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Colorful customs

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Social structure of Kedayan

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- They are expert in making tradition medicines they also have reputation for specializing in medical plants, in which they grow to treat a wide range of ailments or to make tonics.
- The Kadayan have a well-deserved reputation for being industrious padi growers, and everywhere, even in the vicinity of Miri town, they were attracted to the district by the prospect of opening padi paya land.
-Field boundaries and residential holdings are ordinarily planted with orchard trees. These are valued not only for the fruit they bear, but mark ownership rights, which are not necessarily coincidental, even in the case of house sites, with current user or occupant rights.

- Harvesting (ngatam) begins in March or early April and the harvested, unthrashed rice panicles are stored in small, stilted padi-barns (duung) close to the family house.
- After harvest, each family joins its bilateral kinsmen locally to sponsor a major "annual feast" or makan tahun. Unrelated neighbors, or persons related only by marriage, may also join.
-  A small amount of inshore fishing is done near the coast at Kampungs Luak and Bungai, but everywhere else rice farming is the economic mainstay, both in terms of food production and as a source of cash income, through the sale of surplus padi .

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National language of Brunei and it bears a similarity to Brunei Malay which is spoken by more than 130,000 people in Brunei, 46,500 people in Sabah, 37,000 in Sarawak. It only consist of 18 alphabets as opposed to 26. Some letters (ex. O, E) are nearly never used (i.e. otak = utak ).

Aduk-Aduk is a ceremonial dance performed by the Kedayan people during holidays, especially at the end of the harvest season. Dancers wear traditional warrior's attire, in tengkolok, red belt and black clothing, and dance to the beat of silat, a Malay martial art. This dance is accompanied by percussion instruments, including drums and coconut shells.

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The Kedayan community in Sabah received a formal education and informal education. Informal education is learned by children through family or community that aims to provide knowledge and skills in life. At this stage, children have been taught ways such as fishing, hunting, carpentry, pipe, plant rice, and livestock. This education begins with teaching the children learn these skills to enable them to be independent in adulthood.

Formal education was very limited and only focused on Islamic education such as reading the Quran and Jawi writing which was held at the surau and cottages. Besides, Kedayan ethnic make education compulsory for children to be successful in future and not to be dependent on farming and fishing only. Children receive the basic education in government and private schools.
The awareness of the importance of education for children also did not miss the Kedayan community to provide higher education to their children. The Kedayan community also pursues tertiary studies in local and abroad universities.

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Example of Kedayan's design

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Example of Kedayan's design

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LOCAL NORMS / TABOO
-The Langir ritual bath is the act of cleansing and perfuming onself using water mixed with the langir root. This ritual is usually conducted on the bride and groom, on mothers after childbirth, and on women after menstruation. However, its use is extended to animals for slaughter during Eid celebration, on non-living objects like vehicles, and in addition, it is conducted on the dead after burial.
-Healings with shamans and incantations are also a part of the Kedayan tradition. The various types of incantations are for curing various diseases such as headaches, bloating and possessions by evil spirits.
-In the month of Shaaban, the men from the community usually clean the graves on a specified date. This is often accompanied by a feast called Makan Arwah (feast to mourn the dead) which is prepared by the women as they pray for their deceased families.

-Newly born children are believed to be susceptible to such supernatural entities as 'hantu' (ghosts) and 'orang halus' (spirit people). Kedayan parents observe a number of pantang larang (taboos) in connection with their newly born infants.

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Although the Malay - Brunei is almost similar to Kedayan, the Kedayan people also have their traditional attire which is " Baju Butang Tipai" for the men (black jacket with loose type material pants) and also " Baju Bersuja Berkubamban for the women (red and white sleeves attached with small bells ).

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kedayan, also known as kadayan, kadain or kadyan, are an ethnic group residing in BrThe unei, Labuan, Sabah and parts of Sarawak on the island of Borneo
Its identified as the (kedayan), national language of Brunei. In Sabah the Kedayan mainly live in Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Papar. While in Sarawak, the Kedayans mostly reside in Lawas, Limbang, Miri and Sibuti area. The Kedayans are also regarded as a sub-ethnic of the Klemantan Dayan People.

