9 Mei-26 Ogos 2011

Suatu kenangan yang terindah buat diri ini, bila pertama kali digelar guru..berbagai rintangan yang cantik lagi indah pernah ku lalui..ku mengaku diri ini mungkin belum layak digelar sebagai guru..apapun, anak-anak didik ku yang PERTAMA telah membina keutuhan dalam hatiku untuk meneruskan perjuangan ku akan datang..terima kasih semuanya..tanpa dirimu, siapalah saya di mata awak semua..ingatlah, jangan persiakan usia kalian dengan manisan yang berbisa..diri ini amat bersyukur dengan kehadiran anak-anak didiknya yang baik..semoga mereka berjaya di masa akan datang..sayang awak semua..

Peperiksaan:Examination..

Andainya ia datang dan pergi, ia menguji kemampuan kita sebagai insan yang bergelar PELAJAR..terimalah ia dengan minda terbuka..dan cubalah yang termampu..Akan tetapi, ingatlah Dia kerana tanpaNya siapa la kita..semoga berjaya kalian semua..

Seni Ukir Labu

Beberapa bulan diperlukan bagi membolehkan buah labu membesar secukupnya, tetapi dua jam di tangan Ray Villafane, ia boleh bertukar bentuk menjadi pelbagai imej yang mempesonakan. Bagi bekas guru itu, dia hanya memerlukan sudu dan pisau kecil untuk mengukir buah labu itu dan mengubahnya menjadi imej menakutkan seperti biasa digunakan sempena sambutan Halloween.

Seperti dijangka, Villafane memang sangat cerewet ketika menghasilkan ukiran berkenaan. Kini bekerja untuk syarikat penerbit komik DC dan Mar- vel, Villafane berkata, tidak semua buah labu boleh menjalani transformasi di tangannya. Katanya, selain bentuk, berat buah labu juga sangat penting.

“Anda mesti mendapatkan buah paling banyak isi. Kadangkala saya mengambil buah labu yang mempunyai bentuk menarik, tapi kemudian saya sedar beratnya tidak mencukupi,” katanya.

Menurut Villafane, jika berat buah labu tidak mencukupi, ukiran yang menarik tidak boleh dibuat kerana isinya tidak tebal.

“Saya juga suka buah labu yang ada perwatakan, misalnya memiliki lekuk ketara kerana ia boleh dimanfaatkan untuk membentuk hidung,” katanya.

Disebabkan kemahiran dan keunikan seni itu, Villafane, 41, menikmati populariti tersendiri di Amerika Syarikat dan publisiti meluas diberikan kepadanya. Sehingga kini, banyak hasil tangannya menjadi tumpuan program televisyen. Menceritakan latar belakang bidang diceburinya, Villafane berkata, ia berlaku secara kebetulan.

“Selama 13 tahun menjadi guru di Michigan, tiba-tiba saya diminta seseorang untuk mengukir buah labu sempena kedatangan Halloween.

“Disebabkan kerja mengukir memang menjadi minat saya, tawaran itu diterima kerana saya mahu mencuba kemahiran sendiri,” katanya.

Disokong dengan minat mendalam dalam bidang itu, Villafane melakukan kerja seni itu dengan mudah — seolah-olah dia membentuk tanah liat.

“Hasilnya, ukiran itu menambat hati pelbagai pihak dan menggembirakan sekolah,” katanya.

Disebabkan kemahirannya, dia pernah terkejut apabila mendapati berpuluh-puluh buah labu dilambakkan di dalam kelasnya menunggu untuk diukir. Kini menetap di Bellaire, Villafane mengaku kemahiran itu tidak dicapai dalam sekelip mata. Katanya, dia terpaksa menghabiskan banyak buah labu ketika dalam proses belajar dan memahirkan dirinya dalam seni itu. Namun, dengan pengalaman dan persekitaran kerja di syarikat penerbitan komik — antara produk DC yang terkenal adalah Superman dan Batman — banyak membantu Villafane. Sejak empat lalu, hasil tangan Villafane membantu menaikkan namanya dan menjadikan dia tokoh terkenal di Internet dan televisyen.

