NYOBENG

The Thank Offering of Dayak Bidayuh

Nyobeng is a traditional ceremony to express gratitude for God’s protection, honor the struggle of the ancestors, and strengthen unity among the Dayak ethnic group from the Bidayuh tribe so that there is peace and no misunderstanding. The nyobeng ceremonial ritual still survives in the Dayak Bidayuh’s Sebujit community in the Indonesia-Malaysia border region of Siding District, Bengkayang Regency, West Kalimantan. In the regional language of the Dayak Bidayuh Sebujit, nyobeng signifies gawia nibakng or playing a sibakng, a percussion instrument, a long drum hung inside and outside the traditional baluk house.

The culmination of nyobeng, which is very sacred, is cleaning the human skull from pengayauan (the ritualistic headhunting by killing enemies for trophy heads) of the ancestors of the Dayak Bidayuh tribe. Headhunting has become obsolete. Today, the Dayak Bidayuhs only carried out nyobeng as a symbol of reconciliation between parties who have or are currently in a dispute.

A long time ago, the Dayak Bidayuh tribe who lived in Sebujit hamlet, Lhi Buie Village, Siding District, Bengkayang Regency, West Kalimantan, often fought for the boundaries of their territory and brought home the enemy’s head as a trophy. They kept enemy heads in a baluk house or a traditional house among the Dayak subtribe. Because of this, the image of the Dayaks is that of headhunters. Why did they head hunt? The Dayak Bidayuhs believed that the human head houses supernatural powers. For the Dayaks, the dried human skull is the most powerful magic in the world and an antidote strong enough to save the whole village from a plague, produce rain, increase crop yields, and drive out evil spirits.

In 1894, the tumbang anoy agreement was born, which was agreed upon by all Dayak tribes in mainland Kalimantan (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam). It contains a consensus to stop hakayau or headhunting, hapunuh or killing each other, and hatetek or cutting a ritual. Every year in June, the nyobeng or gawia nibakng ritual becomes a ceremony of peace, gathering with relatives, and paying homage to ancestors. They ask for divine permission, the blessing for the earth’s produce, and divine grace.

The Dayak Bidayuhs perform the nyobeng ceremony to honor the spirits of the ancestors who they believe are still guarding them. They collected enemy skulls from ngayau in the traditional house in the center of the village and bathed and cleaned them every year. Although they were once enemies, they are respected. They passed down that form of respect for generations. The annual nyobeng ceremony symbolizes peace, including for the allied Dayak

Implementation of the Ceremony

The nyobeng tradition has become the identity of the Dayak Bidayuh tribe, a tourist attraction, and the most significant annual traditional ceremony for the Dayak community. Because of this, they plan and implement rituals orderly. They need to prepare severale requirements before the rite. Pak Amin, the traditional elder of the Dayak Bidayuh tribe, jointly with the people, prepares various items for the ritual, such as offerings, including betel leaves, areca leaves, slaked lime, tobacco, and gambier leaves. The local people also weave coconut leaves to hang in front of their houses, slaughter a pig, and use its blood to smear each skull.

The traditional elders prepare various offerings dripped with blood from a chicken’s wings.

Before sunrise of the following day, the nyobeng ceremony begins with a ritual of summoning ancestral spirits at the baluk house, a 15-meter-tall pyramid-shaped traditional house. Pak Amin led the rite. The action of calling for and asking for the permission of the ancestral spirits is via chanting and the beating of the sibakang or drum and other traditional musical instruments. The aim is to encourage men to be brave in facing the enemy. In today’s context, the enemy can be very diverse and personal.

After they open the baluk house, the traditional mantras and music performed inside the house must continue playing without stopping. The music played is also a sign of friendship. The neatly arranged offerings hint that the nyobeng ritual is about to begin. But before that, the traditional elders and the community gathered in the courtyard of the baluk house. Then they performed a bamboo cutting ritual for sangiang or a place for offerings. The traditional elders and the knights continue the rite with namwey or welcoming guests by slowly descending from the baluk house and walking towards the village boundary.

At this stage, they greet the guests who are members of the group as if they had just returned from headhunting. They organize the reception wearing a full traditional attire of sumpit, mandau or Dayak saber, and muskets. They sounded the muskets when they entered the village boundary. The customary elders and knights also let out warrior’s cry while brandishing their weapons. Shouting warriors’ cries and loud banging are the requirements for summoning the spirits of the ancestors and asking for permission to carry out nyobeng

Before guests are permitted to enter the village, one woman throws a chicken egg at a guest. The egg doesn’t crack means that the guests are insincere or still in doubt. Conversely, the egg breaks upon contact with the guests means that they come sincerely without hesitation. They then served guests food and soft drinks. They also receive yellow rice to be thrown downwards for spirits and white rice to be thrown upwards for Tipa Iyakng (God). The traditional leader read a prayer, and they escorted guests to the baluk house.

The ritual of cutting off a dog’s head is one of the rituals that attracts attention. The dog’s head is an offering for the ancestors and a repellent for evil. After, the traditional elders, the community, and the guests dance together.

One ritual for entertainment in nyobeng is panjat aur or climbing a tree upside down. The elders cast a spell, ascend the bamboo poles, and sprinkle water onto the participants with amhuang leaves. All participants dance around a bamboo pole. This tradition is said to be carried out by warriors to show their strength.

For the Dayak Bidayuh tribe, nyobeng is a celebration, worship, and an expression of joy. People from various tribes gather to perform dances during festivals, for harvest thanksgiving, or for wedding ceremonies. Performances at weddings are popular as they attract many relatives to attend. Nyobeng is undoubtedly a significant part of the Dayak culture that brings people together. The nyobeng dance has developed into a unique art form that appeals to traditional and nontraditional audiences. Malaysians always participate in every nyobeng. It is not solely because they are part of the Dayak Bidayuh family but also because Hli Buei (Sebujit) village is on the IndonesiaMalaysia border.

The Dayak Bidayuh live in a tradition of kinship and also believe in the supernatural powers of the primitive people around them. They are part of nature, so they often make sacrifices or offerings in respect for nature. Through rituals, they ask for the blessings of birth, death, and salvation. The Dayak Bidayuh has a way of paying homage to ancestors and honoring deaths based on mythology. In this context, mythology makes people realize that there are magical powers in this world, and mythology helps humans to appreciate this ability to influence and control the forces of nature and tribes.

Nyobeng was a celebration of victory over enemies and is now an expression of gratitude for one year’s harvest and praying for them to live in peace.

(Darus Hadi, Directorate of Belief in One God & Indigenous Peoples, Directorate General of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT))

Directorate of Belief in the God Almighty and Customary Law Communities