MANUSCRIPT FOR “37TH GAWAI

EXPEDITION”
By Aszan

“science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”

-Albert Einstein-

6/29/2010
 MANUSCRIPT FOR “37TH GAWAI EXPEDITION” June 29, 2010

THE 37th
“GAWAI EXPEDITION 2010”
VIDEO DOCUMENTARY
by

ASZAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

This manuscript represents all dialogues for “The 37th Gawai Expedition 2010” videos. All script will be used as narration script and
first person view dialogue explanation concerning all about the video contents. All scripts are based on true fact collected from different source
including video recording directly from location, interview among local villagers, and internet information. This information are included and
maybe excluded from its source as it not connected to the video documentation. Hence, all items that included and contained inside these
documentary video are based on true facts and from different social overview that related to the documentation. These documentary videos are
also restricted in under protection on Malaysian Culture, Art and Heritages Ministry Board. So, any duplication or redistributes all or any
contents of these video are prohibited without any permission from the owners of these video.

By aszan

DOCUMNETARY VIDEO OVERVIEW

All of these video contents are recorded directly from “Tr. Jegai, Ng. Sebiro, Sg. Gaat” . This video presents all about how Iban
community in this longhouse celebrate Gawai Festival. Then this recorded ceremony will be compared with the information that has been
gathered. Then these entire videos are narrated based on theory and analytical overview during editing the video. Based on true facts and the
real history or how the Iban ethnics celebrate the Gawai Festival. All location overview are based on day recordings. And then all video are
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reframed again to get a best quality video for documentation. And then these videos are combined again with my overview articles in first
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person interview. In simple method of creation, these videos are accomplished with some external information from varieties source picture.

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ARRANGEMENTS

ITEM NARATION SCRIPT FIRST PERSON TALK

1.Intro NIL NIL
2. 1st talk no. 1 NIL The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated yearly on 1 June in
Sarawak, is both a
Religious and social festival. Gawaj means ritual or festival and
Dayak is a
collective name for the tribes of Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah,
Kelabit, Murut
and more.

Tracing its roots back to as early as 1957, the Gawai Dayak

festival was
formally gazette on 25 September, 1964 as a public holiday in
place of
Sarawak Day. The first official celebration being on 1 June,
1965, Gawai
Dayak became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the
Dayak
Community and is an integral part of Dayak social life today.
Preparations for the festival begin early with brewing of tuak
(rice wine) and
traditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugar
and coconut
Milk). On Gawai eve, glutinous rice is roasted in bamboo
known as ngelulun
pulut. But we don’t see on this video what we see is, hoe the
cook the panto shoots.
During my expedition I’ve selected the Tr. Jegai at SG. Gaat as
a place sites for my observation study. In this rural provincial
Longhouse. I found that some of the tradition has been miss
part in the ceremony. But not all of the ritual, just certain of
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them has not been used anymore in nowadays in this

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longhouse. Just like any others longhouses that I have visited,

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this longhouse are also come on its own conceptual ritual that’s
make this place is different than the others longhouse that I’ve
visited. Most of the ceremonies are really done in fully adat
ways. And there is still a lots of traditional ritual are still take
place on the ceremony.

3. 1st talk no. 2 NIL Well, to get to this place we need to ride an express boat as
transportation. Usually, during gawai seasons, it is very
difficult to booked a tickets since it is very numerous people are
compete each other to get a sit on this boat. Not that also
Sarawak river Board also restricted the the commercial river
transport to take exceeded load of passengers. So we take the
land road first, using mini bus from kapit to place called
Melekun. Around 10 minute’s jouney.

4. Melekun From here, we took the express boat and taking 2 NIL
5. On the ways and half hours to arrive at Ng, Gaat. And then we
transit again using the long boat to get to my main
destination which is Ng. Sebiro.
6. 1st talk no. 3 NIL Tr. Jegai is A simple longhouse, still filled with a lots of
varieties tradition keeping their most precious heritages. i feel
it’s very fulfilled with adat. Whether old or new living style,
this longhouse still leave its own tradition identities. Just like
any other longhouse that I’ve visited, this longhouse still
remain the physical custom such house design. Filled with 11
rooms or bilek. Each room is design as the same like other room
except the interior design. Build in more than 3 meters high;
make this longhouse very tall and having enough space for
putting many kind of things under their houses such perau, or
long boat, and many other general stuff.
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What make this longhouse different than other traditional

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longhouse is, the verandah or tanju is a little bit smaller. So I

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was wondering why? Where will they bask their padi? So as I

survey around the longhouse, down in front of their houses,
they create such like a cage but there is no roof madden from
bamboo around 12 feet length and 8 to 10 feet width. So this is
the place where they use to bask the padi seeds before its blend
to rice.

