I’ve found that festivals are a relatively painless way to meet people and make a few points that need making, without having to hit them over the head with too many speeches.
— Pete Seeger, American singer
A lot has been written on the Iban’s sacred and grandest festival, Gawai Antu, an event to commemorate deceased family members and relatives, the version typifying those done in the Saribas and Krian basins.
Since 1961, I have been to a good number of this special celebration, including in the Rajang basins, thus giving me ample opportunities to compare.
My intention, though, is not to credit or discredit or adjudge the organising of these celebrative and noisy gathering. I just want to share the joy and beauty as well as uniqueness of such ceremonies as guest as well as host.
My first Gawai Antu was to Kawit longhouse in Saratok (1961) and in 1964, at the Sungai Belong longhouse of my granduncle in Melupa, Saratok, I helped to do the Iban design (ukir) for the sungkup (special miniature shelter for the deceased) roof and walls.
It was during this time that I collected a lot of discarded copies of Iban alphabet inventor Dunging Gunggu’s illustrations. Then in 1965, we were guests at Lubok Bundong longhouse while a year later, my paternal grandpa played host at Munggu Embawang longhouse.
My father was lead timang jalung bard in both the 1965 and 1966 Gawai Antu. In 1971, I joined some friends to visit Bajau longhouse down the Krian River.
Our own longhouse Kedap in Saratok held ours in 1973. In 1974, I was a guest at Nanga Gayau longhouse in Rimbas, a tributary of Saribas, near Debak.
Other Gawai Antu that I joined included at one Bintangor longhouse (1982); Ulu Bayor longhouse in Rimbas, Debak (1988) and Rumah Jana, Batu Matop, Julau in Sarikei Division (1989); Ensurai longhouse (of Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang) in Betong (1993) and Bebangai Kanan longhouse, also in Betong (1993).
During these fests in Saribas and Krian, a hosting family usually takes care of guests from at least one longhouse.
The arrival of guests starts as early as 8 am. After a special welcome ritual, the guests start entering the longhouse from the main entrance, starting with the first door and right into their host family but only doing so after having to go through the entire length of the longhouse.
When passing each family/door, they are served with drinks, usually the rice wine tuak. So by the time they reach and settle down at the host family, many are already intoxicated.
Every guest usually puts on his or her best attire. Men usually come in suits and headgears as well as special swords; some even put on their medals and decorations.
Their opposite numbers usually turn up in ‘Baju Kebaya’ while some don their traditional Iban costumes complete with headgears.
In the 60s, some men arrived at the celebrations in special loincloth sirat complete with their warrior’s gear. This welcoming of guests along the entire longhouse, known as niki ka pengabang, is to kick off Gawai Antu with a bang, one of the greatest moments of the festival.
In the evening around eight, the bards —usually about three or more groups of five — would start their chanting while going rhythmically throughout the entire length of the longhouse.
This chanting called timang jalung ends with a special event called ngirup jalung (drinking a bowl of tuak) by a group of war heroes. The celebration continues with other rituals.
When the radio announced that my idol, Bruce Lee died in July 1973, I was in the midst of preparing for our Gawai Antu at our old Kedap longhouse.
Though it dampened my spirit, I continued with my special duties of making lots of artworks aimed to give special welcome to Temenggong Jugah (Tun) who was Federal Minister of Sarawak Affairs and then State Secretary ,Tan Sri Datuk Gerunsin Lembat.
I remember helping to walk an intoxicated Jugah two doors away to the room of his then private secretary, Musa Giri (now Dato), my mom’s cousin.
During a visit to Bintangor in 1982, I found things were a bit different. There were fewer rituals and no bards were involved but there was a free flow of drinks.
In Julau (1989), the event ended with a dance around the ‘ranyai tree’ as well as fire crackers.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
