ASSIGNMENT

RVGA 6101 | SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART 1

DR EMELIA ONG IAN LI

Student: Natasha Bt Rusdy Wong

Matrix number: RGB 140006
Course: Master in Visual Art
Semester: 2 (2014/2015)

IBAN TATTOOS OF SARAWAK, BORNEO

 INTRODUCTION

Sarawak, the land of the headhunters is located on the island of Borneo.

From 1954 to 1967, Tom Harrison unearthed the “Deep Skull” - which possibly

dated back as far as or more than 40,000 years from Niah Cave, Miri. It was the

earliest archaeological proof of modern humans throughout the entire Southeast

Asia (Harrison, 1996, p.90), (Krigbaum, & Datan, 2005). Thus, with such a

monumental find it is of little surprise that Sarawak is known for its virgin

rainforests, diverse ethnic communities and it’s rich and traditional customs. Its

land area is 125,000 square km, which compromises 37.5% of the land of

Malaysia (making it the largest state in its country), and has a population of 1.2

million (Sellato, 1994, p. 8). Of these 1.2 million, 53% are called the Dayaks 1.

They are around 40 sub-ethnic groups of Dayak in Sarawak’s territory and

the most prominent out of the bunch are called of the Iban tribe (“Demographics

of Sarawak”, 2015). They are known to be fierce warriors for their headhunting

custom and would often be at war over territorial disputes within their own sub-

tribes. During the British Colonial period, the Iban were called the Sea Dayaks as

they were regarded to be a tribe of notorious and ruthless pirates. The Ibans

then were Animistic in belief; they believed that every thing whether alive or

dead, natural or man-made, had a supernatural entity and mystical properties

(DeMello, 2014, p.290).

1
Dayak, as Oxford Dictionaries online defines it, is a “member of a group of indigenous peoples
inhabiting parts of Borneo”. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine & hill dwelling ethnic
subgroups.
 The shamans or the witch doctors of the Iban tribes would often draw

energy from these spirits for protection and to gain healing abilities. However

the spirit guides were not limited to bestow only those abilities – Iban artisans

would also consult the spirits guides to reveal a design for textiles (Pua Kumbu)

or for tattoos. In this essay I will study on how the culture of tattooing within the

Iban tribe came to be and the inspiration behind a few of the most prominent

designs.

THE START OF THE IBAN’S BODY ART CULTURE

For the Ibans, their tattoos are an insignia of superiority and experience.

The stories and history of tattooing are often passed down to one generation

after the other verbally. Therefore, why and when exactly did the Ibans start

tattooing is debatable, as there is no concrete verification to support the verbal

evidence from the older generation of Ibans. Below is one of the traditional story

on how the idea of tattooing came to be, taken from a book titled Nendak that

was researched and compiled by Gregory N. Mawar, and its translated version by

Joyce Langgu.

Original (Iban version)

“MENYA bisi kitai Iban siko ke benama Gendup. Kenyau ari agi biak iya
endang penyumpit bendar. Iya suah bendar bemalam dalam kampong,
ba lubang batu, di puchok kayu enggau sabelah endor bukai ke manah
endor iya nat ka diri dalam babas leboh iya kelalu jaoh udah tapejoh
nyumpit. Iya mega endang orang ke berani ngelaban malam, enda takut
ka hari jai tau ka ular-embayar, jelu-antu ke tau nganu kitai dalam
babas. Nyadi sakali iya kelalu jaoh tapejoh nyumpit, nyau enda nemu
pengelama diri ke udah bejalai. Kepuas bejalai dalam babas dia iya tak
rembus ba pendai orang, lalu tepeda ka indu siko mandi. Apin Gendup
sempat ngangau alai indu nya lalu nyapa. “Lalu Gendup, lalu enggau
aku mandi dulu,” ko indu nya.

“Nama kebuah enda lalu,” pia ko Gendup, ngengkah ka ma iya lalu sama
mandi enggau indu nya. lya alit ati meda indu nya tak nemu nama iya.
Udah tembu mandi indu nya lalu mai Gendup niki ka rumah.