Talking about the Gawai festival. Well, it’s very different in

here. What are making its different are the arrangements of the
ceremony from the morning of the 31st may until midnight
continue directly to next morning of 1st June. So line up its like
this;

First they goes for the adat betemu, and then continued to
Berunsur Rituals, betanggas, biau ranyai rituals, The miring,
standing up the Ranyai, hanging the buah ranyai and berdara
rituals during the midnight until netas ranyai in the 1st morning
of June.

Early in the morning at 8 o’clock First is the adat betemu. This

is my first time watching these rituals. The main motive of this
ritual is to bless the newly borne child among the elderly people
of the longhouse and the most important is the Spirits of petara.
So the child will live in happiness, strong and healthy.

7. Adat Betemu The rituals start by preparing two tawaks, pua kumbu, NIL
tajau, hard metal, and an empty plate. It begin by
asking the two elderly person of the longhouses sit
together at the Tawaks , and covered with the puak
kumbu at their back. While the two elderly are
incantation or dibiau with the grandfather of the
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baby the grandmother of the newborn child give the

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baby to one of them to hold. First they kiss the baby,

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and then they touch the head of the baby and touch
again using the same hand to their head. Next, the
will look at the hole of the tajau, and touch the hard
metal before the baby are passed to their partner.

This ritual continues until the entire elderly person

of the longhouse finished taking part for the ritual.

8.1st talk no. 4 NIL The Miring or Bedara. It is very common ritual. Every place in
anywhere Iban longhouse still kept this tradition. Basic ritual,
are just the same like other procedure the difference is only the
motive of the rituals. Like this moments at this Tr. Jegai, the
miring rituals are preparation before the the next adat berunsur
goes.

After the adat betemu, the ownwers of the bilek endur ranyai or
the place where the ranyai will stand up, will make the
preparation for the miring rituals.

Generally the purpose of making offerings are:

• To give honor to Gods (Petara), Holy spirit (Orang

Panggau & Bunsu Antu) and souls of our dead
ancestors (Petara Aki-Ini) whom we invited to our
various festivals.
• To give thanks to Gods for their blessing and help.
• To seek blessing, good fortune, good health,
happiness, peace and harmony.
• To make a wish (niat).
• Seeking success in ventures (trading, headhunting,
bejalai etc.)
• Seeking forgiveness and protection from
supernatural repercussion for human sins (incest,
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illegitimate pregnancy, wrong doings, bad dreams,

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bad omen, etc).

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9.Berdara rituals Basic ingredient for common piring. NIL

preparation part.
1 • Tobacco & wrapper (daun apong)
• Betel nut set (pinang, sirih, kapu,
10.Berdara gambir)
rituals • Cooked rice
preparation part. • Salt
2 • Sweet rice (Asi manis)
11.bebiau • Ketupat (glutinous rice packet cooked in
palm leaves)
• Glutinous rice – asi pulut (white, red,
yellow & black colored glutinous rice
cooked in a bamboo)
• Rice cake – penganan iri
• Rice flour and coconut powder – Sagun
• Banana fruit (pisang)
• Beras kuning
• Letup or Rendai (puffed rice or pop rice)
• Eggs – Telu manok
• Telaga – a small cup contains rice wine
(tuak)
• Bulu manok: a feather of a fowl used
during prayer (sampi) is plucked out and
dipped in its blood when it is killed.
After the piring and the miring are settled down, the
tukang nasak directly will perform the bebiau rituals.
So the there will be no disturbance during the adat
berunsur being in progress.
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12.1st talk no. 5 NIL If Miring is done during major festivals, dedicated people are
used to prepare and bless your piring. e.g. the tukang nasak.
They are usually a team of warriors who are tasked to prepare
and bless the piring during Gawai Burong (refer to my web log
on the subject of Gawai Burong). It is said that these warriors’
hands have been cleansed with the blood of their enemies and
they are the best people to perform miring ceremony in any
major festivals. That is also why we place high values for those
warriors in Iban society even if they are beggers or having no
social status. They are respected because they are closer to
Gods and Holy spirits who protected them in their venture.

