- Aban,—the prefix to a name, 18, 55
- Aban Avit, 55
- Aban Avit’s veranda, 57, 66
- Aban Jau’s house, 111
- Aban Liah, 116
- Aban Liah’s final illness, 132
- Abun, the Chief at Long Lama, 69
- Admiration denoted by clucks, 101
- Adorn, 26
- Affection among the Borneans, 141
- Amau,—Omen birds and mammals, 160
- Ambuscade, a Bornean, 83
- Amok at Tama Aping Buling’s, 134
- Apoi, 27
- Appreciation of photographs, 125
- Appreciation of foreign songs, 27
- Arrack, drinking of, at naming ceremony, 42
- Attainment of paradise, 63
- Attempt to deceive the Omen birds, 28
- Bállo,—the prefix to a name, 18
- Bamboo, burning a strip of, to determine the giving of a name, 41
- Bamboo, ceremonial use of ashes of, 41, 42
- Bamboo drinking-cups, 107, 108
- Bananas, salt, and ginger root given at a Naming, 35, 42
- Batu, 76
- Beads, Lukut sekála, 118
- Beads, imitation of valuable, 118
- Belief in future life, 62
- Benefits from skulls hung in veranda, 59
- Berawans,—Disposal of the dead, 139
- ‘Bintang sikópa’, 62
- Bird’s-nest caves, 178, 181
- Blackening the teeth, 157
- Blari, 27
- Blood, indifference to sight of, 62
- Blood of a fowl, inspection of, 50
- Blow-pipes, the making of, 113
- Blow-pipes among the Punans, 177
- Borrowing a head, 88
- Breaking a taboo, 115
- Bulan, daughter of Tama Bulan, 29
- Bulun matai, Fields of the Dead, 61
- Burial in jars, 139
- Burial of a Chief, 140
- Burial custom in the Naga Hills of Assam, 144
- Burial of Punans, 183
- Calling the name to revive a dying person, 50
- Camphor collecting, 167
- Camphor collecting, pre-empting a river, 115
- Camphor language, 168
- Camphor, reluctance to mention, 17
- Cases for war-coats, 8
- Casting off the taboos of mourning, 92
- Caves, bird’s nest, 178-181
- Ceremonial fire, 37
- Ceremonies at the naming of a Chief’s son, 16
- Ceremonies on the return from a war expedition, 90
- Changing name after sickness, 16
- Chanting of returning warriors, 91
- Charm to divert evil Spirits at the Lelak house, 99
- Charms for abundant crops, 164
- Charms worked with portraits of a person, 179
- Children initiated as warriors, 92
- Cigarette-making, 30
- Clucking to denote admiration, 101
- Communication between Omen birds and man, 162
- Conjunctivitis, 26
- Conveying thanks to Omen birds, 78
- Cord of life,—Tebuku urip,—Naming Ceremony, 34
- Corpse, presents to a, 166
- Costume of Berawan women while mourning, 139
- Costume of Kayans and Kenyahs, 21
- Council Negri, 20
- Council of war, 73
- Crops, charms for abundant, 164
- Cupping to relieve headache, 49
- Curled shavings on sticks, 168
- Cursing a house, 136
- Daily routine of household, 12
- Dancing performed by women of the Lelak household, 101
- Dayong, the, in case of illness, 12
- Dayong’s attempt to recall a departing soul, 50
- Dead bodies not carried through usual doorways, 52
- Dead father’s name not mentioned, 17
- Death posts, 67
- Decorated house posts, 56
- Decorating grave of dead Chief, 94
- Deer may not be cooked in the house, 71
- Deng, 27
- Depilation of eyebrows and eyelashes, 158
- Designs tattooed on the legs and arms of Kayan and Kenyah women, 148
- Determining a name by burning a loop of bamboo, 41
- Disposal of the dead,—Berawans, 139
- Dogs, 8
- Dreams, auspicious and prohibitory, to perforating the ears, 156
- Drinking arrack at a Naming, 42
- Drinking-cups, bamboo, 107, 108
- Drinking a toast, 106
- Dulit, Mount, 144
- Ear-lobes, elongated, 153
- Ear ornaments, 155
