About Announcement/Application Photo Gallery/Forum Contact/Newsletter Links Home

Our Story, Our Experience ... Welcome to RSP@VS's Blog

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Mentawan Shaman(Keeper of the Rainforest)


Sunday Febuary 4 2008


The Mentawaian People

The Mentawaian people live on Mentawai Islands, about sixty miles west of Sumatra. The Mentawaian culture has exsited, ecologically ballanced, for centuries. Now the last of the traditional Mentawaians waver on the brink of assimilation. The traditional Mentawaian religion has been banned, along with loincloths, tattoos, and long hair-the pride of the kerei.

Festivals
Before a festival for a new shaman can commence, pigs and chickens need to be raised to pay the young kerei's teacher and to provide for the guest, who include four other shamans and their wifes and their children. This festival is the most important festival and takes place infrequently. On taddle, the first of five main festive nights, the young kerei glides through the house, touching the tail feathers of a chicken to each person and to the main beams of the uma after many months of study and anticipation under a master kerei. While chanting, a nonshaman commits the sacrifice, and the kerei gather around to interpret the message written on the intestines. If the results are favourable, a pig is noosed at tha ankles from a nearby cage. An iron dagger is plunged through te pig's throat and the intestines are once again interpreted, this time along with the heart and spleen.

Monkey hunt
After every major festival, a ritual monkey hunt is held. They prepare for it by anointing their arrow tips with fresh poison. Poisonous raggi bark was ground with laingi tuber and chilli, a circulatory stimulant, then pressed and heated to anoit the arrows. Before leaving, small offerings are made to the monkey skulls hung in the rafters. It is believed that living monkeys allow their souls to be reunited with their dead ancestors via the kill. The Mentawaian also believe that they must give some of everything they take to the spirits. The Mentawaian offer sagu, coconut, plants and fish from the river, to protect them from sickness. The hunters try to approach the monkeys without being seen or heard. Early morning is best. The langur, macque, and pigtailed langur are prizwed, but the Kloss gibbon is not hunted due to strict taboo. Once the poison takes effect, one of the men climbs high into the tree to retrieve the monkeys.


Picture time!!!


Aiming at a fleeing monkey, bearing down with a poison-tipped arrow. It must hurt, being shot by that arrow.



Hunters returning to camp after spending a night in the forest. They have been successful (yah!), taking 2 pigtailed langurs.
























The tribe people cleaning a pigtailed langur. You don't want to get sick right?















Monkey soup made from heads and innards. The remaining parts are smoked and saved for the family waiting at home. It looks delicious, don't you think?






















Display the trophy from the hunt. Once the hunters are home, the talking drums proudly announce their success, challenging the other clans to better this hunt. The skulls are placed in the uma to retain the monkey's spirits. Who wants to challange him? Not me!














Meanings:
kerei- a person in the Mentawaian religion who is believed to be able to contact good and evil sprits and cure people of illnesses. It is also known as shaman so don't be confused. They mean the same thing.
Taddle- the first of five main festive nights
Uma- the traditional communal house of the Mentawaian people.


Done By : Joejyn Wan












[2:22 PM]


Posted at 2:22 PM, 6 Comment(s)


_______________________________________________________________________