Adat berunsur. This is the most important part among the

ceremony during the Gawai celebrations.

The concepts are just the same as during the miring rituals.
What makes its difference is there is more tradition rituals that
make this rituals more even fulfilled. For examples is the
person who involved in this ritual will sprinkled with the blood
from the chicken. And then they will recited by the beliau and
sweep their body using the leaves of sabang to dissipate the bad
spirit before they throw the piring at nearby river. And many
more spiritual rituals.
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13.Berunsur All of the person who involved for the rituals firstly NIL
part. 1 will be dibiau using chicken at their own tanju,
tangga, or at the land nearby their house. Then the
14.Berunsur chicken will be cutted at the throat and the blood
part. 2 that came out from it will be sprinkled to all of the
member for the rituals And then they will walk
15.Berunsur together in line going down to the nearby river to
part. 3 take a bath and release their own piring for each of
them.

This ritual are also walk together with two lady

playing the Gongs and tawaks . This is used to mean,
so there will be no disturbance during the rituals
and they believe that God is hearing to them and
watching them during they execute the rituals.

At the river, the person who participated in this

ritual will get to the water, and then they will dive
shortly the water and immediately release the piring
from their hand before they rise up again. And then
they must throw one of their cloths as symbol that
all of their bad spirit thrown away.

And then, they will be biau again and their body

swept with the sabang leaves. After all settle up, they
will return back to the longhouse for the next ritual.
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17.1st talk no. 6 The ritual is quite easy to understand as it’s executed with easy
conceptual meanings by the way they precede the ritual. All of
the arrangements are symbolic, filled of real tradition from the
past that will never end.

As we can see, during the ritual is executed, we can hear the

sound from the gongs and tawaks. These sounds are very
common in any place of longhouse that we see in Sarawak. This
sound means a lot with various definition of each believer
depending on situation or ceremony. So, in this ritual situation,
it is used to make The God (petara), Holy spirits (orang panngau
and bunsu antu) and the soul of the dead ancestor (petara aki-ini)
to join the spiritual ritual in order to listen for their wishes
during the sampi is recited. Also to protect the all the person
who involved on this ceremony.

After everything is done, they will return back to their

longhouse again to complete the ritual.
18.Berunsur Once they arrive at the longhouse, other member of
part.4 the longhouse will serve them with rice wine (tuak)
and they also need to precede the adat muai mata in
order to give the petara drinks, before they enter the
longhouse. After that all of the person that involved
with the ritual before will clean themselves before
they proceed for the next ritual. This is the final of
the adat berunsur ritual.
19.1st talk no. 7 This is the final procedures from the ritual of adat berunsur . it is
called as adat betanggas. These rituals also have the same
meaning with the previous other ritual. The difference is only
the entire member that involved to the ritual on adat betanggas
will be combed by an old lady member of the longhouse in
order to trash all poise that still left on their body so they will
be really cleaned from the bad spirits.
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20.Adat All of the member that included on the adat berunsur
btanggas will sit at the tawaks and combed by an old lady to
trash all the remaining bad spirits and finally all the
member of the longhouse that sit and watch the
ritual will be dibiau again to thanks all their support
during the ritual execution. And as a symbol of the
end of the ritual.
21.1st talk no. 8
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June 29, 2010
After we took our lunch, around 1 afternoon, all the man
member of the longhouse will go out and fill the coconut tree as
preparation for the ranyai. In meantime, the beliau and the
owner of the bilek will prepare for the piring that used for the
miring ranyai and biau ranyai before the ranyai is build and stand
up. The piring is a bit difference than the other common piring,
because, for the ranyai the tradition will use a large plate so it’s
enough space to put all the eggs that collected from all eleven
bilek of the longhouse.
Ranyai is a main symbol for the gawai fest. The purpose of it is
variative. One is to put all the community of the longhouse sit
together around of it to create a closer relation among of them.
They will talk chit-chat, laugh, sing, and dance and drink
together. So I can say that its symbol of the longhouse unity.
Other than that is a symbol of homage to their God (petara).
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22.miring ranyai During the man of the longhouse filling the coconut
tree. Member of the bilek where the ranyai is stand
up later will prepare the properties for the miring
ranyai ritual.