It is believed that the Kedayan ethnicity took birth as a result of inter-marriages between the Javanese and the local Bruneian Malay. However, most researchers consider them indigenous to Borneo, having accepted Islam and influenced by Malay culture.

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The Kedayan beliefs include Islam, Animism, and ancestor worship. The primary religion practiced by the Kedayan is Islam, a monotheistic religion built around the teachings of the Qur'an and of the prophet Muhammad. Despite their language and religious affiliations with the ethnic Malay majority, Kedayan are regarded by Bruneians as closer in status to the animist, interior tribal groups because of a number of similar cultural practices. The government of Brunei continues to ban many religious activities of non-Muslim groups, including those of indigenous peoples like the Kedayan. At the same time, the government permits or assists those of the Islamic authorities. These Islamic authorities organize proselytizing activities, which include incentives to indigenous peoples in rural areas such as financial aid, new homes, water pumps, etc.

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Home building form Kedayan influenced by Brunei Malay community and local culture. Their home concept are usually ridge (side roofs). It is divided into three parts among (outdoors), the living room and kitchen. Kedayan’s traditional house is simple, wooden-pillared style of magnitude, bamboo floors and the roofs are made of palm leaves. In order to fasten the pole to the roof, no blade of nails used, all the turns and bonding are made by using cane or roots. Among the types of bonds used are ikatan angit, ikatan tindih, ikatan tapak pelanduk dan ikatan genggam ambuk.

The names of the floors and the roof of the house according to them are sangka(r) tiang belakang, sangka(r) tap balaai, suga-suga, kasau, tetaban, penyucuk, gelagaa(r) laas, bumbung dan atap.

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Savoury glutinous rice cake

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A Kedayan woman plants rice in an irrigated paddy .

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Sarawak history Initiative trust

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Classes and Castes.The dominant ethnic group, the Barunay, is composed of four ranked ascribed social classes: the nobles, the aristocrats, the ordinary people, and the slaves, although slavery is no longer practiced. Because class membership is strictly genealogical, a person assumes the class membership of his or her father and cannot rise or fall into any other class. There are no castes. The Kadayan have no social classes.  They have a well-defined social hierarchy, unlike the Iban or Penan. Traditionally, the social order was topped by the  tuai rumah (chief) of the longhouse, followed by a group of three or four lesser aristocrats or payin, lay families and slaves (slavery no longer exists). Both groups take pride in their longhouses, which can be massive.

Symbols of Social Stratification.The only outward signs of social stratification are the prename titles of respect used in addressing or referring to nobles.

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Cleaning the grave

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Feast to mourn the dead (Makan Arwah

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The wedding customs of the Kedayans are not much different from the indigenous Malay ethnic groups in Brunei.

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Kuih cerolot wrapped up in the kelupis leaves (yellow screwpine)

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These three types of kuihs are wrapped with three different types of leaves. Traditionally the Kedayans use leaves to wrap up their kuihs and food to assure the hygienic practices

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The kedayans have a strong tattoo tradition and are well portrayed as the creative force behind most tattoo designs/symbols. The kedayan men carve highly styled designs of animals, such as; hornbills, dogs and scorpions on to wooden block that could be easily transferred on to skin and shared between villages. Tattoos were collected like passport stamps, as proof and souvenirs of journeys.

The kedayan women were the ones who traditionally applied the tattoos which were usually made from soot or charcoal and impregnated with special materials believed to make the tattoo more powerful, such as a piece of meteorite or animal bone.Women were adorned with their first tattoo as they pasted adulthood, although the most intricate designs were reserved for those of higher class and greater wealth.

in this culture, tattoo have more than a mere decorative purposes, they are symbols of spirit, status, success and wealth.

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Kedayan music is performed by Kedayan ethinc group of people especially during special occasions. The music is accompanied by different instruments such as percussions, drums, gongs, and stringed instruments of different forms. The music also goes with ethnic dancers wearing the traditional warrior's attire.

music is Kedayan both relaxing and fun at the same time. As it is passed from generation to generation, Kedayan music evolved into a more modern and aesthetic music to accommodate the taste of younger generation. Although time has seen its subtle change, it still maintains its original ethnic and traditional melody.