124 MENGAP, THE SONG OP THE DYAK HEAD FEAST. 



Ill Dyak life the sense of the invisible is constantly pre- 

 sent and active. Spirits and goblins are to them as real as 

 themselves. And this is specially true of these ceremonial 

 feasts. In the feasts for the dead the spirits of Hades are 

 invoked; in those connected with farming Pulang Gana, 

 who is supposed to reside somewhere under the ground, is 

 called npon ; and in the Head-feast it is Singalang Bnrong 

 who is invoked to be present. He may be described as the 

 Mars of Sea Dyak mythology, and is put far away above the 

 skies. But the invocation is not made by the human per- 

 former in the manner of a prayer direct to this great be- 

 ing ; it takes the form of a story setting forth how the 

 mythical hero Kling or Klieng made a Head-feast and 

 fetched Sino-alan^ Burono- to it. ThisKlino; about whom there 

 are many fables is a spirit, and is supposed to live somewhere 

 or other not far from mankind, and to be able to confer 

 benefits upon them. The Dyak performer or performers then, 

 as they walk up and down the long verandah of the house sing- 

 ing the Mengap, in reality describe Kling's Gawe Pala, and 

 how Singalang Bnrong was invited and came. In thought 

 the Dyaks identify themselves with Kling, and the resultant 

 signification is that the recitation of this story is an invoca- 

 tion to Singalang Burong, who is supposed to come not to 

 Kling's house only, but to the actual Dyak house where the 

 feast is celebrated ; and he is received by a particular cere- 

 mony, and is offered food or sacrifice. 



The performer begins by describing how the people in 

 Kling's house contemplate the heavens in their various cha- 

 racters : — 



"They see to the end of heaven like a well-joined box." 



"They see the speckled evening clouds like a menaga jar 

 c in fullness of beauty." 



"They see the sun already descending to the twinkling 

 ' expanse of ocean." 



They see " the threatening clouds like an expanse of black 

 cloth;" "the brightly shining moon"; "the stars and 

 milky way;" and then the house with its inmates, the 

 " crowned young men "; and " hiding women " in high glee, 

 and grave old men sitting on the verandah — all preparing 

 for high festival. The women are described decorating the 

 house with native cloths ; one is compared to a dove, another 

 to an argus pheasant, another to a niinah bird — all laugh- 

 ing with pleasure. AH the ancient Dyak chiefs and Malay 



