Bisaya (Borneo)

Bisaya is an indigenous people from the northwest coast of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Their population is concentrated around Beaufort as well as Kuala Penyu districts of southern Sabah (in which they are counted under the Kadazan-Dusun group of peoples), Labuan Federal Territory and in Limbang District, Sarawak (in which they are grouped under the Orang Ulu designation). The Bisaya tribe has many similarities with the Dusun Tatana tribe, especially in terms of language. It is evident that some of their dialogical language conversations are almost identical if they have a dialogue with each other. Nowadays the Bisaya living in Sabah are Muslims, while the Bisaya living in Sarawak are mostly Christians. In Brunei, they are referred as Dusun, Jati Dusun and Bisaya (one group with the Dusun people of Sabah, Dusunic people).[5] The Bisaya is closely related, linguistically, with the Tatana Dusun of Kuala Penyu, Sabah.

For the ethnic group from the Philippines, see Visayans.

Bisaya People
Orang Bisaya
Bisaya Sabah traditional costume
Total population
c. 140,000
Regions with significant populations
 Brunei: 45,000[1]
 Malaysia
 Sarawak: 7,000 (1984)[2]
 Sabah: 74,000[3]
 United States: 14,000[4]
Languages
Sabah Bisaya, Malaysian, Brunei Bisaya, English
Religion
Majority Islam (Sabah and Brunei) and significant minorities of Christianity and Animism (Sarawak)
Related ethnic groups
Murut, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh, Kadazan-Dusun, Dayaks

Origin and etymology

Several theories have been put forward by various researchers regarding the origins of the name of the Bisaya people. Beyer H.O. in 1926, Hester E.D. in 1954 and Harrison in 1956 suggested that the name may have come from the empire of Sri Vijaya (Sonza, 1972). However, in 1960, Eugene Vestraelen (Professor of Linguistics at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City) cautioned that the linguistic derivation of Vijaya would not be Bisaya but Bidaya, or Biraya.[6]

Another theory was suggested by John Carroll:[7]

According to John Carroll (1961:499-541), the term Visaya might be the Sanskrit Vaisya, denoting the 3rd caste of the Hindu caste system. The Philippine term Bisaya as found in Malay writings meant 'slave' or 'the country of slaves' and referred to a geographical area of the Philippines where slaves are formerly found and captured.

— John Carroll, The word Bisaya in the Philippines and Borneo, Sarawak Museum Journal, 1960

History
The rehabilitation of a traditional Bisaya house in the Heritage Village of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

The proto-Bisaya's indigenous people settled in Borneo thousands of years ago. They are skilled in agriculture, particularly in the areas such as paddy planting, ginger, sago, local ginger, tapioca, banana, yam, pepper, coconut. They also hunt animals and breed others, such as chicken, duck, goose, goat, buffalo, cows and many more. Bisaya people are skilled in catching fish either from the river or at sea, and they can hold their breath under water without drowning.

Language
Main articles: Sabah Bisaya language and Brunei Bisaya language

Sabah Bisaya language has 90% intelligibility of Tatana, a Dusun dialect. Bisaya in Sabah also has 58% lexical similarity with dialects of Sarawak Bisaya and 57%–59% with Brunei dialect.[8] Bornean Bisaya belong to the Dusunic group, linguistically.

Music, arts and crafts

The traditional musical instrument consists of Kulintangan, gong, and many of small gongs (cf. Asmahs claim that the Bisaya are supposed to be the best gong musicians). It is as if somebody just beats the gong and everyone-men, women, young and old just starts to dance. All these instruments are used in the wedding ceremony, celebrating very important people etc. Besides the musical items, the Bisayas are able to make good weapons for various purposes. There are andiban, sumpit, parang, keris and knife.

Culture and tradition

Belief and customs

The majority of the Bisaya in Sabah (Beaufort) are Muslims while the Bisaya in Sarawak (Limbang & Miri) are mostly Christians. Though they treasure their cultural traditions of medicine, marriages, death etc., they don't actually practice it, possibly due to the influence of the religions. Even though they would call the traditional medicine men or women known as Bobolian to perform rites in times of illness, most now go to modern medical clinics.

Folk dance
  • Liliput dance (Sabah)
  • Jipin (Zapin) dance (Sabah)
  • Sayau Bagarus dance (grinding some sago trunk to produce sago flakes) (Sabah)
  • Mengalawat dance (performances as they stepping on the sago flakes to produce sago juices) (Sabah)
  • Mencayau dance (to celebrate victories after defeating the pirates)
  • Ugang Bamboo
  • Bubu mengalai (Sabah) or bubu dance using some spells such as: Ya Bamban Ya Lukah, Ya Bamban Eh Basari, Main Kita Si Ipar Muda, SiLukah Pandai Menari
  • Alai Anding

Folk songs
  • Kulintangan Bisaya consist of 27 traditional songs and three berasik songs (spells for curing illness).
  • Badaup during paddy harvesting.

