Kayan
The Kayan live along a number of river valleys in northern Borneo, including the Kayan, from which they take their name. Historically, the Kayan were skilled ironworkers, and exported knives and swords to other indigenous peoples of Borneo. They worshipped a pantheon of powerful departmental gods, including a supreme god.
Traditional Culture(1885-1910)Expand All +
Belief
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Supernatural Beings |
| Nature Spirits | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 23, 26 | |
| Nature god(s) | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 1 Rousseau (1998), pp. 93, 105 |
|
| Ancestral spirits | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 109 Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 1-11 |
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| Deified ancestor(s) | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 93, 109 Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 10-11, 138 |
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| God(s) | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 4-5 Rousseau (1998), pp. 103-104 |
|
Supernatural Punishment |
| Supernatural punishment for impiety | Present (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 23 | |
Afterlife and Creation |
| One's actions while living can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Actions while living are one factor in determining the nature of one’s afterlife (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 40-41 | |
| The actions of others after one has died can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Actions of others after one has died are one factor in determining the nature of one’s afterlife (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 32, 33 | |
| Myth of humanity’s creation | Present, and evolutionary (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 137-138 Rousseau (1998), pp. 95 |
|
| Primordial pair | Present, and genealogically linked to humans now living (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 137-138 Rousseau (1998), pp. 95 |
|
| Culture hero(es) | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 93 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 1-11, 136-152 |
|
General Features |
| Forces of nature are controlled by or imbued with the supernatural | Present (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 1 Rousseau (1998), pp. 93 |
|
Classes of Tapu |
| Kinship tapu | Present (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 196-198 | |
| Resource management tapu | Absent (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998) | |
| Social hierarchy tapu | Present (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 158 Rousseau (1998), pp. 62 |
|
Mana |
| Mana as a personal quality | Absent (Source) |
| Blevins (2008), pp. 263 Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) |
|
| Mana related to social influence or technical skill | Absent (Source) |
| Blevins (2008), pp. 263 Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) |
|
| Mana as a spiritual or religious concept | Absent (Source) |
| Blevins (2008), pp. 263 Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) |
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Practice
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General Supernatural Practices |
| Headhunting | Present (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 84-89 | |
| Costly sacrifices and offerings | Present (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 51 | |
| Size of largest ritual social group | Larger than the largest political community in the culture (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 89 | |
| Political and religious differentiation | Some overlap (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 65 Rousseau (1998), pp. 127 |
|
Rites |
| Piercing | Present in the culture as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 44-45 Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 159-160 |
|
| Genital cutting | Present in the culture as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 168, 170 | |
| Scarification | Absent from culture (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 246 | |
| Tattooing | Present in the culture as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 247, 251, 252 | |
| Tooth pulling | Absent from culture (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 153-176 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 224-272 |
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Social Environment
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| Population of largest political community | 1,000-9,999 (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 39-40 Lebar (1972), pp. 171 |
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| Importance of Patrilateral descent | Medium (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 15, 17 | |
| Importance of Matrilateral descent | Medium (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 15, 17 | |
| Polygamy | Monogamy preferred, but exceptional cases of polygyny (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 73 | |
| Marital residence | Ambilocal - with either wife's or husband's kin (Source) |
| Strouthes (1993C), pp. 134 | |
Conflict |
| Conflict within communities | Low (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 158-159 | |
| Conflict between communities of the culture | Occasional, at least every generation (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 158-159 | |
| Conflict with other cultures | Common, at least every five years (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 158-159 Lebar (1975), pp. 169 Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) |
|
Cultural Isolation
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| Contact with other cultures | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 151-157 Lebar (1972), pp. 169, 170 |
|
| Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 0.0 (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Dayak) (2014) | |
| Distance to African or Asian mainland (km) | 1132.9 (Source) |
| Ethnologue (Map of Brunei and Sarawak) (2014) Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
|
| Pre-Austronesian population | Present: Clear evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement (Source) |
| Bellwood (1995), pp. 109 | |
| Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
| Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.21 Rousseau (1998) |
|
| Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
| Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.23 Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 13 |
|
| Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 18 | |
Subsistence and Economy
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Land-based means of subsistence |
| Animal husbandry as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 14 Lebar (1972), pp. 170 |
|
| Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 14 Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 143-144 |
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| Land-based gathering | Medium (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 149-157 Lebar (1972), pp. 169 |
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| Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Medium (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 14 Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 143-144 |