Egg will be collected from all bilek members to fill

the large piring for the piring ranyai. The procedure
is same as like the other miring ritual. Except the
sampi recital.

23.adat muai Before the biau recited for the ranyai. Muai mata
mata ritual must be executed first.

The need around 5 to 7 awns of tuak mixed with

eggs and filled with blood of chicken.
The concept of this tradition is often seen in other
longhouse in all area of of Sarawak. This is mean to
give the petara drinks. So all of the member of the
longhouse will fell cool and relax during the ritual
later.
After the mixture of the muai mata prepared, all of
the member must do the muau mata ritual by
scooping the mixture to the others bowl on the
other side of the serve the mixture. It is also can be
disposed to the ground of the longhouse by any hole
of the floor of the longhouse. Or it is also can be
drinked.
24.Adat miau After all the member of the longhouse has finished
Ranyai doing the muai mata rituals, now it is the beginning
of the reciting the biau ranyai by the beliau of the
longhouse. In purpose to have a clear an clean from
bad spirits area for the ranyai to build up. a chicken
will be used to te accomplished the recital. Not only
where the place for the ranyai is build up, also the
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piring that is already arranged will be recited with

biau. So the all of the things that included for rituals
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is blessed by the petara.

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25.1st talk no. 9 Another form of baum is the baum rumah. This is a meeting
called by the Tuai Rumah to which representatives of each
family are invited to discuss matters of common interest to the
whole longhouse. Despite their individualism, the Iban
frequently refer important decisions to the whole community,
and once a decision is made through community discussion,
individual longhouse members are expected to accept and
follow the consensus arrived at. Such meetings may be called
for a number of special purposes. The baum bumi, for example,
is held just before the beginning of a new farming year to
discuss farming matters, such as the location of padi fields, or to
synchronize the time of clearing. The baum begawai is held to
arrange for any kind of gawai festival, to determine the Tuai
Gawai – or festival leader, the number of guests to be invited
and so on. Hence this tradition will be used of how to select
where and which bilek will used as the place to stand the ranyai
tree.
26.persediaan After the lomghouse community meeting, a medium
Ranyai bit large coconut tree will be placed to the centre of
the tuai gawai ruai’s and decorated will a lot of
27. persediaan things like snacks and there is some ballons. To
buah ranyai make it more even creative. This Tr. Jegai hangs
along a baning, just like a turquoise. And kekura a
small turtle.

This mini things, will be cut off during the netas

ranyai ritual. At the morning.
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28.photo slide After settled all, the member will take place infront
of the finished ranyai to capture a memorial photo.
There is also variative ranyai we can see from any
other places that decorated with their own
creativity. Other than coconut tree, some of them
also use banana tree or oil palm tree. To represents
the ranyai .
29.1st talk no.10
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June 29, 2010
After all preparation is ready for the Gawai. That time is
around 4 or 5 o’clock in the evening. Every person at the
longhouse will get back to their own bilek to prepare
themselves for the Gawai celebration night. The ladies will take
part in preparation for their family dinner. Some of the elder
man and young boys will hang at the ruai. Drinking tuak, talk
with each other. They also baum for the activity that will they
do on that festive night. The discussion is about singing
contest, hitting the tawaks by covering their eyes, turning the
turtle (main meling kekura) . and many more activities.
From my observation every each ritual on that days, must
started with mirings first. It’s the same on that night. All of the
11 bilek will prepare the piring for the God Blessings rituals and
wishes (sampi). It begin from the first room or setak ili . all of
the room will proceed the miring ritual until the end of the
longhouses bilek or setak mah ka ulu. After that, tuai gawai or the
place where the ranyai is stand up will sit again at the tawaks
while the they are executing the miring.
After everything is done, which mean all possible ritual has
been executed. All stuff that is used for the ritual will be
cleaned up and putted inside the room of the bilek.
As the ceremony opening, all family members of the longhouse
will sit together in front of the ranyai . as symbol of unity. Here,
the tuai rumah will make speech which is called as jaku lalau
before the ceremony begins. usually he will talks about the adat
while night in goes on, no jealousy among husband and wife, no
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fight, and so on. He also will give an advice to all his folk all
about their responsible in their family, their jobs, for student
their education and so many things more. After that, the
ceremony goes for the happy dance done in same routine which
is called the tanda poco-poco.

