Jamuh, George Some Melanau customs and taboos. Borneo Literature Bureau, Kuching, Sarawak. (1973)
Abstract
TABOOS play a great part in the everyday life of the Melanau people living along the Sarawak coast. This applies primarily to the pagan Melanau, but also survives strongly among those who have become Mohammedan and masok melayu. The whole of earthly life is controlled, for the Melanau, by a great range of these taboos. I have here collected one hundred and sixty one of them, in the course of other studies in recent years. There are very many more. I have arranged these taboos under headings for convenience, though, of course, the Melanaus themselves do not think of such things in such a way. These headings are: Panau Fishing; Pregnancy and Childbirth; Animal Trapping, Fish Traps, Sailing, Cock-fighting; Grave Digging and Death Rites; Sago-Felling, Climbing for Honey, After Marriage; Planting Rice, Mourning for a Child, Tree Felling for Boat and other Reasons, Tuba Poisoning; General Taboos, Hereditary Taboos, Medicinal Taboos, Leprosy. These are not arranged in any special order, except perhaps the emphasis my informants gave me at the time I lived among these nice people - off and on for more than twenty years. I have a great number of informants to thank. They live in outlying villages, rarely visited by outside people. They give, I think, satisfactory information compared with the ones found staying near mixed population. A taboo which is described by a Melanau living near his Mohammedan friends tends to include added information - such as that the droning of the aeroplane should not be heard. (A patient has to plug both ears until there is no noise to be heard).
| Item Type: | Book |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Melanau, Customs, Taboos, Indigenous group, Festival |
| Taxonomy: | By Niche > Ethnology > Melanau (Malaysian People) > Social Life and Customs |
| Local Content Hub: | Niche > Melanau |
| Depositing User: | Normah Sadaiee |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Mar 2023 05:04 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Mar 2023 05:04 |
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