Out of body: Part 1/3: Miring

This happened about six months back, in June 2005, during Gawai Dayak, a rice harvest festival celebrated by the Dayaks of Sarawak. Dayaks are natives of Sarawak in Borneo and are generally specified as tribes of Iban(Sea Dayak) or Bidayuh(Land Dayak). I am a Bidayuh. I was in Kapit celebrating with my sister’s family and a good friend. He, on then other hand, was there to attend his girlfriend’s sister’s engagement ceremony. So we went together.

Me (all 85 kilos of me) and my friend, Dony.

During Gawai celebrations the miring ceremony is performed to receive blessings from the gods and deities for a prosperous year as well as give thanks for the bountiful harvest. It is usually done a few days before the official festival begins, typically on Gawai Eve. Although many Dayaks in Sarawak are now Christian, this ceremony is still held as a tradition and to signify the end of harvesting season, thus begin the Gawai Celebration. Miring is a must in Kapit, a rural town of predominantly Iban community. Ask anyone there and they’ll tell you that Gawai is not complete without miring. Gawai is not Gawai without miring.

Family members' plates being set up by a guest.

So, as every household have their miring, each family member of the family to be blessed is given his own plate consisting of several items like eggs, rice and wheat, prepared by the family and assembled by honored guests. My friend and I each have our own first plates. For me, I was a member of my sister’s family. For my friend, he was the future son in law. Both at different households of course. This gave us both the creeps.

A family being blessed during the 'miring' ceremony.

Associating with the spirit world made us uneasy. Yes, the true meaning is no longer intact. And yes they say it’s for the sake of the elders who see it as a necessity. But the act itself is enough to mess our thoughts with every kind of mystical notions. It was fine watching other families at it. But to be blessed through a rooster and chicken’s blood is disturbing. What’s more, we each had to bring it to wherever we were sleeping for the night, a one night stand if you will. Mine was on the buffet table in my sister’s bedroom, where I sleep facing it. It’s for good luck they said. “They’ll keep a watch over you”.

Miring materials for the chief's family, being prepared; to be arranged by honored guests at a longhouse.

My sister said, “I was not really into it at first. Exactly feeling like you are right now. But my in laws insist we have a miring ceremony every Gawai, and so, your brother in law does it to please them actually. But I learned to deal with it. I don’t think much of it and take it as another routine during the festival, much like the cooking, eating, drinking and merrymaking. It is simply meant to officiate the Gawai celebration for every family, that’s all.”

I guess I can do the same. As long as I think nothing of it, I’ll be fine.

But I was wrong.

And this is to be continued. Part 2 of 3