“Niki meh Gendup nyereta aku, sida ke lelaki nadai mindah, bisi di
rumah magang,” ko indu nya leboh ka mai iya niki.“Manah endar enti
sida bisi di rumah magang,” ko Gendup.

Nyau semak kaki tangga, dinga Gendup tak bakasetik-bakasetok munyi

utai dalam rumah orang nya. Iya enda nemu belaba ka pengawa orang
ke bengat bakasetik ngemalat nya.“Nama pengawa orang di rumah
dia?” Ko iya nanya indu ke disempulang iya ari pendai.

“Eh, orang ngaga kalingai, orang bepantang,” ko saut indu

nya. Seduai pen lalu niki ka rumah. Nama agi meda temuai niki, orang
lalu bakaraoh ngasoh dudok. Tang iya madah ka diri lalu enggau indu
nya ka setak ka dulu. Datai ba tengah Rumah, indu nya lalu tama ka
bilik. Gendup lalu ngait ka ma enggau duku iya ba tandok rusa ke ba
tiang. Apai tuai orang ba ruai dia lalu nudok ka iya. Gendup pen lalu
dudok nunga apai tuai orang nya. Peda iya nyau genarau tuboh apai-
tuai orang nya penoh laban kalingai.

Udah badu makai lemai nya sampal bendar orang sarumah, enggau
indu enggau anembiak, begulu ka Gendup. Udah nanya ka menoa, orang
lalu nanya ka pejalai, laban iya bengat nadai kala udah rembus udah
ngebus ba menoa nya. Gendup madah ka diri pejalai lantang. Ninga iya
pejalai lantang, sida lalu bungah. Dia sida ke bujang madah ka diri deka
ngaga kalingai ka Gendup, dikena ngingat ka iya ke baru rembus. Tang
Gendup apin madah ka diri deka, nyangka tak pedis dipantang, ninga
munyi orang ti bepantang nyau bakasetok leboh iya baru datai tadi.
Malam nya sida ketuai lalu madah ka Gendup bagi kalingai ke diengkah
ba tuboh, baka ba rekong, bau, lengan, pah, belakang enggau endor
bukai. Orang mega lalu madah ka pasal tegulun ngagai iya.

“Tegulun enda tau digaga ngapa enti kitai nadai dengah,” pia ko orang
madah ngagai iya.

Nyau rindu ninga sida berandau ka pasal kalingai, hari siti baru iya
madah ka diri deka dipantang sida. Nya alai sida ke bujang lalu
berengkah ngaga kalingai ka Gendup. Tiga hari berunggu sida mantang
baru tembu. Nama agi, nadai utai ngemanah nya kalingai ba sebelah
tuboh Gendup, orang ga endang landik, bengat tak penatai kalingai.
Bentara ka hari udah nya, kalingai iya pan udah ga gerai magang, dia
iya madah ka diri bisi ati deka pulai ka menoa, tang iya enda nemu jalai
pulai. Apin Gendup pulai, apai-tuai orang nya lalu madah ka nama diri
ngagai iya.

“Nama aku Selang Pantang,” ko iya. “Bala kami tu Antu Pantang

magang. Nya alai laban nuan, Gendup, terubah mensia datai ba rumah
kami nuan mega dulu digaga ka kami kalingai. Lalu nadai orang bukai
nemu ngaga pantang enti enda ari ajar nuan enggau peturun nuan
jemah ila,” Pia ko jako Antu nya bejako enggau iya. Udah nya iya lalu
madah ka jalai pulai ngagai Gendup.

Datai di rumah orang bela ngenong magang medah utai tak begenarau
chelum sabelah tuboh Gendup. Iya lalu becherita ka diri ke diau ba
rumah sida Antu Selang Pantang, kenyau ari iya ke rembus ba pendai
lalu betemu enggau indu mandi. Ari ajar Gendup nya meh pun Iban
nemu begaga ka kalingai ba tuboh.”
 Translated version by Joyce Langgu

“A long time ago, there was an Iban man named Gendup.  Ever since he
was very young, he enjoyed using his blowpipe for hunting.  He
frequently spent nights in the jungle, in caves, on the treetops and other
suitable places in the jungle on his own when he went hunting far away
from his longhouse. He was a brave person, not afraid of
snakes/scorpions, beasts/ghosts that can easily harm him in the jungle.

