Dayak's 'berayah' ceremony on the verge of extinction

Dayak's 'berayah' ceremony on the verge of extinction

By Edi Petebang

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Munying, 50, sang and danced
to the sound of ketabung (small drum) around the bembayungan, the
obligatory equipment for a berayah ceremony. About two hours
later he fell unconscious.

Then after some 15 minutes, he raised his head and mumbled the
name of a disease and the herbs needed to cure it. His two
helpers and two other people attending the ceremony listened
attentively to him.

The next day Munying went to the forest and sought the herbs
he listed while he was entranced.

That is an illustration of how the Dayak Jalal subethnic group
traditionally finds cures for diseases, through the berayah
ceremony.

Berayah is performed in almost 405 Dayak subethnic groups
across Kalimantan. Each subethnic group has its own name and
rites for this healing method. Berayah is derived from rayah, a
Dayak word meaning singing or a song. Berayah, however, does not
simply mean singing; it has religious significance.

Berayah is a blend of art and a therapeutical rite. The rite
is led by a shaman who serves to facilitate the communication
with his master. While entranced, he asks his master about the
name of a disease and its cure.

Every shaman has their own master, called duwata (god). To the
Dayak there is a god for every object: the river god, the
mountain god or the animal god.

There are two types of berayah. The first is intended to cure
sick people, while the second is not meant for therapeutical
purposes. Berayah belapas, for example, is conducted to initiate
a shaman.

Bayer, who researches the oral traditions of the Dayak at the
Institute of Dayak Studies in Pontianak, wrote in 1997 that there
were four kinds of rayah: rayah dendayu, rayah dilang,
rayah lalai and rayah anjuhan.

The mantra, or petalian, used in a berayah rite is in the old
Dayak dialect and only few people can conduct this rite.

It is not easy to be a shaman, Munying says. To become a
shaman of the Dayak Jalai in Tangerang village, Ketapang regency,
one must have special talents and be willing to observe a number
of prohibitions.

The position of shaman is usually passed down from one's
parents or grandparents. One becomes a shaman because this is
god's choice, Munying said, adding that a shaman's duty was to
serve others.

One must go through long and rigorous training before becoming
a shaman, he added.

Rare

Today a berayah rite, especially for the initiation of a
shaman (belapas belayang), is rarely conducted because of
progress in the medical sciences, and also owing to the
prohibitive cost of conducting this rite. The more "modern
culture" which has reached into Kalimantan's hinterland is also
seen as a factor behind the decline in this Dayak tradition.

"We cannot compete with modern medical treatment in terms of
therapeutical cost, speed and intensity," said Munying.

The presence of medical personnel and modern medical
facilities in rural areas has accelerated the disappearance of
berayah. Sick people are more likely go to the hospital rather
than seek traditional cures. Today, berayah is considered only
after modern medicine fails.

The younger generations, even those living in villages, have a
low opinion of the traditional rite. They say the tradition is
old-fashioned and against religious teachings.

Every day "modern" culture permeates into the lives of the
younger Dayak people. They are bombarded with dangdut dances, pop
music and other urban arts and culture, especially now that they
can easily obtain amenities like television sets, radios, VCDs,
CDs and cassettes.

"It is really hard to conduct berayah today," lamented a Dayak
Jalai.

For the younger generation a berayah rite has another
difficulty; it is conducted in a dialect they rarely use in their
daily lives.

As a result of these factors, only a handful of younger Dayak
people are aware of this rite, leaving the berayah on the verge
of extinction.