Folk games
  • Tarik tali, tug of war
  • Gasing, spinning top
  • Kikit, kite playing
  • Lastik/Melastik, slingshot
  • Crossbow
  • Andiban or spear
  • Berambit/Bahambit, arm wrestling
  • Martial arts or silat Bisaya with bamboo music

Traditional attire

White shirt, Songket, Tarbus, smoking pipe, Keris, bracelet

Traditional desserts
  • Ambuyat
  • Kelopis
  • Bahulu
  • Ketupat
  • Kuih Cincin
  • Tapai Manis
  • Kuih Sapit
  • Kuih Jala
  • Kuih Penyaram
  • Kuih Lamban
  • Kuih Gelang

Festivals

The leaves (roun rombia)

The Rumbia's leaves can be woven into a product called Kajang. This product is used for roofing and walling material when building a house or farm hut. Young girls are trained by the older women. The woven Rumbia's leaves need to be dried under the sun. These leaves last for two to three years.

The branch

In the past, the branches of the Rumbia tree were used as walls for a house or hut. The branch can be used to build chicken coops and fences, and the dried branches can be used as a torch. The skin of the branch can be woven into basket, mat, and others.

The trunk

The upper portion of the Rumbia is an edible vegetable that can be eaten raw. This serves as the main vegetable during wedding receptions among the Bisaya community. Then, sago is extracted from the Rumbia's trunk. The skin of the Rumbia tree can be used a firewood, floor for hut, or walls. The trunk can be used as a bridge and can also be made into a boat. Water can be extracted from the roots.

Mibulang

One of their main festivals called Babulang or Mibulang such as buffalo racing is celebrated annually in Batu Danau, Limbang, Sarawak near the Brunei border, and it occurs in the month of June annually once Gawai Dayak occurs simultaneously during that festival.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Tutong, Bisayan in Brunei". Joshua Project. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  2. Raymond G. Gordon Jr., ed. (2005). Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. SIL International. ISBN 1-55671-159-X.
  3. Project, Joshua. "Bisaya, Sabah Bisaya in Malaysia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  4. "Bisaya, Sabah Bisaya in United States". Joshua Project. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  5. Ooi, Keat Gin (2004). Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC-CLIO. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-57607-770-2.
  6. Verstraelen, Eugene; Trosdal, Mimi (1974). "Lexical Studies on the Cebuano Language". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 2 (4): 231–237. ISSN 0115-0243. JSTOR 29791163.
  7. RAUSA-GOMEZ, LOURDES (1967). "Sri Vijaya and Madjapahit". Philippine Studies. 15 (1): 63–107. ISSN 0031-7837. JSTOR 42720174.
  8. Ethnologue (ed.), Bisaya, Sabah, retrieved 2 July 2012

Further reading
  • Bewsher(1958), Sandin(1971) and Hussain & Newman(1987).
  • Beccari, Dr. O., NELLE FORESTE DI BORNEO (1902).
  • Bock, Carl, THE HEAD-HUNTERS OF BORNEO (1882).
  • Furness, W. H., THE HOME LIFE OF BORNEO HEAD-HUNTERS (1902).
  • Haddon, E. B., "The Dog-motive in Bornean Art" (JOURN. ANTH. INST., 1905).
  • Hamer, C. den, IETS OVER HET TATOUEEREN OF TOETANG BIJ DE BIADJOE-STAMMEN.
  • Hein, A. R., DIE BILDENDEN KUNSTE BEI DEN DAYAKS AUF BORNEO (1890).
  • Ling Roth, H., THE NATIVES OF SARAWAK AND BRITISH NORTH BORNEO 1896), vol. ii.
  • Nieuwenhuis, Dr. A. W., IN CENTRAL BORNEO (1900). vol. i.
  • Nieuwenhuis, Dr. A. W., QUER DURCH BORNEO (1904), vol. i.
  • Schwaner, Dr. C. A. L. M., BORNEO (1853—54); cf. Ling Roth, vol. ii. pp. cxci to cxcv.
  • Whitehead, J., EXPLORATION OF MOUNT KINA BALU, NORTH BORNEO (1893).
  • Selamat Jati; Sejarah Sosio Ekonomi Bisaya (thesis 1990).
  • Dr. Shafiq Sarawak Museum Journal (1989); "Bisaya Ethnography: A Brief Bisaya Report."
  • Antarano Peranio; The Structure of Bisaya Society.
  • Bewsher; Kumpulan tulisan Bewsher (Tuan Busa kajun Bisaya)
  • Prof. Vernon L. Poritt; "Bapa Guru Bisaya".
  • Harrisson; Kaitan Bisaya Sarawak, Brunei dan Sabah; "Some origins and attitudes of Brunei Tutong-Belait-Dusun, North Boreneo "Dusun', and Sarawak Bisayan (1958).
  • http://awangalakbetatar.synthasite.com/
  • Asmah Hj, Omar (1983), Araneta and Bernard (1960), Hussain Jamil & Newman(187); Bisaya language
  • R.E. Stubbs (1968); Kegemilangan Bisaya.
  • St. John (1862) Volume 2; Tulisan yang awal tentang kampung-kampung Bisaya.
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