before that, they held a ritual to to ask for safety, sustenance, and blessings from God.
They make beram with traditional way. Four women using a pestle in a mortar. Their pounding rice
in a pestle alternately, and cause rhythmic.

[ Another translation, recording are not yet transcribed ]