Kayau Indu - The Warpath of Women: A Ngar Ritual at Entawau, Baleh in October 1988.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
Kayau Indu - The Warpath of Women: A Ngar Ritual at Entawau, Baleh in October 1988. |
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Author :
Traude Gavin |
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Abstract:
The main objective of my research in Sarawak in 1988 and 1989 was to compile an extensive file of the patterns of pua kumbu, the ritual weaving of the Iban. In the course of my field-work I had the opportunity to document a very rare event: a ngar ritual, also called nakar. Nakar is the term that defines the technical aspect ofthis ritual and literally means to measure (by volume) and to mix the ingredients ofthe mordant in their correct proportions. The effectiveness of the mordant is essential for the dyeing with engkudu, a process which yields the rich deep red that distinguishes a pua of superior quality1. Ifthe mordant is faulty, the dye will not penetrate the thread properly and will not ‘take’. Ngar is the term used for the entire procedure, including not only the technical part of mixing and applying the mordant, but also the performance of the proper rites and the use of powerful charms, both of which are deemed indispensable and crucial for a successful outcome2. Most weavers have a rudimentary knowledge of the ingredients that make up the mordant However, there are very few women who have been initiated properly through dreams to ngar. A women who is able to lead a ngar ritual has reached the pinnacle of accomplishment as a weaver and, since weaving is the primary female prestige-activity, she attains the highest status accorded to a woman. Even in the past such an accomplishment was rare. Now, with the rapid changes in life-style that have occurred since the Second World War, it is rarer still to find a woman who can fulfil all the necessary ritual obligations and perform the ngar in the traditional manner.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Traude Gavin. (1991). Kayau Indu - The Warpath of Women: A Ngar Ritual at Entawau, Baleh in October 1988. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XLII (63): 1-46 |
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