Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917Lumholtz, Carl
History
Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917
Lumholtz, Carl
Borneo -- Description and travel; Ethnology -- Borneo; Natural history -- Borneo
The Penihings still live in dread of the head-hunting raids of the Ibans
of Sarawak, and the probability of such attacks no doubt caused the recent
establishment of a garrison at Long Kai. The Long-Glats on the Merasi, a
northern tributary to the Mahakam, are also constantly on guard against
the Ibans. Until lately these inveterate head-hunters would cross the
mountains, make prahus, then travel down the Upper Mahakam, and commit
serious depredations among the kampongs, killing whomsoever they could,
the others fleeing to the mountains. As one Penihing chief expressed it to
me: "The river was full of their prahus from the Kasao River to Long Blu."
Their last visit was in 1912, when the Bukats reported that a number of
Ibans had arrived at the headwaters of the river, but the raid did not
materialise, and they retired without making prahus. These raids have
naturally brought about much intermingling of the tribes on the Mahakam
River, and sometimes three or more may be found living in one kampong.
About twenty years ago there was much fighting in these remote parts of
Borneo among Penihings, Saputans, Penjabongs, and Bukats, each tribe
making head-hunting raids into the dominions of another, and all being
constantly exposed to the fury of the Ibans from the north. Head-hunting
raids may include assaults on kampongs, but very often they are cowardly
attacks on small groups of unsuspecting people, men, women, and children.
The heads thus secured appear to be as highly valued as those acquired
under more heroic conditions. The fact is also noteworthy that the heads
of Malays are appreciated, but, with few exceptions, not those of white
people. Several times I heard of Malay rattan or rubber gatherers who had
been disposed of in that way. The head is severed by one stroke.
As a typical case of head-hunting I give the following description of a
raid which, twelve years previous to my visit, was made by ten Bukats upon
a small party of Saputans who were on a babi hunt. Among the Penyahbongs,
Saputans, Punans, and Penihings a woman may accompany her husband or
another man on the chase, carry a spear, and assist in killing pig or
deer. Bear she does not tackle, but, as my informant said, "even all men
do not like to do that." She also carries her own parang, with which she
may kill small pigs and cut down obstacles in her path. The hunting-party,
one man and three women, had been successful. The babi had been killed
with spears and, in accordance with custom, the head had been cut off with
a parang. The carcass had been cut up and the three women carried the meat
in the coarse-meshed rattan bags on their backs, while the man bore the
head on his shoulder, all homeward bound, when the Bukats attacked them.
Only one woman escaped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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