Perham notes the alternative names for the Gawai Kenyalang (‘Hornbill
Festival’) as Gawai Burong (‘Bird Feast’) or Gawai Pala (‘Head Feast’)
(1878: 123). It was apparently held after obtaining an enemy head and
Sengalang Burong and the omen birds were invited. However, Gomes states
that the feast was being increasingly organized to celebrate a good harvest
(1911: 210-214). Freeman points out that it was held prior to a head-hunting
raid to ensure victory over the enemy (1960:99-100), but today these
festivals are held by men ‘seeking social prestige’, and/or to remove bad
luck from the village (Kedit, 1969: 143).
V. King Unity, formalism and structure: Comments … – KITLV journals
on May 3, 2013 at 1:55 am | Reply uwa1971
Nuju bala sebuat
Nama Gawai meri burong makai ti disebut di baroh tu sama ngau Gawai Burong tauka Gawai Kenyalang kini?
“The birds are here contemplated as in company with the Dyak, ordering
his life, and giving effect to his labour ; and the invocation and offering are
to impetrate their favour. Another function in which the cultus of these
winged creatures comes out distinctly is the festival which is described as
mri burong makai, giving the birds to eat, that is, giving them an offering. It
may be said to be a minor festival in honour of Singalang Burong and his
sons-in-law, the omen spirit-birds. The sacrifice, which follows upon the
usual invocation, is divided into two portions ; one of which is suspended
over the roof-ridge of the house, and the other upon the edge of the tanju, or
drying platform, which fronts every Dyak village-house.”
on April 25, 2013 at 2:21 am | Reply js
Nama gawai ti disebut di baroh tu kini? Pala tak empai dikerok alu baru disalai. Enchanboh Arong kini?
Amat bisi urang ngambi tangkap anak tuai musoh ti baru didengah sida alu anak tangkap nyak ngelala pala niang apai indai sida? Enda orau ka anak tangkap nyak malaska niang apai indai iya kini enti udah besai?
The feast was laid on a raised platform along the side of the room. There were a good many ornaments of the betel-nut palm, plaited into ingenious shapes, standing about the table, so that I did not at first remark anything else. As we English folks could not eat fowls roasted in their feathers, nor cakes fried in cocoa-nut oil, they brought us fine joints of bamboo filled with pulut rice, which turns to a jelly in cooking and is fragrant with the scent of the young cane.
I was just going to eat this delicacy when my eyes fell upon three human heads standing on a large dish, freshly killed and slightly smoked, with food and sirih leaves in their mouths. Had I known them when alive I must have recognized them, for they looked quite natural. I looked with alarm at Mab, lest she should see them too; then we made our retreat as soon as possible.
But I dared say nothing. These Dyaks had killed our enemies, and were only following their own customs by rejoicing over their dead victims. But the fact seemed to part them from us by centuries of feeling our disgust, and their complacency.
Some of them told us that afterwards, when they brought home some of the children belonging to the slain, and treated them very kindly, wishing to adopt them as their own, they were annoyed at the little ones standing looking up at their parents’ heads hanging from the roof, and crying all day, as if it were strange they should do so! Yet the Dyaks are very fond of children, and extremely indulgent to them. Our school was recruited after the war by the children of Chinese, bought by Government from their captors.
This was my first and last visit to a Dyak feast. I used to go and see the women in the early morning sometimes, and they constantly came up to the mission-house to see my children. Of course the war had an evil influence on them, increasing their interest in heads, and all the heathen ceremonies connected with their possession. Unquote
on April 23, 2013 at 6:37 pm | Reply js
Tabi basa agai bala mayuh
Nama gawai kalingkang (renggat Gawai Burong ti keterubah iya) tu dikumbai urang Gawai Kalingkang Tuah?
Gawai Kalingkang Tuah tu sebaka ngau Gawai Tuah kini? Bisi bala ulih nyemetakke runding tu.
Tu iya maia bealu-alu nama ke tuah kebilik pengudah babi mati (di tanju ti ditelik pemanah atau ngau empedu iya). Udahnya baru sida munuh babi di bilik. Ti dikumbai babi tuah, mina tau diempa di biliknya enda tau dibai kebilih bukai endang udah pantang ari kelia munya.
Baka nya meh gaya lebuh maia kitai nuduk ka gawai kelingkang tuah. Ila aku nusi baru nganti udah bulih sumber ti nyentuk agi.
on April 22, 2013 at 6:02 pm | Reply js
It seems you did not mention the activity to put on the hornbill statue on the ritual post for Gawai Kenyalang:
After the bards have finished chanting their ritual songs, the feast chief waves a rooster along the gallery to announce that the feast has ended. Their respective owners have returned all skulls presented during the festival to their former places, and the hornbill statue returned to their honourable place at their owner’s loft for reuse in future.
After the conclusion of the ceremony, the people of the host longhouse will avoid normal work for seven days. Gendang rayah music is played every day before sunset to invite universal spirits to visit the house and give their blessings during these seven-day periods.
At the end of seventh day, the ritual-offering pole (tiang chandi or kalingkang) is dismantled and the cordyline palm (sabang) is planted on the upriver side of the house as a mark of respect to commemorate the festival just completed.
on April 22, 2013 at 5:40 pm | Reply js
Enti nitihke nut tu, nadai mayuh bida Gawai Burong ngau Gawai Kenyalang, semina Gawai Kenyalang bisi nuatka patung Kenyalang. Patut bisi baa ngumbai 2 iti gawai tu nyo ka sebaka. Amat runding tu kini?
Nyadi enti gawai nya Gawai Kenyalang, gambar kenyalang ke baru agi meruan dituat ka ba puchok tiang di tanju, datai ka tujoh hari lepas gawai. Pia mega orang empu rumah agi diau tujoh hari nya masa gawai sida. Sida gendang rayah tiap sabong petang. Terubah tiga telian, udah nya lima, udah nya tujoh, udah nya tiga baru, udah nya lima, udah nya tujoh, lalu lemai pengabis tujoh baru.
Nyadi pagi orang nurun ka kenyalang ari tiang, sida begendang tujoh renggat baru. Tiang didiri ka orang empu rumah ba kaki tangga ngalih ari ulu. Sabang gawai pen ditanam semak nya mega.
on April 21, 2013 at 9:12 pm | Reply js
This document says Gawai Burong as Gawai Pala:
**The principal festival among the Sea Dyaks is the ‘Gawei Burong,* also
called * Gawei Pala,’ from the head which is feasted. It is given after harvest,
but not every year.
on April 20, 2013 at 5:26 am | Reply Types of ngajat | Ibanology
on April 20, 2013 at 4:16 am | Reply js
Is Gawai amat/asal Burong’s 9 stages really started started with the biggest one called Gawai Kenyalang as stated below?
The fourth is called gawai amat (named so by Ibans in Baleh district) or gawai burong (original name from the Saribas and Batang Lupar area). Under this category there are nine types of ritual starting with the biggest one called gawai kenyalang (hornbill rites).
on April 20, 2013 at 4:09 am | Reply js
Nama kabuah Gawai Burong tu dikumbai Gawai Amat/Asal tauka Gawai Mimpi?
Is it because Gawai Burong is the first type of gawai celebrated by the Ibans?
on April 23, 2013 at 5:25 am | Reply js
on March 15, 2013 at 11:50 pm | Reply Gawai Burong | Ibanology
[…] Taken from: http://gnmawar.wordpress.com/gawai-iban/gawai-burong-the-iban-bird-feastival/ […]
on March 2, 2013 at 12:54 am | Reply Gawai Burung Iban (Iban bird festival) | Ibanology