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
There was a man who, in grief and sorrow over the death of his wife, his
children, and others, left his house and went far into the utan. Feeling
tired he lay down to rest under a great lanan tree. While he slept a
female orang-utan, which had its nest in the same tree and had been away
hunting for food, came home, lifted the man in her arms, and carried him
to her nest high up in the branches. When he awoke it seemed impossible
for him to climb down, so he remained there. Each day she brought him
fruit of various kinds, also occasionally boiled rice, stolen from the
houses of the ladangs. After a few days she began to take liberties with
him. At first the man declined her advances and she became angry, showing
her teeth and nails. Finally she bit him in the shoulder, and then he
surrendered. The man remained in the tree over a year. Although anxious to
escape he feared the revenge of the orang-utan too much to make the
attempt. In due time a male child was born who was human, but covered with
long hair.
One day when she was absent seeking food he saw a sailing ship approach
the coast and put out a boat for hauling water from the river near by.
Hastily stringing his garments together he began the descent, but the rope
was not long enough; however, by letting himself drop part of the distance
he succeeded in getting down, and went away in the boat. Not finding him
at home the orang-utan tried to swim to the ship, but the distance was too
great. She then ascended the tree, and, in full view of the ship as it
sailed away, she lifted the child and tore it in twain.
NOTE.--The Dayaks insist that this animal can swim, and my informant, a
trustworthy Kahayan, said he had seen it. The orang-utan spends most of
his time in the trees, seldom descending to the ground. That the one in
this case is assumed to follow the daily habit of the Dayak is in
accordance with the spirit of folk-lore.
20. BRANAK, THE ANTOH
(From the Ot-Danums, of the Upper Kahayan River)
A man called Mai Boang (father of Boang) had a very good-looking son who
owned a fine big male dog, and when the child grew to be old enough he
used the animal for hunting. One day when the dog was following the tracks
of a deer he came into a long, long cave and Boang followed. To pass
through the cave consumed thrice the time required to cook rice. Emerging
on the other side the dog and the boy arrived at a house where there was a
handsome woman. As darkness was falling he asked if he might stay over
night, and she gave permission, the dog remaining under the house. Each
was attracted by the other, so they passed the night together. Boang
remained there, and in time she bore him a son. She possessed a female
dog, and the two dogs had two male and two female pups.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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