Crossing the Blues

In Value Tattoo Society Kenyah




Since the era of berzaman, Kenyah people familiar with art and motives woodcut, manik, and so forth. Kenyah community beratkan drip is also very beautiful and self-adornment. Not hairanlah culture bertindik and bertattoo existed in the culture of the Kenyah since long.

Tattoo who decorate their bodies are not simply decoration or so that the users want jaguh but considered himself, Kenyah community for tattoo has a meaning that is very deep. Tattoo community for ethnic Kenyah is part of tradition, religion, social status in a community, and is considered a form of ethnic pengargaan ability to someone. Because the tattoo may not be made while lewa. There are certain rules in making the tattoo or "betik", samada picture selection, social structure of the tattoo in placement or tattoonya. However, the tattoo has a meaning of religion as a "torch" in the way someone in the natural immortality after death.

The more tattoo, "torch" will be light and natural way to eternity the field. However, creating a tattoo may not be made sebanyaknya the like-like, because the need to comply with the rules - rules customary. Each sub-Kenyah tribes have different rules in making the tattoo.

For the Kenyah tribe who settled the border Serawak Kalimantan and Malaysia, for example, a tattoo around the fingers of the tribe indicates that helpful as expert perubatan (midwife, or diviner bomoh). The more tattoo on the hand, shows that more and more people and help the hebatlah his status as an expert perubatan.

For the Kenyah community in East Kalimantan, the number of tattoo that depicts many people are often roam. Because each village has a different motif tattoo, the tattoo signifies the owner has visited many villages. Do not imagine the village is only a few kilometers. In Kalimantan, the distance between the village can reach hundreds and even thousands of kilometers distance, and must ditempuhi using the boat through the river-many months. Awards are given to immigrants in the form of a tattoo.

Type Tattoo also reserved to the class-specific. Among the Kenyah community, the common motif for the nobleman (paren) are the hornbills of endemic birds that dikeramatkan Kalimantan. Kebanyakkan a common motif for the Kenyah in Sarawak is also a human face patterns that have been forbidden to be used by the community penyen (the bottom). Group panyen also may only use motif vegetation and animal animal-land and air. However, there are some patterns that they can not use the motif Lencau (tiger) and hornbills. Motif both animal is they may only be used as a high (noble).

Tattoo or Parung betik or pakaikan not only to the men, but also to women. For men, tattoos can be made at any place on the body, whereas in women, usually only on the feet and hands.

If the tattoo for men is associated with an award or honor, to women when making tattoo more motivated religious / spiritual. Making tattoo on the hands and feet can be trusted menghidar influence of evil spirits, and always be in the shelter of the earth.

In the Kenyah tribe, tattoo made on diusia women 16 years or after the first period. For the making of tattoo for women, is done with the customary ceremonies in a special home / lepubung down (save the rice). During the making of tattoo, all youth should not be out of the house. Besides, the whole family is also required to undergo a variety of taboo to avoid disaster for the women who are ditattoo.

Motif tattoo for women, such as more limited picture of black nails (nails fern), which is located around the finger joint called the song irang or bamboo shoots. As for the cross on the back of the book is called finger ikor. Tattoo in the wrist called the tiger face image silong lejau or silong kelunan (may only be used by the women's superior / noble).

There is also a tattoo that is made in the thigh. Kenyah women have tattoos on the thigh high social status and are usually equipped bracelet (buleng) at the bottom of the calf.

Motif tattoo on the thigh are usually also like silong lejau or silong kelunan. Perbezaannya with a tattoo on the hand, there are transverse to the calf, called nang klinge. Tattoo is very rarely found in the knee. However there is also the tattoo on the knee in men and women, who usually made at the end of the tattoo in the making of the body. Tattoo made on the knee and calf to the circle to the snake-like, actual dog imitation or called tuang buvong ASU.

Both the tattoo on the man or woman, is made using traditional tenon orange for a long and slow-slow and use some of the needles at once. That does not change is the creation of the tattoo usually use the smoke from the pot black.

Subsuku for the other, the tattoo is associated with the tradition menganyau or decapitate the enemy in a war. This tradition is already tens of years is not done anymore, but used the more mengayau, tatonya motif is more special and unique. Tattoos for the daredevil in this battleground, usually in place at the right shoulder. But on the other subsuku, placed in the left arm if keberaniannya "normal" and in the right arm, if courage and keperkasaannya in the battle field is very unusual.

Karana, the tattoos are made colorful, there are green, yellow and red, surely not the traditional tattoos that contain tinggi.Tattoo meaning filososfis the colors that made the youth masakini, only tattoo decoration that does not have any meaning. Image and the placement is done recklessly and like-like. Tattoos like that at all does not have a religious value and appreciation, but only just for beauty, and who want to have even considered to be the champion.