Timang Jalung, or the ‘bowl incantation,’ is a ritual performed by a group of bards to fulfil the proceedings of Gawai Antu, a festival commemorating the deceased.
It is the grandest of Iban festivals, observed by the entire longhouse, particularly in the Saribas and Krian regions.
However, in the Rajang basin, there are variations. I have attended Gawai Antu celebrations in Julau and Bintangor, where the entire longhouse was involved.
Yet, the event I witnessed in Bawang Assan, Sibu, only centred on one family within the longhouse, with others providing assistance.
Interestingly, in all the Gawai Antu festivals I’ve witnessed in the Rajang Basin, no Timang Jalung ritual was performed, and no bards were involved.
Along the Melupa in Saratok, a tributary of the Krian, there is no active Timang Jalung bard group. The last known group was led by my late uncle, Dundang Enchana, who helmed the bards during the Gawai Antu at Debak’s Ulu Bayur longhouse in 1988.
Before that, my father, Salok (1910-2002), led a group until 1973, taking over from his cousin, Ujih Untan, around 1964. These three first cousins have been at the helm of the two Timang Jalung bard groups since 1961.
Now, a new group of Timang Jalung bards has emerged in Betong. Based in Nanga Samu longhouse in Paku, Saribas, Betong district, this group, led by Lemambang (Bard) Temenggong Richard Mulok Entering, includes bards like Lemambang Tangai Chaong, Lemambang Richard Mulok, Lemambang Nicholas Jana, Lemambang Enteri, Lemambang Malaka, and Lemambang Kasa.
Since 2017, they have performed the ‘bowl incantations’ in Gawai Antu celebrations in locations such as Pakan in Julau and various Betong longhouses.
Timang Jalung narrates the spirits of the deceased being called from Sebayan (the Abode of the Dead) to visit their original longhouse during Gawai Antu, passing by significant places along the way. This journey contrasts with the departed’s passage from the longhouse to Sebayan upon their demise.
According to my cousin-in-law Jana, the bards adhere to a strict ritual schedule during the Timang Jalung incantation, starting in the early evening around 9 pm until 4 am.
The incantation begins in the hosting family’s room, progresses to the common gallery, and continues throughout the entire longhouse with melodious chanting.
Around 11 pm, the bards begin to evaluate the longhouse, appreciating its beauty and decor. This continues until 3 am when they honour the Iban warriors who partake in the ‘nuntungka jalung’, a ritual where the warriors consume ‘tuak’ (rice wine) from the ‘jalung’ bowl. The lead bard interacts with the warriors, discussing their conquests and headhunting feats, if any.
For instance, during a festival in 1970, Lemambang Dundang Enchana led the Gawai Antu in Sungai Kelampai, Krian, Saratok. He engaged with warriors like Jerampang Saat (also known as Pintu Batu Nanga Igan), Indu Ditemu Balu Tengah Malam, discussing their wartime exploits.
The ‘nuntungka jalung’ ritual lasts about an hour and concludes by 4 am with the ‘Nambit Pintu Tanah’ (Closing the Door to the Earth), ‘Lemambang Beserara’ (Bards Parting), and ‘Mulaika Semengat Lemambang’ (Reviving Bards’ Spirits).
Timang Jalung concludes here, but other rituals follow to complete the proceedings of Gawai Antu.
