Melanau Universe

The Melanau

Melanau

The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo, primarily in Sarawak, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language .-Origins:...

 conception of the universe

Universe

The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...

 was one of layers and one in which the territories of all should be respected and a balance maintained. Hence it is of paramount importance to be aware of the sorrounding such as changes in the weather

Weather

Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...

, the wind, the water tides and the position of constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

.
The Melanau Calendar ( Bulan Melanau) serves as an important guide for daily activities of livelihood such as fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, planting, harvesting, house construction

Construction

In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...

 and marriage

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 because the calendar

Calendar

A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...

 is guided by the constellations and the way of nature, the spirits and god.

Structure of the Calendar

The Melanau calendar comprises 12 months, each month consisting of 30 days. The Melanau calendar is guided by the constellations and the way of nature

Nature

Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...

, as is that of their guardian spirits. Each month is named after the occurrences during the specific month or after events that is supposed to have occurred during that particular month according to legend

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

.The rise and fall of the sun

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...

, the moon

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

 and the star

Star

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...

s determines their time for planting and harvesting, fishing and building as well as other movements, such as travel

Travel

Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...

, marriages and the like.

The Name of the Months

Gregorian Month	Melanau Month
March	Pengejin ( The Month of the Spirits)
April	Pengelawah Umik (The Month of the Lesser Clear Water)
May	Pengelawah Ayeng (The month of the Greater Clear Water)
June	Paka Umik (The Month of the Rise of the Lesser Stars)
July	Paka Ayeng (The Month of the Rise of the Greater Stars)
August	Pelepa’ (Month of Plentiful)
September	Pegalan (Month of the North Star)
October	Suwah (The Month of the Waves)
November	Pidai (The Month of the Discoloured Skies)
December	Penangaih (The Month of Revival)
January	Pemalei (The Month of Taboo)
February	Pengesiseng (The Month of the Gills)

Bulan Pengejin (The Month of the Spirits)

This month coincides with the Gregorian

Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...

 month of March

March

March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....

. During this month, it is windy and the rain comes down in light showers in the beginning. The wind will gradually become stronger and the sun will move northerly and the moon will replace the original location of the sun. Fish will be plentiful in the forest and the jungle as they come out to search for food to be eaten and to be stored. After that, they will hide again in their holes. This marks the beginning of the year. This is a time when it is difficult for the Melanau to go out to work because of the strong wind, thus they will spend their time cleaning the tools and equipment of their trades. This is the time that they mark as the beginning of the year, the first month of Pengejin. At the end of this month, they will purify themselves and call the fish out from their lairs, from the beaches and the river mouths. This ceremony is called “KAWULL” by the Melanau. During this ceremony, they would construct the huge swing called “TIBOU” and sing the tibou mantra

Mantra

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...

 during its construction, seeking the blessings of their guardian ‘gods’ for plentiful flowers, bountiful harvests of fruits and that there be plentiful fish in the sea for them and that illness and afflictions be removed and all evil to be return to their own place. They will also send offerings called "SERAHENG" out to the sea to appease them and invite them to partake their feast with them. After the feast, all food and drink is left by the shore for the guardians and spirits to take with them. None is to be taken back for it it the feast for the spirits and guardians.

Bulan Pengelawah Ume’(The Month of the Lesser Clear Water)

This month coincides with the month of April

April

April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...

. During this month, it is said all the fish will come down to the sea as the sea will turn a greenish hue which is a call from the sea to the fish that it is time for them to surface. This marks the second month. For the Melanau, this is the time for the fishermen to go to the sea to catch fish. This marks the first fishing season for them.(During olden times, the Melanau fishermen are known for their ‘barong panau’, a fishing sailboat which could go out to sea for weeks on end. These boats also double as traveling boats as well as for trading and fishing. Today, the ‘barong panau’ is extinct as there are none left skilled enough to build one. A picture of one can be found on one of the Brooke era postage stamp

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

.)

Bulan Pengelawah Ayeng (The month of the Greater Clear Water)

This month coincides with the month of May

May

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...

. The emerald greenish hue reaches the shore. This marks the third month. This is a time for the Melanau fishermen to catch as much fish to send home as well as store their catch. This is the peak of fishing season. Towards the end of this month, the sea will turn to greenish clear hue and the sea floor will be quite visible from the surface. And as such it will be difficult to trap the fish in their nets or catch them with their hooks as the fish is said to be able to see through the fishermen intent during this time. This marks the end of the first fishing season for them and the beginning of the fourth month, when the winds and rain will hinder all the fishing activities of the people.

Bulan Paka Ume’ (The Month of the Rise of the Lesser Stars)

This month coincides with the month of June

June

June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...

