Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: A Record of Intimate Association with the Natives of the Bornean JunglesGomes, Edwin Herbert
History
Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: A Record of Intimate Association with the Natives of the Bornean Jungles
Gomes, Edwin Herbert
Iban (Bornean people); Sarawak (Malaysia) -- Description and travel
Just as they came near the end of it, Danjai begged his companion to
stop. He said he would like to have some sugar-cane before going on.
“I am sorry I did not offer you any,” said the Were-Tiger; “it was very
forgetful of me. Never mind, I will at once cut down some sugar-cane for
us.”
When he had brought the sugar-cane and had finished peeling the piece he
wanted for himself, Danjai said to him:
“Please lend me your sword, for mine is stuck fast in its sheath, and I
cannot draw it out.”
The Were-Tiger, suspecting nothing, handed the sword to him, and Danjai
began peeling his sugar-cane.
Just then the Were-Tiger turned round to look at his house, and Danjai,
seizing his opportunity, gave him a blow with the sword and killed him.
Then he cut off the head and carried it back with him to the house he had
just left.
When he came near, he saw the sister watching for his return, and
standing at the top of the ladder leading up to the house. He followed
her into the house, and gave her the head of her brother.
“You ought to be quite satisfied now, Danjai,” she said, “for you have
taken your revenge for the death of your wife. I want you to promise me
certain things before you go. First of all, you must not let anybody know
that you have killed my brother. Next, on your return, you must go on the
warpath and bring back to me the head of a woman, to enable me to put
away the mourning of myself and my relatives for the death of my brother.
And then I hope you will take me with you as your wife. And I give you
now some locks of my hair, to be used as a charm to make you invisible
to the enemy, when you are on the warpath. Lastly, I advise you and your
people never to eat or to take away any fruit you may find lying about
in the jungle, on the stump of a tree, or on a rock, without knowing for
certain who put it there and to whom it belongs, or making sure that it
has fallen from some tree near. This must be remembered from generation
to generation. Whoever disobeys this advice will be punished by death.
You may now have the head of your wife to take back to your country.”
As she finished speaking, she handed him his wife’s head, and Danjai
started off at once, for he was anxious to get back.
He reached his house late that same evening. All his friends were glad to
see him come back safe and sound. They had given up all hope of seeing
him again. They were also pleased to see he had been successful in
bringing back the head of his dead wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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