Orang-Sihir (Song for a sick man), 5 · Aggregated Site

Archivist's Original Title

Orang-Sihir (Song for a sick man), 5

Orang-Sihir (Chant pour un malade), 5

Original description

Unpublished sound recordings, made by Pierre Yvanoff between 1953-1954, during an expedition in East Borneo (on the Mahakam River): shamanic ceremony during which Ubung, the medicine man, addresses incantations to the Gods in sight of the healing of a patient.

Time duration

00:01:56

MetadataURL

http://archives.crem-cnrs.fr/archives/items/52700/

Recording date of the original material

1953

Acquisition Date

1968

Population

Dayak

Place of the cultural origin

Kalimantan

Country Name

Indonesia

Performer/Speaker

Ubung

Comment

“These medicine men are rare in Borneo. In the Méhakam region, Ubung is the only medicine man. He was initiated in the lower Méhakam by "bougis", who come from the island of Celebes. He only became Orang-Sihir after a long initiation. Among the Penihing, at the baang of Nahan bohan, a man is dying. Ubung drew white dots on his body so that the Allied Gods would recognize him. Bells are attached to his ankles. He addresses his incantations to the Gods, either in Malay or in the Bahau dialect. it imposes its rhythm on the two young girls who each beat on a gong and on the two men who beat the two small drums. He will officiate all night. But the verdict will be formal: at dawn, the patient will die after his departure. It was true” (Cf. Presentation booklet of the Dayak Music collection. Borneo (Kalimantan)).