One day while hunting, Gendup wandered too far away from his
longhouse and he was not aware of the time that went by.  He ended up
at someone’s pendai (place where people from a longhouse wash, get
water etc) and saw a girl bathing in the river.  Before Gendup can say
anything, the girl said,“Welcome Gendup!  Bathe first before we proceed
to my longhouse.”“Sure!” Gendup said and sat his basket and blowpipe
by the river before taking his bath.  He was surprised that the girl knew
his name. After bathing, the girl led the way to her longhouse.
“Come in Gendup.  All the men are in the longhouse,” said the girl as they
were climbing up the stairs to the longhouse.
“That’s great that they are all at home,” replied Gendup.

As they were entering the longhouse, Gendup heard ‘tik-tok’ beating

sounds from inside the longhouse.  He had no idea where those sounds
came from and what the people were doing inside the longhouse.“What
are the people in the longhouse doing?” Gendup asked.“Eh, the people
are making kalingai/bepantang (tattooing),” replied the girl.As they
were walking along the corridor of the longhouse, everyone greeted
Gendup and asked him to sit at their ruai (hall space outside each family
unit in the longhouse) but Gendup said that he’d follow the girl to her
ruai first.

When they reached the middle of the longhouse, the girl went into her
bilik (family “apartment”) and Gendup hung his basket, blow pipe and
duku (war/work knife similar to a machete) on a set of deer horns on
one of the pillars in the ruai.  An elderly man of that ruai welcomed
Gendup and Gendup sat down in front of him.  Gendup noticed that the
elderly man had a lot of tattoos on his body.

After the evening meal.  All the longhouse folks were mingling and they
asked where Gendup was from, why did he come and how long was he
going to stay with them.  Gendup answered and mentioned that he was
in no hurry to go back home.  The men in the longhouse then told him
that they would want to give him tattoos as a reminder of his visit to
their longhouse.  Gendup was reluctant at first, because he thought it
would hurt a lot from the sounds of the ‘tik-tok’.  In the evening the elder
men in the longhouse explained to Gendup which tattoos are placed
where on the body, such as the ones on the throat, shoulders, arms,
thighs, back and other parts of the body.  They also told him about
tegulun (hand tattoo).

“Tegulun can only be done once you have killed someone” said the men
to Gendup.After long chats/conversations about tattoos, Gendup began
liking the idea.  The next day, he said that he is willing to get some.  The
men started to make the designs for him and tattooed him.  It took them
3 days to complete the beautiful tattoos on Gendup.  Several days after
the swelling healed, Gendup said that he was ready to go back to his
longhouse.  Before he left, the elderly man (host) told him his name.

“My name is Selang Pantang.  We are Antu Pantang (Tattoo

ghosts/spirits).  You Gendup are the first human who visited our
longhouse, therefore you are the first human to ever get tattooed.  No
other humans will know about tattooing unless you and your
descendants teach them in the years to come,” said Selang Pantang to
Gendup.  Soon after, Selang Pantang gave Gendup the directions to go
home.When Gendup reached his longhouse, everyone was shocked to see
his tattoos.  He told them about his adventure and the spirits that he
met.”
 Although the story might vary from one long house to another, a few vital

elements remain as the core throughout. 1) The spirit guide, Antu Pantang, 2) the

journey to the spirit world and 3) The Tegulun headhunting design. Therefore It

is safe to conclude that the spirit world and the spirit guides plays a vital role in

the start of how the tattooing culture (and the practice of headhunting) came to

be within the Iban tribe.

INSPIRATIONS OF A FEW PROMINENT IBAN TATTOO DESIGNS

In the Iban tribe, both men and women wore tattoos as part of their

tradition, and as mentioned before, the spirit guides are consulted by artisans to

reveal a design. For the Iban men, tattoos are done for protection, to showcase

bravery and act as mementos of other longhouses they have visited during their

travels. One of their most well known designs is called Bungai Terung (fig.1).

