Ngaju dayak

NGAJU DAYAK


Ngaju Dayak: House as Tree of Life and Primeval Mountains

The symbolical image of the sacred house among Ngaju Dayak is expressed as the pile-dwelling, the foundation of which is supported by the watersnake 'Naga', and the roof of which birds, usually the hornbill, rest on. On their cultural context the watersnake is identified with a female symbol 'Jata', or the underworld deity, while the hornbill with a male symbol 'Mahatala', or the upperworld deity. The same cosmological interpretation of the house is quite popular for the symbolical approach of the study of Indonesian houses. In Nias many animal figures depicted on the house members are also explained as 'a reflection of the cosmos, of upper- and underworld, bird - serpent, ATUMBUCHA ("right") - AECHULA ("left"), etc.'Actually four human heads are burried underneath the four corner posts in the substructure of one of the chief's house in South Nias. They are thought to be offerings to 'Lature Dano', the God of the underworld. On the other hand an unspecified number of heads hung near the ridgepole serve as offerings to 'Lowalani', the God of the upperworld.