. The Seven Sisters

Pleiades (star cluster)

In astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters , is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky...

 appear in the skies. The West Wind blows strong to arrange the stars in the sky. This marks the fourth month. It is time for the Melanau to go to the jungle/forest and begin their work for the planting season. They will start to cut the big trees and vines as well as plant their crops. The farmers will continue their jungle clearing work until the beginning of the next month, Bulan Paka Ayeng (July).

Bulan Paka Ayeng (The Month of the Rise of the Greater Stars)

This month coincides with July

July

July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. It is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere...

. The Seven Sisters rise high in the sky and the Three Stars appear lower in the sky. The wind is of gale

Gale

A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...

 force. This marks the fifth month. All farming and fishing activities ceases totally for the whole of this month as it is not possible for them to go out to the jungle or to sea due to the strong winds. This will last until the month of Pelepa’ (August) or the sixth month.

Bulan Pelepa’ (Month of Plentiful)

This month coincides with the month of August

August

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...

. The Three Star takes over from the Seven Sisters and rise high in the sky. The wind drops and the sea is calm. The fish begin to come out and play. This marks the sixth month. It is time for the second fishing season where the catch will be bountiful and the fishermen will enjoy fishing and will have plenty of fish to prepare for the forthcoming monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

 season (suloh), which will be long and when no work can be done due to the wind and heavy rain. This plentiful fishing season will last until the beginning of Bulan Pegalan (September).

Bulan Pegalan (Month of the North Star)

This month coincides with the month of September

September

September is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....

. The sea will be very calm but there will be little fish to catch as it is the time for the fish to spawn. This month is called the month of Pegalan because this is the time when the Pegalan (North) Star is high in the sky at the hour of six at eventide. This marks the seventh month. Legend has it that this is the month when the Melanau finds it difficult to swallow their saliva i.e. difficult to look for food. During this month, the Melanau would avoid getting married at all cost as the marriage would be cursed in that they will find it difficult to make a living.

Bulan Suwah (The Month of the Waves)

This month coincides with the month of October

October

October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old Roman calendar, October retained its name after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the...

. During this month, the ground will seem to grow and rise like waves. This marks the eighth month. According to Melanau belief, this is caused by the fish swimming back to the ocean and their fins appear to be like waves swimming out. This is the third and final fishing season for the year for the Melanau. This is also the time for the Melanau to start planting rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 and sago palm

Sago Palm

Sago Palm may refer to:* Metroxylon sagu, also called the True Sago Palm* Cycas revoluta, also called the King Sago Palm* Cycas rumphii, also called the Queen Sago Palm* Cycas circinalis, also called the Queen Sago Palm...

 as well as other crops. In Melanau tradition, they say that such as the earth grows well so will the crops that they plant.

Bulan Pidai (The Month of the Discoloured Skies)

This month coincides with the month of November

November

November is the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar...

. This is the beginning of the monsoon season (suloh). Strong winds begin to blow, shifting the location of the sun and the moon. The Melanau calls it the South East Moon (Bulan Tenggara). This marks the ninth month. It is the end of the fishing season for the Melanau. It is the last time that the fishermen can go out to sea for the year and only the brave would dare venture out stealthily to fish. In the morning, the sea will be calm, but by afternoon, waves will be at its biggest, thus any fishermen who dare venture out will have to return before afternoon.

Bulan Penangaih (The Month of Revival)

This month coincides with the month of December

December

December is the 12th and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.December starts on the same day as September every year and ends on the same day as April every year.-Etymology:...

. It is a time when the rains come to allow the flowers to blossom and the fruits to bear in the jungle and the forest. This marks the tenth month.

Bulan Pemalei (The Month of Taboo)

This month coincides with the month of January

January

January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day...

. Legend has it that in ancient times, a great shaman was killed by his wife and his head was chopped off. However, the head disappeared from the house and it became the Taboo Star. This month is named the month of the killing of the great shaman of ancient times. This marks the eleventh month. All activities of the Melanau is tabooed during this month. Marriage is not allowed and so are the activities of livelihood, such as fishing, planting, house construction and everything else. This month is regarded as a month of ill fortune by the Melanau.

Bulan Pengesiseng (The Month of the Gills)

This month coincides with the month of February

February

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years...

. The strong wind brings heavy rain and blows the flowers off from the trees as well as uproots the trees. The flood waters bring them to the sea. Logs floating in the sea are pushed ashore by huge waves to the beaches. The strong wind blows the branches and fronds of the coconut

Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

and sago palms as well as the leaves of the other trees making them open up to look just like the gills of the fish. As such, this month of strong winds and rain is so named. This marks the end of the year for the Melanau.