- Ears, perforation of, 156
- Early training of a Head-hunter, 54
- Eating of the flesh of deer, 166
- ‘Eat slowly’, 80
- Edible bird’s-nests, 178, 182
- Education in indifference to sight of blood, 62
- Eternal life in the jungle, 64
- Etiquette in regard to weapons, 56
- Etiquette in entering a house, 130
- Evening chat with Aban Avit, 57
- Evil omens in pig’s liver at Aban Liah’s feast, 121
- Evil omen in pig’s liver at Tama Aping Buling’s, 132
- Evil Spirits exorcised by fire, 28
- Evil Spirits exorcised at the Naming ceremony, 33, 39
- Evil Spirits exorcised by spitting, 28
- Evil Spirits exorcised when a dog touches a rice-mortar, 165
- Evil Spirits warded off by gong-beating, 34
- Eyelashes and eyebrows depilated, 158
- Exhortation to the sacrificial pig at Aban Liah’s, 120
- Exorcism of Evil Spirits, 28, 33, 39
- Facsimile of valuable beads, 118
- Family rooms (Lamin), 9
- Fat pork feast at Naming ceremony, 44
- Fear of making life-like images or pictures, 56
- Feast at Tama Aping Buling’s, 133
- Feast after return of war party, 95
- Feast, injunction at beginning of, 47
- Feasting of a war party, 80
- Female tattooers, 151
- Fields of the dead, 61
- Fine for violating a permantong, 12
- Fire, a means of communicating with Omen birds, 4, 78
- Fire, ceremonial, 37
- Fire-drill, 37
- Fireplaces, 4
- Fire-saw, 37
- Fish not spoken of before a Tuba fishing, 17, 186
- Flattening heads, 158
- Food, 11
- Food of Punans, 175
- Freeing women from mourning restrictions, 93
- Future life, Belief in a, 62
- Game of tag in the water, 14
- Gathering edible bird’s-nests, 182
- Gau, 27
- Ghost’s clutch, 54
- Ginger root, salt, and bananas given at Naming ceremony, 35, 42
- Gong-beating to counteract effects of photography, 180
- Gong-beating to ward off evil Spirits, 34
- Government’s pig at the feast at Tama Aping Buling’s, 131
- Grave, decoration of a Chief’s, 94
- Greeting, absence of signs of, 142
- Grippe in Borneo, 25
- Grippe at Tama Bulan’s, 49
- Guest chambers in Lelak house, 102
- Handling of skulls, 65
- Harvest festival, 164
- Hawk-men,—Laki Niho, 161
- Head, borrowing a, 88
- Head-flattening, 158
- Head-hunter, early training of a, 54
- Head-hunters, mark of successful, 147
- Head-hunting, Origin of, 59
- Head-hunting, punishment for, 69
- Horn-bill, Image of, hung with cigarettes, 31
- Hose, Dr. Charles, invitation to people of Batang Kayan, 109
- House-building, 1, 3, 4
- House-building, sacrifice, 3
- House-posts, decorated, 56
- Humble attitude of women, 171
- Husking rice, 7
- Iban ear ornaments, 156
- Iban tattooing, 148
- Ill luck consigned to miniature boat, 179
- Images, fear of making life-like, 56
- Image of horn-bill hung with cigarettes, 31
- Images made to work evil as they decay, 93
- Importance of a name, 18
- Indemnity,—Usut, 112, 163
- Indifference to sight of blood, 62
- Inflammation of the eyes, 26
- Influence of skulls hung in the veranda, 65
- Initiation of children as warriors, 92
- Injunction at beginning of feast, 47
- Ink for tattooing, 152
- Inspection of pig’s liver at Aban Liah’s feast, 120
- Inspection of spattering of blood from a fowl, 50
- Instruction in the art of defence, 75
- Invocation of the sacred pig at a Naming, 40
- Invocation to the Spirits before a Tuba fishing, 188
- Iron given for infringement of permantong, 163
- Isit, the Omen-bird, 167
- Jamma, 110
- Jamma’s curse on Tama Aping Buling’s house, 136
- Jamma’s feigned death, 135
