Cornell University Library Digital Collections
Eastern Penan boy using a blowpipe in the forest, with three people watching him
- Title (English):
- Eastern Penan boy using a blowpipe in the forest, with three people watching him
- Collection:
- Perema: Digital Museum of Penan Culture
- Set:
- Penan Cultural Digital Museum
Penans of Sarawak
- Photographer:
- Morrison, Hedda
- Creation Date:
- 1955-1965
- Location:
- Sarawak, Malaysia
- ID Number:
- RMM04516_b15_v02_028
- Collection Number:
- 4516
- File Name:
- RMM04516_b15_v02_028.jpg
- Work Type:
- photographs
- Materials/Techniques:
- black-and-white photographs
- Subject:
- blowpipe
hunting
forest
customs
rituals
Eastern Penan
Penan youth
Lakau betēē' (hunting)
- Description:
- The person on the far right is Franklin George's great grandfather, who hunted rhinos and passed away at the age of 90. While hunting, the eldest person present goes first, and the younger person must wait until called by his senior counterpart. Rhinos can be tracked using the germination of their droppings. The hunt becomes a competition to see who wounds or kills the rhino first. Rhinos must also be killed with spears, not a blowpipe and poison, at the risk of being cursed by the animal. After an animal is killed, its soul must be celebrated and given respect. If such a step is not taken, one's life may become shortened. This is done by waiting until the sun's position is aligned with the head of the animal to retrieve it, with hunters telling the rhino to "correct [its] position" by looking to the west. Upon its death, every person in the hut must walk on the animal from tail to horn before it is removed. That night, the Penan celebrate with music and dancing at the spot where the rhino was killed, while the meat is cooked. If any meat is dropped, the Penan must shout "Ngelahap!" which means "yahoo," to chase away the devil that brings sickness. Horns are taken for trade.
Person/people pictured from the Eastern Penan indigenous group.
- Source:
- Image source: 'Penans of Sarawak' photobook by Hedda Morrison.
Metadata source: Franklin George (great grandson of the person on the far right), Garen Jengan, Stephen Bian Belare and the Penan community of Long Lamai.
- Cite As:
- Hedda Morrison photographs, #4516. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
- Related Work:
- An alternate printing of this image in "The Penan people along the Baram" is available as an "additional view".
- Repository:
- Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
- Archival Collection:
- Hedda Morrison photographs
- Box:
- 15
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- Cornell University holds the copyright to this item and provides access to this item for research and personal use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Inquiries regarding reproductions of and/or permissions to use this item may be sent to rareref@cornell.edu.