“Selama beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, saya benar-benar memberi sepenuh perhatian kepada rekaan buah labu kerana ia semakin menarik minat saya,” katanya.

Namun di sebalik populariti itu, Villafane mengaku dia mengalami sedikit tekanan. Antara lain, katanya, disebabkan harapan tinggi orang ramai terhadap ukirannya.

“Ukiran paling sukar saya pernah buat adalah bentuk Zipperhead (wajah dengan kesan berjahit di seluruh muka) yang memerlukan masa seharian untuk disiapkan,” katanya.

 

 http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/Seniukirlabu/Article

Seni Tatu Tradisional Iban

Oleh Siti Aiyshah Baslie

''Tatu adalah lambang peribadi, bukan untuk menunjukkan kekuatan atau simbol kejahatan tetapi lebih kepada apresiasi seni," kata Ernesto Kalum, 39, Pemilik Borneo Headhunter Tatoo And Piercing Studio Kuching.

Tatu berasal daripada perkataan Tahiti yang bermaksud melakar sesuatu. Lakaran itu pula membawa erti cacah pada badan seseorang yang menghasilkan rekaan seni hasil daripada kreativiti dan imaginasi seseorang artis. Seni tatu kini dianggap fesyen dan semakin ramai orang yang mencuba melakar tatu pada badan mereka.

Menurut Kalum, tatu bukan sahaja menjadi kegilaan golongan remaja, malah warga emas berusia 70 tahun pun pernah menjadi pelanggan tatu di studionya. ''Tatu lahir daripada minat seseorang, tidak kira tua atau muda. Sesiapa sahaja boleh membuat tatu di badan mereka, ia hanyalah persoalan bersedia atau tidak," katanya.

Ernesto yang mula membuka studio tatu miliknya di Wayang Street Kuching sejak lebih 10 tahun yang lalu memberitahu, ada juga remaja yang terikut-ikut dengan rakan mereka untuk membuat tatu. Malah ada yang berpendapat memiliki tatu adalah satu cara hidup yang baru.

''Ada orang cakap, tatu adalah trend, bagi saya tidak, kerana trend boleh berubah- ubah sedangkan tatu adalah sesuatu yang kekal," ujarnya.

Bagaimanapun, dia bersetuju dengan pendapat yang mengatakan tatu adalah seni halus yang harus diteruskan dan diangkat menjadi sesuatu yang diiktiraf, lebih-lebih lagi tatu tradisional.

''Corak tatu bunga terung kaum Iban paling mendapat sambutan, terutamanya oleh pelancong asing.

''Mereka lebih menghargai tatu tradisional kita, sedangkan orang kita semakin taksub terhadap tatu kontemporari," katanya. Menurutnya, sebelum seseorang pelanggan itu hendak membuat tatu, satu sesi kaunseling akan dilakukan. Sesi kaunseling ini diadakan terutamanya kepada mereka yang pertama kali hendak melakar tatu di badan.

''Ia penting kerana tatu adalah sesuatu yang kekal dan tidak boleh dipadam begitu sahaja.

''Saya tidak akan melakar tatu pada badan mereka sehinggalah mereka betul-betul bersedia untuk itu," katanya

Studio Ernesto bukan sahaja terkenal di kalangan orang tempatan malah, dari seluruh dunia kerana dia melakar tatu menggunakan cara tradisional dan moden. Ada yang datang jauh dari Amerika Syarikat, Kanada dan Singapura semata-mata untuk membuat tatu di studio milik Ernesto ini. Ernesto juga pernah memenangi beberapa anugerah atas sumbangan dan kecemerlangannya membawa seni tradisi tatu etnik Iban di persada dunia.

Bagi sesiapa yang berminat dan ingin mengetahui lebih lanjut mengenai studio milik Ernesto, boleh menghubunginya di talian 019-8566317 atau pergi ke studionya, Borneo Headhunters Tattoo and Piercing Studio, Tingkat 1, 47 Wayang Street, 93250 Kuching, Sarawak.