- Jawa, 116, 130
- Jawa, Violation of rules of, 129
- Jawa, or peace-making, 97
- Joke, a Bornean, 128
- Journey to Tama Bulan’s, 24
- Juman, 68
- Jungle, the, 64
- Kaluri, kaludi, or kaleeri (musical instrument), 6
- Kaluri among Naga tribes, 6
- Kayan songs, 81
- Kayan war dances, 101
- Kayans and Kenyahs, 21
- Kayans and Kenyahs, Costume of, 21
- Kenyah lunar calendar, 31
- Kayu urip,—Tree of life, 34
- Killing of Tinggi the murderer, 68
- Kilup breaks the rules of Jawa, 129
- Kissing, the Bornean custom, 13
- Kromong, a musical instrument, 110
- Kükenthal, Dr. Willy, 105
- Lack of affection, 141
- Laid Jok Orang, 106
- Laki La, 53
- Laki Niho,—Hawk-men, 161
- Laki Oi, Kayan Prometheus, 37
- Laki Pesong,—the Fire-saw, 37
- Lali, or permantong, 160
- Lali of the pregnant rice, 164
- Lali imposed on unnamed child, 32
- Lali of mourning removed, 94
- Lamin, or family rooms, 9
- Language of camphor collectors, 168
- Laram—meaning cool—idiomatic use of, 39
- Legend about origin of head-hunting, 59
- Lelak clan or tribe, 99
- Lelak, guest chamber, 102
- Leppu Anans, a small clan or tribe, 124
- Leput,—blow-pipes—Manufacture of, 113
- Leron clan, Jawa ceremonies, 117
- Lijow, Tama Bulan’s son, 42
- Lishun, 26
- Love tokens before a war expedition, 75
- Lueng’s death at Tama Bulan’s, 49
- Lukut Sekála, valuable beads, 118
- Lunar calendar, 31
- Ma Obat, 84
- Madong, 76
- Manin,—meaning warm—idiomatic use of, 39
- Manufacture of Sumpits or blow-pipes, 115
- Mark of successful Head-hunter, 147
- Marksmanship with the blow-pipe, 177
- Maternal advice before a war expedition, 76
- Meals, 11
- Medicine, Rhinoceros used as, 176
- Method of burial among the Berawans, 139
- Method of tattooing, 151
- Methods of resuscitating a fainting woman, 49
- Miniature boat to carry away ill-luck, 179
- Moon, Phases of, 31
- Mosquitoes, 23
- Mourning for a dead Chief, 139
- Mourning, restrictions of, removed, 92
- Mourning, restrictions of, removed from women, 93
- Mount Dulit, 144
- Musa—the Fire-saw, 37
- Music of the kaluri, 7
- Music of the kromong, 111
- Mutilation of the ears, 155
- Naga Hills, burial customs in, 144
- Nalika,—the Fire-drill, 37
- Name, determination of, 41
- Name of dead father not mentioned, 17
- Name, Reluctance in telling, 16
- Name, Importance of, 18
- Names of tattoo designs, 147
- Names, Paraphrases of, 18
- Names of relatives not mentioned, 17
- Naming ceremonies, 16
- Naming ceremonies, fat pork feast, 44
- Naming ceremonies, exhortation of sacred pig, 40
- Naming a Kenyah child, 32
- New Fire, 37
- Niah village and bird’s-nest caves, 178
- Night before a war expedition, 32
- Nicknames of very young children, 74
- Nipa palms, 23
- Oaths on a tiger’s tooth, 133
- Object of a hunt not mentioned, 17
- Objection to having idols photographed, 180
- Observation of Omens before clearing of the jungle, 162
- Occupations of the Punans, 175
- Omen animals, 161
- Omen birds and mammals—amau, 160
- Omen birds, attempts to deceive, 28
- Omen birds, communication between man and the, 162
- Omen birds conveying thanks to, 4, 78
- Omen bird,—Isit, 167
- Omens in pig’s liver, 43
- Omens in pig’s liver at Aban Liah’s feast, 121
- Omens in pig’s liver at Tama Aping Buling’s feast, 132
- Omen birds of house-building, 4
- Operation of wet-cupping, 49
- Orang Kaya Perkassa, 178
- Oratory, 73, 123
- Ordeal of a feast of raw pork, 44
- Origin of head-hunting, 59
- Origin of Punans, Legend, 183
