Tadau Kaamatan - Pesta Gawai

When someone mentions Borneo, my thoughts tend to go directly to its myths and legends – for Sabah, known as the Land Below the Wind, and Sarawak, The Land of the Hornbills are full with them.

That  and the warm welcome from the locals every time I come for a visit. What I adore the most about the states are the rich cultural diversity and festivities that they celebrate, and the Harvest

Festivals mark the grandest celebrations in Sabah and Sarawak. While Sabahans celebrates the Tadau Kaamatan, the locals in Sarawak rejoice over Gawai.

The most remarkable festival celebrated by the Kadazandusuns, the state’s largest indigenous group, Tadau Kaamatan is a month-long celebration culminating with a state-wide festival and public holiday on 30 and 31 May.

The festival honours the sacrifice of Huminodun so that her people would not die of hunger.  As a result of her sacrifice to the great earth, her people enjoyed great paddy harvest year after year. Every May, they thanked the spirit of the paddy called Bambaazon with prayers, dances and food.

Muslim and Christian Kadazandusuns still celebrate Tadau Kaamatan as a symbol of thanksgiving for a good harvest, minus the animistic elements. The local dancers garbed in their best Rungus traditional costumes then took to stage with the classic Sumazau dance. The dancers spread their arms out like eagles and moved in sync with the Tagung which are six gongs played in a unique and hypnotic rhythm.

A tradtional Rungus male costume comprise of sigar (the head gear), muga (the sarong), sandang (beaded sash),sandai (outer shawl) and hokos (the tri-coloured belt). The female traditional costume consists of singal (beaded head gear), sandang (beaded sash), suhau (beaded necklace), tapi tinong kupau (skirt) and orot (belt).  Green, yellow and red is the official Rungus colour as it depicts good tidings. These resplendent costumes are typically worn during festivals and happy occasions.  However, they are deemed unsuitable for funerals and such.

As Sabahan women are generously blessed with exotic features, the highlight of Tadau Kaamatan is undoubtedly the search for the Harvest Queen in the local beauty pageant known as Unduk Ngadau.  A bevy of lovely girls between the ages of 15 to 22 paraded gracefully on the stage dressed in their traditional best.

And just like any other beauty contests, they would each gave a short introduction, answer a simple general question and charm the audience with their winsome smiles and personal style.

Gawai 

A festivity of oneness, dreams and hope for the Dayaks, Gawai marks the end of the rice harvest while inviting in another year of fruitful goodness. The festival was first celebrated on 1st June 1965, it is the feast for the eyes with its colourful rituals, traditional music, cock fighting, feasting and games.

The Ibans have many festivals called ‘Gawai’. These different Gawais are known as ‘Gawai Kenyalang’ (Hornbill Festival), ‘Gawai Antu’ (Festival For The Dead) and ‘Gawai Dayak’ (Harvesting Festival). During such festivals, besides the customary observance of ritual, there will be a lot of drinking of the locally brewed rice wine called tuak, much merriment and dancing called ngajat and displays of elaborate traditional costumes.

On the evening of 31st May, in most Iban longhouses, the celebration starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed), signifying the non-interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men will each drag a chapan (winnowing basket) and they will pass each family’s room. Every family will throw some unwanted article into the basket. These will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck.

As the sun sets, miring (offering ceremony) will take place, and right before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual music) is performed. As the Feast Chief waves a cockerel over the offerings, he will thank the gods for the good harvest, and asks for guidance, blessings and long life. The cockerel will then be sacrificed and a little blood will be ‘merged’ with the offerings.

Once the offering ceremony is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. Just before midnight, a procession up and down the ruai seven times called Ngalu Petara (welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a beauty pageant to choose the festival’s queen and king (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is held.

At midnight, the gong is beaten to call the celebrants to attention. The longhouse Chief (tuai rumah) or Festival Chief will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wish each other “gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai” (long life, health and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. Some will dance to the traditional music played, others will sing the pantun (poems).

Other activities that may follow the next few days include: cock-fighting matches, and blowpipe and ngajat competitions. On this day, 1 June, homes of the Dayaks are opened to visitors and guests.

Gawai Dayak celebrations may last for several days. It is also during this time of year that many weddings take place, as it is one of the rare occasions when all the members of the community return home to their ancestral longhouse.

With their unique and distinct cultures and festivities, Sabah and Sarawak hold their stature as the lands full of histories and heritages. Blessed with many picturesque scenery and wonders, it’s not a secret as to what lures visitors to keep coming back to these islands of Borneo.

I am yet to learn the dance of Sumazau, maybe it’s high time that I tried it.