Sarawak Culture PELAH HAWA Traditional Kayan Wedding

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The Wedding

The Maren Uma can perform the wedding ceremony when the couple choose to marry under the Adet Kayan-Kenyah and the issuance of the Marriage Testimonial is done by the Penghulu. In the olden days, marriage ceremonial rites were performed by the dayong19. If the married couple is from the same longhouse, the pelah hawa or wedding ceremony is preformed in the amin of the bride20.

In accordance to tradition, if the wedding was held at the groom's longhouse and the bride comes from another, then it is the groom who fetches the bride from her designated amin, the opposite happens if the wedding is held at the bride's longhouse.

In Long Bemang, the wedding is held at the groom's longhouse. Before the groom fetches the bride he waits in his own amin. The groom wears his traditional wedding attire which consists of a sunong, bah, tabin and lavung dok.

According to what was observed in Long Laput, the wedding was held at the bride's longhouse. Before the bride fetches the groom she sits and waits at the gallery outside her own amin. The bride was wearing her traditional wedding attire which consists of a top which is called basong and a traditional skirt called ta'a. With the skirt, she wore a belt called je't tesa' and to complete her attire is a sash worn across the chest called a bilang inu'. On her head, she wore the lavung se'doh. This traditional attire was prepared by the bride and her family members.

bride wearing traditional wedding attire lavung se'

For a traditional wedding ceremony that involves the Maren, the bride is to be accompanied by eight women in full traditional attire and each carries a hong inu but only one is to be decorated with feathers. The hong inu is later be held above the bride's head as a sign of protection.

The Maren groom is accompanied by eight male attendants in full traditional warrior attire. Each of the men carries a kelebit or shield that will be held above the groom's head when the couple exchanges the marriage vows.

The Maren Uk groom is accompanied by four men in full traditional attire. For the Panyin, one attendant is sufficient.

 

  • 19 A female shaman.
  • 20 Adet Kayan-Kenyah, op.cit, Chapter IV, item 93, p.164.