-utusansarawak@utusan.com.my-

Weaving, Traditional Pastimes, Dance And Music Betenun (Weaving Of Blankets)

After her marriage, a woman traditionally sought to gain skill as a weaver1. In order to become an expert, she studied the techniques of her mother, grandmother or other leading weavers in the longhouse. Her am­bition was to become indu tau muntang tau nengkebang, one who is able to weave blankets and clothes without seeing a pattern. When she reached that stage of her artistic skill, she next sought to become expert in exposing the thread in the dew at night in order that she might be known as indu takar indu gaar, an artist envied by Iban woman weavers of all times.

Quite a number of these highly skilled women are believed to inherit their ability, due to the fact that they inherit the special charms (ubat) used when exposing (ngembun) the threads in the dew. Ngembun is usually done during rainless nights of the kemarau, or dry months of June, July or August on the open air platforms (tanju) of the longhouse, by a group of women weavers led by a skilled indu takar indu gaar. While exposing their threads in the dew, the weavers do not sleep for fear that rain will spoil the thread.

The thread is made from cotton (taiya). As soon as the padi harvest is over, land is cleared for planting cotton. Land planted with cotton is called empelai taiya. Planting takes place early in April and by the end of July cotton is harvested.

The general height of taiya dagang plants is about 4 feet, while the height of taiya bendar is slightly lower. The taiya bolls are like kapok pods. After they have been harvested, their strong skins are removed with a knife and the cotton is placed in a pemigi, in order to remove the seeds.

After all the seeds have been removed, the cotton is thoroughly cut with a knife known as nganggut taiya. After this, it is placed on a large mat where it is squared to 2’ x 2’ wide. After this the cotton is spun on a spinning wheel to make thread which is wound on a tukal frame to await exposure to the dew.

After this, the thread is exposed on a tall buloh begalah pole for three days and nights. On the fourth day the thread is turned upside down and again exposed in the cool air from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for three successive nights as before. After this, it is shaken to remove dirt and any remaining salty water. After it has been cleaned, the thread is exposed on the tanju to the sun and dew from seven to fifteen days and nights, except during rain, at the end of which time, it becomes very white. When finally removed from the tanju, the thread is soaked and washed in the river. After this it is dried in the sun.

Once the thread is dried, it is placed on a buloh begalah bamboo frame, where it is brushed (disikat) with rice broth mixed with the juice of pounded leaves of lalang grass. Then the thread is cleaned by being thoroughly combed with the husk of a coconut. When the nyikat is done, the thread is removed from the buloh begalah frame and again put in the sun till it is dry.

After the thread is dried it is wound on a frame called a jangkang and then rolled into balls. After this, the thread is dipuntang, i.e. placed on a rough frame, where it is tied with half dried kerupok (pandanus) leaves to straighten it. Both ends of the strands of thread are tied with strings made from the curculigo plant. After the thread had been straightened on the frame, sticks (lidi) are inserted so that the thread cannot move about. From this rough frame, the thread is moved to the tiang tendai (wasp beams); from where it will be placed by two weavers on to the tangga kebat frame, where it is tied up with lemba thread before dyeing.

After the thread has been tied, it is removed from the frame for dyeing. The dyes used are made from the roots of the jangit and engkudu plants. These are cooked together, and to cool them, water is poured into a sulang (brass kettle). After the water has cooled, the thread is dipped into it. This work is repeated three times before the thread is tightly tied with unwaxed lemba strings on a frame called tangga ubong. As soon as the thread has been di-ikat (tied) with lemba strings, it is dipped into blue dye made of tarum leaves,2 so that the untied parts of the thread become blue, while the tied parts remain white.

After the thread is dried, the strings for tying it are removed with a small pen knife, before it is placed on the buloh begalah frame where it is straighten tightly. From this frame the thread is moved to the tiang tenun weaving frame where coloured threads are added to both sides of the dyed threads to make the edges of the blanket. When this is done, the threads are fastened with splits of senggang plant and dried lemba leaves.