I really like this part. It is very interesting part, we sing, dance

and laugh together, it feels like that im the most happy during
the ceremony. We can see from the youngsters to elderly, all of
them will stand together in line while doing the routine. It is
not the part of the tradition, but it is an idea that comes up from
elsewhere and absorb to this ceremony and make this ceremony
goes wow… well it kind a very social on that night, because
apart of the dance, some of the member from the longhouse will
give you tuak or ai pengayu makes the night more even enjoyfull.
30.poco-poco After the jaku lalau from the tuai rumah. All of the
dance part. 1 longhouses member will stand up and stand in
straight line to prepare for the poco-poco dance. Once
the music is started, all of them will clap together
until they start the routine of the dance and repeat it
over and over until the music fade.

Not only the youngster nor ladies are participating

the dance, even the elderly member of the longhouse
won’t miss to take part for the dance.

31.1st talk no.11 Ngajat, the traditional Iban ethnic’s warrior dance. This the real
tradition dances that we can see in numerous places around
Sarawak. This dance also presented at this longhouse during
the ceremony. Followed by the traditional music, like sape and
taboh. My expedition is the best thing in here, where one of the
longhouse members invite me to perform the dance. Luckily I
have learnt this dance at school. So it makes me no problem to
perform the traditional ngajat dance. Im proud of myself of that.
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Mostly the elder member will begin the dance and then
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followed up by the ladies and youngsters one by one.

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32.ngajat dance This is the traditional ngajat dance. It mean the the
Iban warrior dance. This dance is symbol of brave,
politeness and the spirits of Gods among the Iban
Ethnic’s. the dance will goes together with the
traditional Iban music called sape or taboh.

These dances will performed by the entire member

of the longhouses who can dance this traditional
dance. From the elderly until to the youngsters.

33.poco-poco After the ngajat dance is performed, the ceremony

dance part.2 goes again with singing contest and much other
activity until the next sunrise. Here they will dance,
sing, drink, and talk and laugh together.
34.1st talk no. 12 It’s in the morning around 6 to 7 o’clock. The final Gawai
ritual. The netas ranyai ritual. This ritual is a symbol of the
livelihood that given from the petara.

The ritual is more over like a dance ritual. First is the person
who goes ritual, need to prepare themselves with the long sharp
sword or duku. What they do is doing the ngajat dance circuling
the ranyai and then they have to cut the buah ranyai. As a
symbol of the livelihood that given by the petara.

And the person who starts the ritual will pass the duku to other
member after he finished the ritual. The rest member of the
longhouse will take part in this ritual until the buah ranyai is
finished. Once finished, the coconut tree will be flop down and
then the final person who flop the tree will feel the tree to get
the shoots, and leaves the ladies to cook it as serve for the all
longhouses member breakfast meal.
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35.netas ranyai This is the netas ranyai ritual. The ritual is more over
like a dance ritual. First is the person who goes
ritual, need to prepare themselves with the long
sharp sword or duku. What they do is doing the
ngajat dance circuling the ranyai and then they have
to cut the buah ranyai. As a symbol of the livelihood
that given by the petara.

36.1st person talk After that, I don’t know happen. Its feels kind a tired.
Participating the ceremony from the morning until the next
sunrise make me fell so happy, educated with the tradition that
is a little bit different from the other Iban in this Sarawak by
the way they celebrating the Gawai Festivals. I learn a lot from
here.

Well I don’t have any idea what happen that morning, because I
fall asleep, just like the other member. You know drunken.

But the ceremony remain the tradition that wont lost from this
longhouse.

37.ending NIL NIL

credits
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THIS MANUSCRIPT IS UNDER PROTECTION OF

MALAYSIA CULTURE, ART AND HERITAGES MINISTRY BOARD

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