|
| Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 97 Lebar (1972), pp. 169 |
|
Water-based means of subsistence |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Major (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 131, 134-142 |
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| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Major (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 131, 134-142 |
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| Water-based gathering | Medium (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 131-142, 138-139 |
|
Commercial Activity |
| Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Absent (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 170, 173 Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 97-157 |
|
| Metalworking | Present (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993A), pp. 193-194 | |
Physical Environment
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Geographical Range of Culture |
| Number of islands inhabited by culture | One (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) | |
Features of Island with Largest Culture Population |
| Latitude | 1.7 (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Eghenter (1999), pp. 6 Google Maps (2014) |
|
| Longitude | 115.0 (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Eghenter (1999), pp. 6 Google Maps (2014) |
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| Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Continental island (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Sunda Shelf) (2014) | |
| Island Size (km²) | 755000.0 (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Borneo) (2014) | |
| Maximum elevation (meters) | 4101.0 (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Borneo) (2014) | |
Post Contact History(1910-2014)Expand All +
Religious History
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Conversion |
| Use of force in conversion | Low (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 25-30 | |
| Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Source) |
| Rousseau (1998), pp. 25-30 | |
| Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) Rousseau (1998), pp. 25-30 |
|
Syncretic Movements |
| Syncretic religious movements | Present, and survived to the present day (Source) |
| Winzeler (2008), pp. 51-52 Rousseau (1998), pp. 22-25 |
|
Secular History
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Demographic and Social Changes |
| Foreign government systems | Present, and of high importance (Source) |
| Okushima (2006), pp. 94 | |
| Immigration | Absent (Source) |
| Okushima (2006) | |
| Language shift | Medium (Source) |
| Ethnologue (Kayan) (2014) | |
Economic Changes |
| Changes in means of subsistence | Low (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) | |
| Exportation of goods to other cultures | Present but minor (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 270-271 Eghenter (1999), pp. 12-13 |
|
Modern Infrastructure |
| Vehicles and roads | Absent (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) Eghenter (1999), pp. 12 |
|
| Air travel | Present, local only (Source) |
| Eghenter (1999), pp. 12 | |
| Sea port | Absent (Source) |
| Eghenter (1999), pp. 12 | |
Loss of Autonomy |
| Nature of loss of autonomy | Largely involuntary (Source) |
| Hose & McDougall (1993B), pp. 260-261 | |
| Loss of political autonoomy | High (Source) |
| Lebar (1972), pp. 169 Rousseau (1998), pp. 19-20 Okushima (2006), pp. 94 |
|
Current Culture(2014)Expand All +
Belief
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Religious Demographics |
| Dominant world religion | Christianity (Source) |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan) (2014) | |
External Links
References
Bellwood, P. (1995). Austronesian Prehistory in Southeast Asia: Homeland, Expansion and Transformation. P. Bellwood, J.J. Fox, & D. Tryon (Eds.), The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives (pp 113-114). Canberra, Australia: ANU Press.
Blevins, J. (2008). Some Comparative Notes on Proto-Oceanic *Mana: Inside and Outside the Austronesian Family. Oceanic Linguistics, 47 (2), 253-274. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ol/summary/v047/47.2.blevins.html
Blust, R. (2007). Proto-Oceanic *Mana Revisited. Oceanic Linguistics, 46(2), 404-423. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20172322
Cribb, R. (2000). Historical atlas of Indonesia. Surrey, UK: Curzon Press.
Daft Logic Distance Calculator. (2014). http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm.
Eghenter, C. (1999). Migrants' practical reasonings: The social, political, and environmental determinants of long-distance migrations among the Kayan and Kenyah of the interior of Borneo. Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 14(1), 1-33
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Borneo). (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/74286/Borneo
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Dayak). (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/153116/Dayak
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kayan). (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/313709/Kayan
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Sunda Shelf). (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/573755/Sunda-Shelf
Ethnologue (2014). Kayan, Rejang: A language of Malaysia. Ethnologue. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com/language/ree
Ethnologue (2014). Map of Brunei and Malaysia - Sarawak. Ethnologue. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com/map/MY_sr
Google Maps (2014). Retrieved from maps.google.com
Hose, C., & McDougall, W. (1993). The Pagan Tribes of Borneo: Volume Two. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Originally published 1912).
Hose, C., & McDougall, W. (1993A). The Pagan Tribes of Borneo: Volume One. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Originally published 1912).
Keesing, R. M. (1984). Rethinking "mana". Journal of Anthropological Research, 40(1), 137-156, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3629696.
Lebar, F. (Ed.). (1972). Eastern Sumbanese in Ethnic Groups of Insular Southeast Asia. Volume 1: Indonesia, Andaman Islands, and Madagascar. New Haven, CT: Human Relations Area Files Press.
Lebar, F. (Ed.). (1975). Ethnic Groups of Insular Southeast Asia. Volume 2: Philippines and Formosa. New Haven, CT: Human Relations Area Files Press.
Okushima, M. (2006). Ethnohistory of the Kayanic peoples in Northeast Borneo. Borneo Res. Bull, 37, 86-126.
Rousseau, J. (1978). The Kayan. In V. T. King (Ed.), Essays on Borneo Societies (pp. 78-91). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rousseau, J. (1998). Kayan religion: Ritual life and religious reform in central Borneo. Leiden: KITLV Press
Strouthes, D. (1993C). "Kenyah-Kayan-Kajang". In P. Hockings (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of World Cultures (Volume V - East and Southeast Asia) (pp 133-134). New York: G.K. Hall & Co.
Winzeler, R. L. (2008). Religious conversion on the ethnic margins of Southeast Asia. In Conference on Mainland Southeast Asia at its Margins: Minority Groups and Borders Tentative Agenda. Wat Damnak, Siem Reap: Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) International Conference.