Name of design motifs and pattern in the traditional Iban Ikat Weaving:

Lebur Api:

This design motifs stress the bright red fiery flames.

Bali Begajai:

Design portrays the pictures of elephants

Bali Berandau:

Design portrays the pictures of creepers

Bali Mensuga:

Design portrays the images of metal ornaments used for decorations

Bali Belumpong:

Design with pictures of logs of equal length

Bali Berinjan:

Design with pictures of creeper plant in zig-zag pattern.

Bali Belulai:

Design with opposite number of objects

Bali Menyeti:

Design with a variety of curious creatures

Bali Kelikut:

Design with pictures of lions, tigers and demons in addition to pictures of other objects

Bali Sempepat:

Design with pictures of glittering firefly

Bali Tengkebang:                       

Design of a combination of old and modern pictures of various objects

Kumbu Muau:

Design with stripes across the heavens

Bandau Nulang:

Design with pictures of monitor lizards

Kayu Betimbau:

Design with pictures of trees opposite one another

Kumbu Rayong:

Picture of various designs

Remang Berarat:

Design that portrays the picture of drifting clouds

Begerasi:

Design with pictures of demon huntsman

Tangga Beji:

Design which depict Beji’s ladder reaches the heavens (langit)

Miga Bekurong:

Design with shapes of various objects in the clouds

Lemba Bumbun:

Design with pictures of sacred lemba bumbun poles used during the Bird festival

Tangkai Ranyai:

Pictures of the stalk of the mythical ranyai palm in the other world

Tiang Sandong:

Pictures of the sacred sandong pole of the Bird festival

Tiang Sandau Liau:

Pictures of the sandau liau pole used at the Bird festival

Kara Jangkit:

Pictures of projecting roots of the banyan tree (parasitic tree)

Berasok:

Pictures of various interlocked objects.

The names for various pua blankets used for carrying a child are as follows:

The varieties of pua kumbu blankets mentioned above were used in an­cient times by wives to receive ceremoniously the heads of slain enemy from the hands of their husbands on the latter’s return from the warpath. In modern times, they are used for decorating the house on festive occasions, for making a roof of boats used for taking the bride to her groom’s house on her wedding day or for making a sapat partition within which is placed the body of the dead during the three days and three nights of vigil before it is buried in the cemetery. These blankets are an important form of property and it is shameful for an Iban family not to own at least one pua kumbu.

As the wife is busy with her weaving, the husband is also busy with other work such as collecting rattan vines for mats and baskets. In addition to doing this, he is also responsible for clearing trees for farming and gardening sites, and for collecting firewood for his family. The more physical work done outside the house is performed mostly by men. All lighter work is done by Women, such as sowing padi, fetching drinking water from the river or pond, cooking food and looking for vegetables in the jungle or tending the vegetable garden. The milling and pounding of rice are also done by women. At the present time, rubber tapping is a work done by both men and women.

MAIN ASAL (TRADITIONAL GAMES)

The Ibans have many kinds of games. In their childhood boys play with toys such as boats, pop-guns, spinning wheels, as well as swinging in the wooden cradles with girls of their age. As they swing they sing various kinds of lullabies together. In addition to this, boys and girls play sula-ula, make believe games, inside and outside the longhouse building at day time.

From the month of June to August men traditionally played with spinning tops (bepangka) all over the country. Top spinning was believed to make easier the felling of trees for new padi fields. Again, in late February the young men traditionally played with tops once more in order to burst spiritually the womb or kandong4 of the padi so as to hasten the ripening of the grain. As men are spinning tops, boys play with small tops made by their fathers. Iban tops are usually made of tough, strong woods such as kayu malam, bait, engkerutak, mengeris, and tapang.

