Meaning of Tattoos for the Dayak community

 Meaning Of Tattoos For The Dayak Community

Make a carving on the body or called by Tattoos or purung on certain body parts, for both men and women and it is a habit or belief.Men make most of his tattoos, while women usually only the hands and feet only, but now many are women who dare to make the tattoo throughout the body.Aside from being a decorative body, according to the traditions of the Dayak tattoos have meaning or signs when you're doing something, for instance in men, was killed, helpful and others. And in the mother is a tool of deterrence disturbances evil spirits and he said can be used as a torch on the way back to the afterlife.
HOW TO MAKE A TATTOOSewing needle tied / diberkas some fruit usually seven or nine needles. Limited ends / tied yarn to the size of the entrance to the skin. Base made of wood, given the black color of charcoal lights laced with coconut oil. Gets attached to the body that will be tattooed. The needle was diketok slowly, causing minor injuries that emit white liquid. These wounds will become korengan and when it has healed, the tattooed images begin to look clear. As a result of korengan is not uncommon to be fever and korengan also do not need to be treated.Description Image Tattoos1. Telingkai dull usually painted on the left / right next to the body part that is closed under the loincloth (lenderstreek) means that the male genital installed appliance (penistift) as a stimulant in a sexual relationship.2. Tread Bekang Finger is usually painted on the back of your finger as a sign've got tapat ridderorder van koppensnellers. If the left means you've got two heads, and when the right-left, it's got seven heads.3. Telingai Besai sign many walk long distances (nomadic) or nemuai.4. Tan usually dihalkum neck tattoo is just for decoration or a toy for women.5. Eggplant flower on the left shoulder and right in the back, as a sign of many to walk long distances (nomadic) and equal to Telingai dull, if there is on the back.6. Crescent strap on the wrist tattoo is just as decoration.7. Wrist strap tops the tattoo is only as decoration.8. Tebulun footprint behind your fingers on the thumb mark helpful or helpful in mengayau. If a woman weaving clever or diligent.

source: the book History of the Kingdom-the Kingdom in West Kalimantan th.1974

Meaning of Tattoos for the Dayak community

Meaning of Tattoos for the Dayak community

DO NOT be surprised if it went into the Dayak villages and meet with old people who decorated a variety of beautiful tattoo on the several parts of his body. Tattoos that decorate their bodies were not just decoration, let alone that are considered heroes. However, tattoos for the Dayak community had a very deep meaning.
TATO for some Dayak ethnic communities are part of the tradition, religion, social status in society, and can also as a form of recognition rate on the ability of a person. Because of that, tattoos can not be made haphazardly.
There are certain rules in tattooing or Parung, good choice of pictures, the social structure of the tattooed and tattoo placement. Nevertheless, the religious tattoos have the same meaning in the Dayak community, namely as a "torch" in the course of one's natural to eternity, after death.

Therefore, more and more tattoos, "torch" will be more bright and the road to the field of natural immortality. Nevertheless, it still tattooing can not be made as much in vain, because they have to abide by customary rules.

"Each sub-tribe Dayak have different rules in the manufacture of tattoo. There's even a sub-tribe of Dayakswho are not familiar with the tradition of tattooing," says Mering Ngo, Dayak tribal anthropologist who also graduated from the University of Indonesia.

For the Dayak tribes who live on the border of Kalimantan and Sarawak of Malaysia, for example, a tattoo around the fingers indicates the person who likes to help the tribe as healers. More and more tattoo on his hand, showing people that with more help and more expert in the treatment.

For the Dayak Kenyah and Kayan Dayak in East Kalimantan, the number of tattoos often depict the person is already wandering. Since each village has a different motive tattoos, tattoo indicating the number of owners have visited many villages.

Do not imagine the village only few kilometers away. In Kalimantan, the distance can antarkampung hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, and must be reached by boat down the river more than a month!
"Therefore, an award given to foreigners in the form of tattoos," said Chairman of the East Kalimantan Dayak II Fellowship (Female), Yacobus Bayau Lung.
Can also be given to the nobles tattoos. Among the Dayak Kenyah, the usual motive for the nobility (paren) is a hornbill bird that is endemic to Borneo is sacred.

 As for the Dayak Iban, tattooed chieftain and his descendants with the motif "upper world" or something living in space. Besides the motive was chosen, how the tattoo work for the nobility are usually more refined and detailed than the tattoo for the middle class (panyen).
Subsuku For others, tattooing is associated with the tradition of giving mengayau or decapitating enemies in a battle. This tradition has not done for decades longer, but once more mengayau, tattoo motives even more distinctive and special.


Tattoos for the brave on the battlefield, it is usually placed in the right shoulder. But on the other subsuku, placed on the left arm when his courage "regular", and on the right arm if the courage and keperkasaannya on the battlefield is remarkable.
"The tattoos are associated with this mengayau, formerly as a form of appreciation and respect for the tribe to a mighty people and a lot of merit," said Simon Devung, an expert on Dayak of Central for Social Forestry (CSF) Mulawarman University Samarinda.


TATO or Parung or betik not only made for men but also women. For men, tattoos can be made in any part of his body, while the female is usually only in the feet and hands.
If the men of tattooing was associated with an award or honor, the tattoo is more motivated women religious.

 "Tattooing in the hands and feet can be trusted to avoid the influence of evil spirits and always in the protection of the Almighty," said Yacobus Bayau Lung.
In particular subsuku, tattooing was also associated with self-esteem of women, so that the technical term is tedak wealth, which means women are not tattooed are considered lesser than the tattooed. However, such a view is valid only in small part subsuku Dayak.


 In Kayan Dayak tribe, there are three kinds of tattoos are usually on the clothing of women, among others tedak kassa, which covers the entire leg and used as an adult. Tedak usuu, tattoos are made on all hands and tedak hapii the entire thigh.


While the tribe Dayak Kenyah, tattooing in women starting at age 16 years or after the first period. For the manufacture of tattoo for women, made with traditional ceremony in a special home. During tattooing, all men are not allowed to leave the house. In addition, the entire family is also required to undergo a variety of restrictions to avoid a disaster for women who are tattooed and his family.


 The motive tattoos for women is more limited, such as black spikes pictures around knuckles song called irang or bamboo shoots. As for the finger across the back of the book called Corinthians. Tattoos on the wrist pictorial called silong lejau tiger's face.


There is also a tattoo that is made in the thigh. For Dayak women have a tattoo on the thighs is very high social status and are usually fitted band around the bottom of the calf.

 Motif tattoo on the thigh is usually also resembles silong lejau. The difference with a tattoo on the hand, there are lines that run across the calf called nang klinge.


Tattoos are very rarely found in the knee. Yet there is also a tattoo on the knee in men and women who are usually made at the end of tattooing on the body. Tattoos are made on the knees and curled up to her calf like a snake, a dog is actually called imitation or cast buvong asu.
Both tattoos on men and women, traditionally made using orange spines long and gradually then use some needle pieces all at once. What has not changed is the material tattooing which typically uses soot from the pot black.

"Therefore, the tattoos are made of colorful, there is a green, yellow and red, certainly not a traditional tattoos containing high filososfis meaning," said Yacobus Bayau Lung.

 Colorful tattoos are made among the youth now, tattooing is just decoration that does not have any meaning. Images and placement done haphazardly and carelessly. Tattoos like that have absolutely no religious value and appreciation, but only just for beauty, and some even want to be perceived as a hero.