Tabi basa & greetings everyone. In this blogpost, I would like to share the picture of the old ceremonial hall of Kpg Pichin, which was called Balǔ Paddǔ after the name of the area it was built.
History of Balǔ
A balǔ is not a place to stay but it is considered a ceremonial place. This is where the human skulls are being hunged. In the past, just like many other Dayaks of Borneo, Bidayuhs also were headhunters.
This is where the village leaders also have their own meeting in the past, particularly about the village matters.
Balǔ is also where the shaman exercise the old religion, worshipping the seven gods of Dayak.
Interior of Balǔ
Balǔ is where the ceremonial paraphernalia being stored, including gongs, wooden mask (or kitupeng), and the skulls (hence balǔ is called head-house).
Other Names for Balǔ
In Bau area, “Balǔ” is called “baruk” and in Padawan is called “Panggah”. These are the main dialects of Bidayuh that share linguistic roots. However, the fourth Bidayuh group, Salako appears to have a different linguistic root.
Gawai Celebration At Balǔ
As mentioned earlier, the ancient gods of Bidayuh will only only communicate with a select group of people and dream is where they usually meet.
The Gawai rituals can only done with these priest & priestess. Otherwise, it is not possible.
Since most of Bidayuhs are Christian now, the type of Gawai that we celebrate now is only for the sake of maintaining the culture, minus the spiritual aspect.
Modern Balǔ
Now, for practicality, Bidayuh’s balǔ or hall no longer designed specifically like the old design as the needs changes along with the passage of time.
Modern celebration and ceremony takes over, such as school events, weddings, and various events that called for a larger venue.
Epilogue
Despite the modern challenges, it is important for Bidayuhs to safeguard the cultural identity lest it is forgotten by time. As for Pichin, the new balǔ was build adjacent to the Awah Gawai to honour the past.
Your Tukang Rantek,
Claudius Weson @ Del
