The Thousand Mask Warrior

Jipen Kumang's

"The next day is my part to try out your science of canuragan, especially the science of bare hands, Jayaseta," said Punyan.

Jayaseta did not feel the need to answer the challenge. He also does not need to feel condolences and mince words to reject it, because obviously his arrival to this village is to get things that are beneficial to his health, and whatever it is to be able to learn. In this case, as a swordsman, of course, kanuragan is another important thing.

"However, today, as I promised, let me introduce to my family, please" Punyan said. The two then walked to one side of the village. Some residents who passed by greeted and saluted when they knew who was passing by.

***

Not all Daya tribal groups or inland tribes on Tanjung Pura island have rules regarding customs and beliefs or religions the same. The various levels of society adopted are also different, although not infrequently most things are also the same and affect each other. All tribes and villages have chieftains, soldiers, workers and citizens with their respective roles more or less the same.

Chieftains usually act as decision makers and give orders. Some also act as balian or religious leaders and leaders.

The balians in the Iban tribe are referred to as he, but he has a different role religiously with the Tuai Bird. Bird harvest are people who have high knowledge and expertise in religion. They are said to be associated with supernatural souls such as ghosts, gods or ancestral spirits that live in a world called Penggau Libau and Gelung Nakung.

Bird harvest can hold sacred ceremonies related to the spirit world, nightmares and purging of bad luck or some kind of ruwatan. But it can also be someone who is not a Bird Tuai, doing this activity if he also has this ability. It is called the House of Tue.

In religious ceremonies or village customs, Manang, or shamans and healers will talk with spirits assisted by Lemambang the poet who recites a prayer mantra or introduction to the world of death or the afterlife.

There are also Sabaks who engage in the ceremony of death by summoning all the spirits of the dead back to the world. Whereas a person can heal from witchcraft, witchcraft, stoic science or other black magic, including violation of abstinence. He is also believed to be able to make someone strong, brave or have charm so that the opposite sex can fall in love. Therefore, a person is also able to make various talismans.

Temenggung Bear in this case acts as the head of the village and at the same time the Tuai Bird.

In the Ngaju people, they have village heads who cooperate with outsiders, talking with them to carry out a certain job or plan.

Meanwhile, soldiers are trained citizens who are tasked with defending territory or attacking enemy areas. Although in many ways, every adult male of Daya was basically a warrior. So this makes the residents are also soldiers and workers who cooperate in a village rule.

Some tribes are known to be strong and powerful in subduing their enemies or for being forced to defend their land and territory from enemy attacks on their bodies, for example, the Iban people are tattooed on his knuckles in the form of straight and transverse lines because they have succeeded in decapitating the opponent's head. The type of rajah named steadfast in this case symbolizes courage, bravery and might.

A decapitated head is hung on one's doorstep as a form of higher society. This person would be considered a Brave Bujang, a knight.

For the people in the Ngaju tribal community referred to as the Pantan people. They are natives who in fulfilling the needs of their daily lives are self-employed. Their obligation is to obey the command of the leader, and must provide voluntary energy if needed by the leader. Here their fate and well-being depends a lot on the personality, behavior and wisdom of their leaders. People who are not native to the village or considered foreigners are called Tamuei.

But basically, it can be said that all levels of tribal society and the village of Daya are divided into two large parts, namely the free class and the slave class. This societal term has a variety of names, such as utus, jalahan, kill, boboha, or ungkup.

The term utus gatung or utus tatau refers to the high and rich nobility. They are considered to be heirs of great men and direct descendants of divinity, such as their religious power, power and abilities.

This group owns and controls a variety of objects and possessions that show and symbolize greatness, power, strength, and holiness or divinity, such as gongs, vessels or holy jars, weapons like a do or a spear. Of these circles and groups also in the choice of customary heads and community leaders.

There is also a so-called low utus or utus pehe-yet. This group although included in the free class, they are still distinguished in the position of society and wealth. Although they are still considered to be people who are close to the holy gods, but indirectly. The difference with hanging utus, their ownership of the symbolic objects of power was limited to the wealth of heirlooms whose value was low.

In this group were born balians or priests or shamans or religious leaders, also called basir.

There are various types of terms for slaves including their location and role in society. For example, the rewar who is a slave who is hereditary belongs to his master. According to customary law, the rewar are those who arise as a result of punishment for severe customary violations and losing the war.

In Ngaju terms, slaves are known as jepen. The Jipen had absolutely no possessions where all the necessities of life were provided by his master. The Heads of Kampung, free people and the Pantan people are allowed to have jeepen.

Jipen came from people who lost the war and could not pay off their debts. If the jeepen has been able to pay off the debt, then independence they will get. However, if until the end of life the debt has not been able to pay off, then the offspring will remain a jepen, and commonly called jipen utus, until the existing debt can be repaid.

The people of the Daya tribe believe that slaves were indeed born as pailenge or accomplice of their master, therefore during his life up to the afterlife, they should call their owners my temple or my sangi, which means my master. The slaves are prohibited from setting up houses in the village except in the border area of the village or in the forest around the village.

Punyan's wife Kumang was actually a woman who sent jipen, along with her brother.

The woman was wearing two pieces of cloth, the first of which was wrapped around the lower part of her body as high as a calf and another layer that wrapped a pair of payu*daranya. Her skin was brown, and she looked so beautiful. Not much decoration attached to his body, but did not reduce his charm.

Punyan grinned widely in front of Jayaseta, as if he had just finished showing off his pride.

Honey, according to Jayaseta, the face is less mellow. His pair of shy eyes shone. There's some kind of dark secret stored up.

"He was originally a slave, Jayaseta. Our tribe took Kumang, his brother, and several other villagers who lost the war. He has been a child since he was a child. But gradually I fell in love with her. It took a tremendous effort to be able to lift her degree and make her my wife" Punyan said, recalling the struggles she had endured in the past. But both eyes sparkled looking at the wife who was drying fish to marinate.

On the other hand, weaving rattan into a fish, a young man whose face is almost indistinguishable from Kumang, even including the color of his skin.

"That's my wife's little brother, Kumang. As a child he refused to give his name, so we called him Jipen. He had even stopped talking for a long time, maybe not even with the kaka. He did not want to be separated from his brother. In fact, I have tried half-dead to be able to marry Kumang, looking for a gap in the customary rules. Ketila succeeded, there's no way I'm taking the Jipen with me to be a free man, is there?" punyan slowed his way to his home.

"But what you can do, Jipen had to stay with my family. He became a slave to his own brother who used to bear the same slave title. You know how confusing that is?" punyan.

In order to see the husband has returned home, Kumang left all his work and immediately approached Punyan, taking the do and the spear he carried and put into the house without a word.

Punyan looks very happy at the welcome of the wife. Jayaseta himself noticed that Kumang did not show similar behavior to her husband.

"I know what's on your mind, Jayaseta" Punyan said.

"I don't think about anything, Punyan," Jayaseta replied feeling accused.

"That's it, it's okay. Maybe Kumang doesn't have the same taste as me. That's okay, I'll keep making him love me sincerely someday. It is understandable that he and his sister felt that they were still slaves. I only bought Kumang's body, but his soul remains imprisoned. The only thing that made him feel like he was accepting me, was probably because I was also bringing Jipen along" he said.

Kumang soon left the house, bringing one piece of bamboo filled with palm water and one piece of bamboo filled with water for Jayaseta.

Again the girl showed a sad face but without looking sad or miserable. This even suddenly torments Jayaseta. He remembered his sins against Almira and Dara Cempaka.