Figure 1: Bungai Terung designs (Pang, 2011).

 The Bungai Terung, which literally means ‘eggplant flower’, would normally

be the first tattoo an Iban man would receive. It is done on the front of both sides

of the shoulders (fig.2). Bungai Terung must be done in pairs, as the Ibans

believes it to bring balance and so it will be able to effectively protect both sides

of the body. It marks the coming of age for the Iban male from a boy into

manhood.

Figure 2: Bungai Terung Tattoo on both sides of shoulder (Borneotatto, 2007).

The spiral or coil in the center of the design is called Tali Nyawa, which

means ‘rope of life’. The design is based on the intestinal coils of a tadpole.

Within a fortnight, a tadpole would usually start to sprout its hind legs. The Ibans

considered this phase as a correlation to a boy’s readiness to walk in the jungle

alone for the first time, and thus, become a man. This act is called Berjalai and

has the same connotation to the Australian’s Abogirinal’s walkabout. Hence, the
Ibans believed that the life cycle of frogs is a reference regarding the coming of

age for a young Iban boy.

Another design is called Tegulun or Entugulun. As stated before, the design

can only be done on all fingers when an Iban man has successfully decapitated an

enemy and brought back the head as proof, but if he had only assisted in the act

of decapitating the head, will only get his thumb tattooed (Hose, & McDougall,

1912). The tattoo is done over the back of the hand and is an insignia of power,

and as a warning to other warriors (fig. 3).

Figure 3: Tegulun or Entugulun design over the back of the hand (Jerita Asal Iban Nemu

Bekalingai (Bepantang-Tattoo), 2007).

Hose and McDougall suggests that the Tegulun or Entegulun are

symbolisms of anthropomorphic derivation of the human face within the human

figure design termed Silong. Hose and McDougall also claims that the triangles

(called Song Irang) tattooed on the carpal knuckles, are in fact inspired by

bamboo shoots and the zigzag lines are named Ikor.

 For the Iban women, tattoos are done to recognize their expertise in

weaving the Pua Kumbu2, among other things. Lars Krutak, a tattoo

anthropologist, in his “In the Realm of Spirits: Traditional Dayak Tattoo in

Borneo” article written in 2000, states that the women artisans would consults

the spirit guides for inspiration on Pua Kumbu designs. This is done to seek

permission from the spirits and to avoid irritating the supernatural beings they

are about to represent in the weavings (Krutak, 2000). This practice is

considered as Kayau Indu, which means “women’s war” and is marked by tattoos

done on the artisan’s hands for protection as the ink used in the weaving is

thought to entice sinister spirits (DeMello, 2014, p.290)

Figure 4: Women Hand tattoo (Krutak, 2000).

2
Traditional cotton cloth weaved by the Iban women of Sarawak. Pua Kumbu are considered
sacred items.
 As seen in figure 4, the Song Irang pattern is also tattooed on the women’s

hand. Plant life are regarded highly by the Iban as it shares the same ideal of life

and death as humans, where as the protective ancestor spirits are represented

with the anthropomorphic designs above her wrists (Krutak, 2000).

CONCLUSION

The act of tattooing within the Iban community was mostly for protection,

from both physical and spiritual harm. The Iban tattoo artists, may it be a man or

woman, are regarded highly within their communities for their capability of

connecting with the spiritual world. The designs are based on nature, animals,

insects and supernatural creatures. Although the awareness on the traditional

ritual, meaning, and function of these designs are skewered to nothing more than

a trend within the youth of Sarawak in today’s society, with more researchers

and journalist initiating research regarding the Iban body art, the diminishing

ideology behind the designs can be avoided. The Iban’s art on the human flesh

should be recorded down as it acts as a living documentation of the Iban’s

complex ideologies and culture.

 REFERENCES

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3. DeMello, M. (2014). Iban. In Inked : Tattoos and body art around the world. Santa
Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO,LLC.

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