- Ornaments worn in the ears, 155
- Ornamentation of the teeth, 157
- ‘Pakat Abong’, 186
- Paradise, attainment of, 63
- Parangs, taken off on entering a veranda, 56
- Paraphrases of names, 18
- Peace-making, or Jawa, 97
- Perforation of the ears, 155
- Permantong or Lali, 160
- Permantong before house-building, 4
- Permantong, breaking of a, 115
- Permantong during sickness, 12
- Permantong during camphor collecting, 169
- Permantong, fine for violation of, 12
- Permantong of a room, 12
- Permantong in a Kayan house, 166
- Permantong, infringement of, 163
- Personal embellishment, 146
- Pestles used in husking rice, 7
- Phases of the moon, 31
- Photographing the Punans, 174
- Photographing idols, objection to, 180
- Photography, evil effects of, 34
- Photography, superstitions in regard to, 179
- Pictures of animals always conventionalised, 56
- Pig’s liver, Omens consulted in, 43
- Pipes, tobacco, 171
- Planting the corner-post of a house, 3
- Platforms on the veranda, 6
- Plugs of brass in the teeth, 157
- Portrait of a woman taken by Dr. Kükenthal, 105
- Posts recording head-hunts, 2, 67
- Pre-empting a river for camphor collecting, 115
- Prefixes of names, Meaning of, 55
- Preliminary to speech-making, 122
- Preparation for war expedition, 74
- Presents to guests at Naming ceremony, 55
- Presents to a corpse, 166
- Presents sent to tribes on Batang Kayan River, 108
- Primitive customs revived in all ceremonies, 90
- Pronouncing a name for the first time at a Naming, 42
- Propitiation of Spirits before tattooing, 151
- Propriety in broaching a subject for discussion, 73
- Punans, 170
- Punans,—burial customs, 183
- Punans’ bill of fare, 175
- Punans’ fear of water, 177
- Punans’ method of preparing tapioca, 176
- Punans, relationship to Long Wats, 183
- Punans, story of their origin, 183
- Punans, Village of, 173
- Punans, Village of, in bird’s-nest caves, 184
- Punishment for head-hunting, 69
- Purification after unlucky journey, 28
- ‘Put,’—a blow-pipe, Manufacture of, 113
- Rack on which parangs are hung, 56
- Raw pork feast, 44
- Reasons for obtaining heads, 65
- Recalling the soul of a dying person, 50, 51
- Relationship of Punans to Long Wats, 183
- Religion of the Borneans, Negative, 64
- Reluctance to mention the name of the object of a search, 17
- Retaliation for the killing of Tinggi, 69
- Return of a war expedition, 90
- Return to earth of Spirits of the dead, 140
- Rhinoceros used as medicine, 176
- Rice husking, 7
- Rice mortars, 7
- Rice mortars protected during the Permantong Padi, 165
- Rivers pre-empted for camphor collecting, 115
- River scenery, 23
- Rivers tabooed, sign of, 167
- Rules of Tama Bulan’s house, 20
- Running amuck, 134
- Sacrifice of slave girl—house-building, 3
- Sacrifice of slave girl at burial of a Chief, 140
- Sacrifice of slave for education of boys, 62
- Sacrifice of pig on arrival of a Peace party, 126
- Salt, ginger root, and bananas given at a Naming, 35, 42
- Second day’s ceremony of Naming, 36
- Serious consequences to us on account of Lueng’s death, 52
- Shaving the hair after mourning, 92
- Shavings, curled, on sticks, 168
- Shy Punan maiden, 172
- Sign of permantong of a river, 167
- Sign of permantong in case of sickness, 12
- Singing among the Kayans, 81
- Skulls, the handling of, 65
- Skulls, influence of, hung in veranda, 65
- Skulls in Aban Avit’s veranda, 58
- Slaves, sacrifice of, 62, 140
- Sleeping-closets, 10
