A melanau funeral is an occasion for festivity and less for mourning, since the melanau believe that the soul must depart this world without any regrets and worries. Thus it is the duty of the livings to entertain the deceased soul. Different joyous games and musics are played. One of them is Pisak Lukan.
Photo: Pisak Lukan
About the Game
Pisak Lukan is a melanau funeral game song. The game aims to entertain the soul of the newly deceased, who still hesitates to leave the house. The soul will be invited to play by allowing it to possess a dressed Fishtrap resulting in the Fishtrap "dances" own its own.
The Melanau believe that this game will convince the soul that there is nothing to worry in the living world. Therefore the soul will depart willingly to the land of the dead ( Likou Dayah or Likou A-Matai). If the soul still refuse to leave the world of the living it will stuck between the this plane of existence and the next. It will become lonely and after a long time eventually become Amou ( Ghost) and will haunt the living.
Photo: Bubou-Fishtrap
The Preparation:The Fishtrap will be a replica of a human being. A coconut shell ( Tabek Benyuh) is used as the head. The Fishtrap ( Bubou) will be dressed with clothes of the deceased. A Klekatek ( English: Areca Nut Cutter, Malay: Kacip Pinang) is hanged inside the Fishtrap. This will give the Bubou a heart ie Nyawa ( Life force). To attract the soul, smoke from burning kemenyan ( Pooja Smoke) is used.
Photo: Kemenyan- Pooja Smoke
Precaution:
As a precaution a Broomstick ( Sapou) and Daun Tebawan ( English: leaves of Premma Cordiflora, Malay: Daun Bebuas, Daun Sinkil) are ready during the game. Sometimes during the course of the game the Fistrap Men will dance wildly and refuse to stop. To stop it immediately, its head will be hit with a broomstick until the Klekatek ( the "heart") separate from the Fishtrap.
Photo: Klekatek- Areca Nut Cutter
There is also instances the audience who are faint of heart being possessed by the other spirits or the dead soul. Daun Tebawan is then used to exorcised it.
Photo: Daun Tebawan-Premma Cordiflora
The Game:
Each player will hold the bottom of the fishtrap, which is suspended above pooja smoke ( Kemenyan). They start by singing :
Bubou mengasou
Manila mati
Maisuri naik bulan
Naik ke bilit
Ke rumah Datuk Kuna
Sabi nait pina
When the Fistrap Men starts to dance erratically, which indicates that it is being possessed, they will then repeatedly sing:
Iya Lukan
Iya Badan Tetak bemban
Nyibong Sari
Iya Lukan pandai nari
The Game ends until no one able to continue or the fishtrap being stopped.
Notes:
Pisak Lukan is not unique only to the melanau but other tribes do play this game.
The Kedayan called it Tarian Alai Bubu and is played during a grand festivity such as the birthday of sultan of brunei.
The song goes:
Tak banbam ia lukan
Tak banbam dibasari
Main dengan dipermula
Silukan pandai menari
Tak banbam ia lukan
Tak banbam dibasari
Main dengan dipermula
Silukan pandai menari
Another version of the song as contributed by our reader:
Ya Bamban Ya Lukah
Tak Bamban dibasari
Main jaan dipamudahkan
Si Dang Bamban pandai menari
Ya Basir Huya Basir
Tarumpah kayu sani...
The Sambas of West Kalimantan called it Timang bubu and they play this game during a wedding.
The song goes:
Balon-balon gelombang balon
Balon menempuh batang rasau
Bangun-bangun saudara bangun
Bangun tidur jangan meransau
The Minang of West Sumatra version of the game is called Lukah Gilo
Other version of the song goes:
Jelangkung jelangsat
Disini ada pesta
Pesta kecil-kecilan
Jelangkung jelangsat
Datang tidak diundang
Pergi tidak diantar
Categories:
Adet,
Culture,
Spirit World
good information
@Ayambesi.com. Thanks. Pls do share it with other melanau :) May our culture stands strong against the current of time :)
Funeral melanau likou kah ya?
aok. permainan tok hanya dimainkan tme ada kematian melanau likou :)
Although I've never witnessed this game in person (the villagers abolished this ritual when I was pretty young) but my great grandmother did sang the mantra once in a while. However, coming from Mukah and speak fluent Melanau, I'm a bit unfamiliar with the terms you presented in the above song.
If my memories serve me correctly, my great grandmother rendition of the lyrics are a bit different. I might be wrong considering the fact that you have a pretty creepy video of a fish trap dancing but here's a bit of her lyrics:
"Bubou mengasou,
mengileing, mengapeing (this verse translates to mean shrilling (mengilai) and going crazy)
nait ke bilit,
ke rumah dato' kuna,
then my memories uselessly went blank for the following lines after that...
the song however was pretty long compared to the above. I might need to talk with my great grandmother again to confirm the lyrics. :)
the song have many version. Please do share the lyrics here and i will include it in this blog. Such information from your grandmother is very helpful :)
is there other ceremony for melanau funeral...what about natolit?can anyone explain to me?
in mukah version the lyrics of this song :
bubou mengasou,
mengilieang, mengapeang,
nait ka bilit,
ka rumah datuk kunai,
ya rabbi main sigai,
this lyrics repeated several times until the bubou begin "mengilieang" & "mengapeang"
gak a melanau mukah, esp kpg tellian, bubou mestilah bubou wak "tenikau" & bajou mesti "bajou a balou",
jalak agei isak (mun kena bak diangga isak) gak lian a melanau matai sabei yenlah pisak radin, tapi kategori isak radin segak sama ngan a pelatou sebab a beradin adalah a pelatou, sama kawak bei lagu & ritual bak mengiring isak itou, eg :
radin dindang, radin didundang,
alang gayung terjurai-jurai,
terjurai-jurai atas membatu.....ya radinnnnn
kembang payung tiup serunai,
pakai penurut puteri yang satu.....ya radinnn
ajau cuma bei bakak jumit un gei gak tellian a taou pisak radin, tetapi nda tapak gai tahap ke "alam radin", bei usaha bak menjadikan isak radin sebagai persembahan biasa, tetapi sehingga ajau nda kesampaian.
@Eddy :) teruskan berkongsi idak agei :)