Gawai Carnival Redeems still a glamorous event

Leong shows the offerings for the Gawai ritual.

The chief priestess follows the footsteps of the chief priest in climbing up the ladder.

IT was five past 10pm on Saturday evening, and at last, the much-awaited live Gawai Ritual finale took centre stage.

The ritual kicked off with the beats of gongs and drums that not only enlivened the atmosphere but also drew multitudes towards the main stage.

As the music started playing, the chief priest and the chief priestess instructed their followers to get ready for the moment all present had been waiting for.

Wearing special costumes, the priests and the priestesses began dancing round the ‘bawal’ (altar). The priestesses (also known as ‘Dayung Boris’ in Singai) wore a velvet headgear (sipiah) that fitted snugly like a cap.

Training from the back of the headgear was a broad sewn-on piece of cloth about five inches wide, decorated with laces, coins or beads (yellow) that matched the rest of the costume.

Their blouses were made of black velvet, adorned with matching gold coloured laces while the petticoats (jomuh) or skirts, wrapped tightly around the waist and slightly below the knee, had a strapped hem-end, rows of silver coins and some small hawk bells.

Around their waist was a silver belt with a large buckle plate. Rattan armlets adorned their arms while slung over their shoulders was a scarlet sash with both ends hanging down to the hip.

Leong Singi, one of the priests, said everything (offerings or sacrifices) had been prepared for the ritual and all the  costumes for the finale had meaning to them.

It is believed that the priestesses’ costumes are designed to especially welcome the spirits of the elders and ancestors during the ritual ceremony.

In the old days, wearing such costumes would enable the priestesses to communicate with and see the spirits that could give them power and glory.

In the finale, the leader of the ritual ceremony or the chief priest wore the white-coloured costume while the assistant, the red-coloured costume.

The chief priest must wear the white-coloured costume, a symbol of purity, especially during the cleansing ceremony to submit their sufferings to the gods.

After the cleansing ceremony, the chief priest led the other priests and priestesses in a dance around the altar, carrying with him the offerings (‘sadis’), comprising rice cooked in small bamboo and leaves, preserved fish and meat, fresh chicken meat and pork, areca nuts, betel leaves and tobacco placed in the basket.

About two hours before the finale, the chief priestess led the women in reciting the hymns in an archaic Bidayuh Singai dialect. For this, they sat on a long wooden swing tied to the longhouse balcony.

The hymn is called ‘boris’ in Bau Bidayuh parlance.

The priestesses recite the ‘boris’ (hymn).

Spiritual communication

According to folklore, in the old days, while reciting the ‘boris,’ some priestesses could communicate with spiritual beings and the spirit of the padi.

After the recitation, the priests and priestesses danced once around the altar, then proceeded to a Bisingai ‘kampong’ (mini longhouse) to occupy one ‘bilik’ (room) each. They did this eight times before talking a break to get ready for last segment.

The finale where the priests and priestesses danced around the altar and climbed up a ladder, was the most-awaited segment.

As soon as it began, the crowd of spectators thronged the open space in front of the main stage. After every round, the chief priest and the chief priestess climbed up each step of the ladder. They did this eight times.

At the end of the ritual, the priestesses went into trance until someone whispered into their ears to wake them up.

Thus ended the finale and the spectators, including tourists, came away, apparently feeling entertained.

Whether or not the ritual or trance was real did not matter. It was the best opportunity for visitors from different backgrounds to witness one of the actual — and almost extinct — Bidayuh Gawai rituals.

The ‘bawal’ for the ritual.

Rarely practised rituals

Gawai rituals are rarely practised today but in this Gawai Carnival, the Association of Research and Development Movement of Singai (Redeems) has succeeded in bringing it back and showing it to the younger generation, the general public and those, including myself, who just want to see the rituals performed.

Like the other sub-ethnic groups in the Bidayuh community, the early Bisingai believed in the existence of God and a multitude of spirits.

Today, most of the Bisingai, or the Bidayuh at large, no longer practise such rituals because most of them are now Christians.

Therefore, what happened at the Gawai Carnival Redeems (GCR) was just a show for people to see how the Bisingai or the Bidyauh forefathers celebrated the festive occasion.

In the past, Gawai was a festival to give thanks to the gods for their blessings, the year’s bumper padi harvest, and the promise of more success to come.

In this modern era, most people no longer plant padi but they still celebrate Gawai to give thanks for their blessings throughout the year.

Special occasion

Gawai is still a very special occasion for most Dayak communities. The just concluded GCR 2016 was just another successful story since its inception in 2006. Over 10,000 people turned up on the final night.

This year’s GCR started from the afternoon of June 24, lasting till midnight of June 25.

The elaborate programme included sales of food, drinks and handicrafts; ngabang at the longhouse; Public Service Commission (SPA) Career Guidance talk for school leavers and job seekers; arm wrestling competition; band-basking and cultural performances and ‘Dayung Sikora’ (Bidayuh beauty pageant) parade and final.

The pageant, held at the Redeems Hall, was one of the highlights. It was won by Amanda Dismon from Kampung Sagah, Singai, who beat 13 other finalists for the crown.

The 21-year-old fresh graduate, who was making her first foray into a beauty pageant, walked away with RM1,000, a crown, a trophy, a sash, a certificate of participation and other sponsored prizes.

Of the 13 finalists, 11 were from Singai and one each from Padawan and Lundu.

Anna Thumbelina Admonth, 19, from Kampung Barieng, Singai finished first runner-up while Sarvirna Seroe, 20, from Kampung Biawak, Lundu took third place.

The basking and band performance only commenced after the finale.

Former Assistant Minister of Community Services and Redeems president Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie and his group of veteran amateur musicians from Kuching kicked off the basking performance with two popular numbers from the Bee Gees, ‘Words’ and ‘To Love Somebody’.

Nansian and the some of the finalists, including Amanda (seated), of Dayung Sikora competition.

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