Another traditional game that the Iban universally play in Sarawak is cockfighting, a game said to be first played by the deities. Famous contests between the deity Sengalang Burong against Apai Sabit Bekait, Ambong Mungan against Raja Machan and the heroes Keling and Laja of Panggau Libau against Tutong and Ngelai of Gellong occupy an important place in Iban oral traditions. In Sebayan Raja Niram and Bujang Langgah Lenggan also fought their roosters against those of Ensing Jara and Kedawa. In ancient times, cockfighting was held at least two times a year, the first after harvest from June to July, and the second between cutting and felling, from August to early September, and together were known as Sabong Taun.

As this game was, and is, the traditional sport of the spirits and deities, it must also be held at all major religious festivals to please the gods who are believed to be spiritually present.4 Because of the importance of cockfighting to the Iban mind, there exists an elaborate terminology particularly for the colorations of plumage, and it is believed that there are special times when it is best to fight each rooster according to its colouration.5

On the night prior to a sabong taun day each set of contestants asked two bards (lemambang) to sing the traditional songs called renong kayau, similar to the songs sung by the bards on the night before the warrior’s depar­ture to invade the enemy’s country. In these songs the bards mention the names and actions displayed by heroes of the spiritual worlds while fighting against their foes. As these spiritual and mythical heroes are invited to help the Warriors in fighting their enemy, an offering must be made to the deities and spirits whenever these songs are sung.

AJAT ENGGAU GENDANG (DANCES AND MUSIC)

The Iban perform many kinds of dances accompanied by the music of gongs and drums.6 These dances include the ngajat, bepencha, bekuntau, main kerichap, main chekak. The ajat dance is attributed to a spiritual being, Batu Lichin, Bujang Indang Lengain, who brought it to the Iban many generations ago. Today there are three kinds of ajat dances performed by the Ibans. One is called ajat bebunoh which is performed by warrior dancers; the second is ajat semain performed by men and women; and the third is ajat nanggong lesong performed by men.

When a warrior performs the ajat bebunoh dance with the music of a gendang panjai orchestra, he does it as if he is fighting against an enemy. With occasional shouts he raises his shield with one arm and swings his illang knife with his other arm as he moves towards the enemy. While he moves forward he is careful with the steps of his feet to guard them from being cut by his foe. The tempo of his action is very fast with his knife and shield gleaming up and down as he dances.

The performance of ajat semain is done in slower tempo and with graceful movements. The dancer softens his body, arms and hands as he swings forward and backward. When he bends his body the swinging of his hands is very soft. The performance of ngajat nanggong lesong dance is more or less like the ajat semain dance. Only when the dancer bites and raises the heavy wooden mortar (lesong) with his teeth, does he use extraordinary skill. It is not an attractive dance, although his audience enjoys seeing his trick of biting and raising a heavy mortar and then placing it carefully again on the floor.

When the dancers take the floor to dance, the musicians beat two dumbak drums, a bendai gong, a set of seven small gongs (engkerumong) and a large tawak gong. The music for the performance of ajat bebunoh dance is quicker in tempo than the music for the ajat semain and ajat nanggong lesong dances, as in the dance itself.

As from time immemorial, the people of the longhouse have been skilled in playing all kinds of gendang music. Another important music performed by the Ibans is called gendang rayah. It is played only for religious festivals with the following instruments:

1. The music from a first bendai gong is called pampat
2. The music from a second bendai gong is called kaul
3. The music from a third bendai gong is called kura

4. As the three bendai gongs sound together, then a first tawak gong is beaten and is added to by the beating of another tawak gong to make the music.

Last but not least, is the music played using the katebong drums by one or up to eleven drummers. These drums are long. Its cylinder is made from strong wood, such as tapang or mengeris, and one of its ends is covered with the skins of monkeys and mousedeer or the skin of a monitor lizard. The major types of drum music are known as follows:

1. Gendang Bebandong
2. Gendang Lanjan
3. Gendang Enjun Batang
4. Gendang Tama Pechal
5. Gendang Pampat
6. Gendang Tama Lubang
7. Gendang Tinggang Batang
8. Singkam Nggam

All these types are played by drummers on the open air verandah during the celebration of the Gawai Burong festival. The Singkam Nggam music is accompanied by the quick beating of beliong adzes.

