Headhunting was one of the main pillars of Dayak culture. In the old days, it was believed that freshly severed heads were essential to the welfare of a village. Old heads' power faded with age and new ones were continuously needed. This led to a permanent state of warfare in the hinterland of Borneo (West Kalimantan, Indonesia) until the practice was stopped early in this century by the British and Dutch colonial governments.
The Dayaks, who make up some 30% of West Kalimatan's population, are divided in this province into three main groups: the Kenyah, the Kayan and the Bahau. These in turn are each subdivided into several sub-groups. All Dayaks show a fundamental physical and cultural unity. They are usually light skinned and of Mongol genetic stock.
Several Dayak groups used to excel in beautiful and intricate ironwood carvings with religious significance but this is now fast becoming a lost art. Carvings were a common feature of longhouses in many areas. These huge wooden houses were built on stilts, up to 180 metres long and 18 metres wide. The largest ones boasted of some 200 doors to serve up to 500 persons or 50 families living under one roof. Villages located in several upstream areas of the Mahakam still have longhouses although the government is trying to encourage individual housing.
Many of the older women still sport personal decorations consisting of many large metal rings - weighing up to one kilo per ear - in huge distorted earlobes. Hands and other parts of the body were tattooed to mark status and as a means for ancestors to recognize their descendants after death.
(There are several elements of Dayak mythology and belief with un-canny parallels to the Aztecs and other Indian groups ot ancient Mexico. The feathered serpent was an important figure in both pantheons. There were special paradises, depending on the manner of death. Warriors who died in battle and women who died in childbirth shared one of the paradises in the afterlife. There was another one for those who died by drowning.)
Since the conclusion of WW II, missionaries have succeeded in converting most Dayaks to the Catholic or Protestant faiths. Traditional beliefs have been abandoned, except in a few remote areas. Christianity has been accepted over Islam mostly because it allows the consumption of pork and the presence of dogs which are invaluable for hunting wild game.
Source: Borneocentre.blogspot.com
Picture: accrosindonesia.com
