Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo; a ... - Sabrizain.org

OMENS AND DKEAxMS 155
any new line of action, certain omens are required if good
fortune is to attend them and the Fates be propitious.
For house-building, the cries of the same birds are
required, and in the same order as before planting the
seed. But for a war expedition, birds heard on the right
hand are best, except in the case of the nendak, which
may be heard either on the right or on the left hand side.
There are, I believe, certain substitutions for this
tedious process of seeking the omens of birds. It is said
that for farming, if a piece of gold be hidden in the
ground, the hearing of the proper omen birds may be
dispensed with. If a fowl be sacrificed, and the blood
made to drop in a hole in the earth in which the fowl is
afterwards buried, it is said the gods will be satisfied,
and a good harvest ensue. And on the occasion of a war
expedition, if an offering is made with beating of gongs
and drums on starting from the house, it is said that no
cries of birds need be obeyed afterwards. But none of
these methods are ever used, the Dyaks preferring to
submit to the tedious procedure of listening to the cries
of the birds.
It is in regard to farming that the practice is most con-
spicuous. And if any of these omen birds are heard or seen
by the Dyak on his way to his work on his paddy land, it
foretells either good or evil to himself or to his farm— if
good, then all is well, and he goes on his way rejoicing ;
if evil, he will at once turn back and wait for the following
The nendak foretells
day before going to his work again.
good, whether heard on the right hand or the left ; so
does the katupong ; but the papau is of evil omen, and,
if heard, the man must at once beat a retreat. A beragai
heard occasionally does not matter, but if heard fre-
quently, no work must be done for one day.
The tmbuas