- Smearing face and body with soot as sign of mourning, 139
- ‘Snappang,’ the name for a gun, 68
- Soap, 13
- Songs, appreciation of foreign, 27
- Speech-making, 73
- Speech-making at Aban Liah’s, 122
- Spitting to banish evil Spirits, 28
- Spitting on the hair cut off after mourning, 93
- Sprinkling with water at a Naming, 39
- Start of a war party, 77
- Sticks cut into curled shavings, 168
- Stinging ants, 177
- Stretching the lobes of the ears, 153
- Substitution of names, 17, 18, 55, 186
- Summit of Mount Dulit, 144
- Sumpits,—blow-pipes—Manufacture of, 113
- Superstition with regard to photography, 179
- Table manners, 11
- Taboo or permantong, 160
- Taboo, the breaking of, 115
- Tag in the water, Game of, 14
- ‘Tama’, 18
- Tama Aping Buling’s house, 127
- Tama Balan Deng’s house, 136
- Tama Bulan, 18, 21
- Tama Bulan’s son, 30
- Tama Bulan’s farewell to the Peace party, 109
- Tama Liri’s house, 103
- Tama Talun, 27
- Tapioca, Method of preparation, 176
- Tattoo designs, names of, 147
- Tattooers, female, 151
- Tattooing, propitiation of spirits before, 151
- Tattooing of Kayan men, 146
- Tattooing of Kayan and Kenyah women, 148
- Tattooing needle and ink, 152
- ‘Tebok bulu,’—bamboo cup, 107
- ‘Tebuku Tali’ (note), 34
- ‘Tebuku urip,’—cord of life, 34
- Teeth, Ornamentation of, 157
- Terluat, 27
- Tiger skin regarded with awe, 133
- Tiger skin used in uttering a curse, 136
- Tiger’s tooth, oath sworn on, 133
- ‘Tigga’—charms for the crops, 164
- Timidity of Punans, 173
- Tina—a prefix to a name, 18
- Tinggi, a murderer, 68
- Toasts, the Bornean custom of giving, 105
- Tobacco growing wild, 183
- Tobacco pipes, 171
- ‘Toh Lali’, 163
- Tokong, the father of head-hunting, 59
- Tone of voice of Punans, 174
- Tree of life,—Kaya Urip—Naming ceremony, 34
- Tuba berábut, and Tuba ja jaran, 185
- Tuba-fishing, 185
- Tuba-fishing, fish not mentioned before, 17, 186
- Tuba-fishing, invocation of spirits, 188
- Unfavourable sign in pig’s liver at Aban Liah’s feast, 121
- Unnamed children, 18, 32
- Unselfish love not a trait of the Borneans, 141
- ‘Usut,’ The rite of giving, 112, 163
- Valuable beads,—Lukut Sekála, 118
- Verandas of Kayan and Kenyah houses, 4
- Violation of the rules of ‘Jawa’, 129
- Wailing for the dead, 52, 138
- War-coats, cases for, 8
- War dances, 101
- War expedition, 67
- War expedition, ceremonies on return of, 90
- War expedition, preparation for, 74
- War party, the feasting of a, 80
- Water, use of, in Naming ceremony, 39
- Wawa monkey sacred to some families, 55
- Weapons, etiquette in regard to, 56
- Wet cupping, 49
- Why the Balira is a bony fish, 187
- Wild tobacco, 183
- Wit of Borneans, 128
- Women dressing as men, 164
- Women, humble attitude of, 171
- Wooden discs as ear-ornaments, 155
- Words of invitation to a feast, 80
About This Book
The text offers a detailed ethnographic portrait of interior Borneo riverine communities, focusing on daily home life, social customs, festivals, and material culture among Kayan and Kenyah peoples. It records naming ceremonies, youth training for warfare, the organization and conduct of head-hunting expeditions and peace-making rituals, and practices of tattooing, ornamentation, and tabu observances. Chapters describe food production, fishing and camphor collection, domestic architecture, and relations with traders, interweaving first-person observations with illustrations and plates to show craftsmen, musical instruments, and ritual objects.