After each of these types has been played, the drummers beat another music called sambi sanjan, which is followed by still another called tempap tambak pechal. To end the orchestral performance the music of gendang bebandong is again beaten.

The ordinary types of music beaten by drummers for pleasure are as follows:

1. Gendang Dumbang
2. Gendang Ngang
3. Gendang Ringka
4. Gendang Enjun Batang
5. Kechendai Inggap Diatap
6. Gendang Kanto

When a Gawai Manang or bebangun festival is held for a layman to be consecrated as a manang (shaman), the following music must be beaten on the ketebong drums at the open verandah (tanju) of the longhouse of the initiate:

1. Gendang Dudok
2. Gendang Rueh
3. Gendang Kelakendai
4. Gendang Tari
5. Gendang Naik
6. Gendang Po Umboi
7. Gendang Sembayan
8. Gendang Layar
9. Gendang Bebandong
10. Gendang Nyereman

Gendang Bebandong also must be beaten when a manang dies and is beaten again when his coffin is lowered from the open air verandah (tanju) to the ground below on its way to the cemetery for burial.

In addition to playing music on the above mentioned instruments, Iban men enjoy the music of the following instruments:

Engkerurai (bagpipe)
Kesuling (flute)
Ruding (Jew’s harp)
Rebab (guitar with two strings)
Balikan (guitar with 3 strings)
Belula (violin)
Engkeratong (harp)

The women, especially the maidens, are fond of playing the Jew’s harp while conversing with their visiting lovers at night, with the tunes from the ruding Jew’s harp, the girls and their boy friends relate how much they love each other. In past generations, there were very few Iban men and women who did not know how to converse with each other by using the ruding Jew’s harp. Today very few younger people know how to play this instrument and the art is rapidly dying out.

BEKALINGAI (TATTOOING)

In ancient times, the Iban, it is believed, did not tattoo their body, throats, thighs, arms or the palms of their hands. They started to tattoo only after an ancestor named Gendup accidentally landed at a spiritual world of Antu Selang Pantang where he saw that most of the men had their bodies beautifully tattooed. As he envied them, he begged that his own body be tattooed by three of the experts, who did it for him using needles and oily soot (arok), working continuously for three days.

After the experts, the Antu Selang Pantang, had completed their work, Gendup asked them to make a tegulun tattoo on the back sides of both his hands. They refused, saying that Gendup must first kill a foe in war.

“If we tattoo the back of your hand before you have killed an enemy in war,” they said, “you shall become layu (withered), gradually became ill, and may eventually die before your time”.

The Iban are afraid, up to this day, to make a tegulun tattoo on the backs of their hands, if they have not yet killed a foe in war.

When Gendup returned to his human world, he related to his friends what he had seen and done while visiting the spiritual world. On hearing his story, a number of Iban were eager to have their bodies tattooed by Gendup copying the patterns made over his body. After this, Ibans of every generation have tattooed their bodies as originally done by Gendup twelve generations ago.

NGUKIR (DESIGN AND CARVING)

The carving of various designs was taught by Sengalang Burong to his grandson, Sera Gunting, during the latter’s visit to his house in heaven. An ukir or carving called “Balu Menyagu” was commanded by Sengalang Burong not to be made below other designs as it depicted the design used by him to carve his own seat. As a matter of fact, this particular design was and is only carved by the Iban on the upper part of a tomb hut during the Gawai Antu festival.

Another design called “Bunga Terong” was taught by Selamuda, a son of Jelenggai, to his son Begeri eighteen generations ago. This design is used by the Iban to carve the pemanjar of the tomb-huts, which jut out at both ends of the rooftop. The favorite design of the Iban is called ukir berandau and is used for carving the posts of the house or for decorating the bedstead of a daughter of a noble chief.

By Gregory Nyanggau Mawar

Taken from a book Iban Adat & Augury by Benedict Sandin & Prof. Clifford Sather.