Kayan and their oral tradition

Itam Kayan nih pa, usi te' surat kalung alem dahun tam. Jadi lim-lim ket dahun tebara, lung nunan en daha' sepun tam uk itam men lung-lung daha'. Usi te' ket aleng kalung awi dahun kelunan ha' beh. Te' dua avan tam belajen marung urip, dahin kelenghi tebara, iha' tih, men tekna' dahin lung.

Kayan came from a non-literate culture and their oral tradition forms the foundation of their society. This means their stories, histories and knowledge are passed down from one generation to the next through oral transmission. Kayan oral traditions, tekna' and lung (stories), are two forms of oral tradition that are endangered.

Singing the tekna at the ELF Language Legacy project on February 21, 2022

Left to right: Margaret Ajeng, KK Robert Luhat from Long (Lung) Laput, Uring Emang (main singer), Ubong Emang, Balo’ Usun Jok, Balo’ Do’ Jau (all the women singers are from Uma Bawang).

Ket aleng en tam Kayan melegah lan tekná nih. Tekná nih aleng pu'un adat tam.

Tekná nih awi pantun, poetry kurin daha' dih bi te' pah kurin doh Morgan (1980) nih, tekná awi lung aleng en kelunan nyanyi. Avin piyah nyanyi kah bi alem nyanyi atih te' tebara, te' lung marung urip tam, te' nangen kenep men itam. Te' dua na'an tekná; iha tih, tekná menuna - anih tekná aleng en sepun tam na, marung lung-lung kelunan lakin te' hang tam Kayan, lung-lung keli'ah, bi te' pah ji la'an tekná maring.

Tekna maring anih usi nah te' lung-lung marung kelunan lakin atau lung tok. Alem tekná maring nih iha' nah marung urip tam Kayan baya anih, peleken dahin daho' bara men itam.

The tekná /tekna is a very important oral tradition of the Kayan. It is a form of poetry, described by Morgan (1980) as a song-tale. It can be divided into two categories, i.e. tekná asen (the original old tekná) where stories of Kayan legends and the supernatural are told in the narration of the tekna and, tekná maring (or new tekná) which is the modern version of the tekná (Jau et al., 2011).

Tekná maring often narrates the contemporary social world of the Kayan but reminiscences of the old world are salient in each narration. Through tekná modern Kayan are connected to their ancestors, their values and beliefs passed down through the generations (Wan et al., 2018).

Singing the tekna at the Endangered Language Fund, Language Legacy project workshop in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. February 22, 2022.

Front on stage left to right: Jalong from Lung Bemang, Lake' Imu (main singer), Pemanca Gilbert, both from Lung Paney.

Front left, Ping Laing, Freda Aren Wan from Lung Paney, Tua Kampong Robert from Lung Laput.

Kayan women singing the tekna

Date: 21/2/2022

Location: Miri, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

In the picture: Margaret Ajeng, Ubong Emang, Balo Usun Jok, Balo Do’ Jau

LAKUH

Talking about lakuh (Mugang Ngang, Taman Urai, Hinan Urai, Aren Wan, Luhong Wan, and Roselind Wan. Lakuh sung by Hinan Urai (July, 2014).

Lakuh sung by Aren Jok (July, 2014).

Echo: Aren Wan, Paya Wan

*Lakuh is an adaptation of the Malay pantun.

According to Taman Urai, heard here in the recording, lakuh is not an original Kayan poetic practice. It might have been adapted from the Kelabit, and sung usually in the Malay language. During my research, I have not heard a lakuh being sung in Kayan although there might have been others in the past that sung it in Kayan.