Yeahโผ๏ธ As promised, now sharing Part 2๏ธโฃ of the Rentak Selangor aka Beats of Selangor 2018 ๐๐
SiennyLovesDrawing ๐ฉ๐ป has travelled with the writers team ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ to Carey Island ๐ด ๐๐ to meet the Mah Meri ๐น๐บpeople to learn more about their richness history & cultures ๐ฒ๐ค
At present, Mah Meri’s ๐น๐บpopulation is more than 4๏ธโฃK people ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ
So,ย what’s their musics ๐ผ๐ต๐ถ & dances ๐๐ป๐ด๐ปโโ๏ธ
Mayin Jo-oh Music & Dance
This is a mask ๐น๐บtraditional dance ๐๐ป which performed to invite ancestral spirits aka muyang to join the festivalsย by Mah Meri people ๐น๐บ
Mah Meri ๐บ๐น people isย 1๏ธโฃ of the 1๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ tribes of indigenous people aka Orang Asli & one said only resides at Carey Island ๐ด ๐๐ of Malaysia ๐ฒ๐พ
The male ๐ฌ Mah Meri ๐น๐บ dancers will wear the grotesque wooden masks ๐ญ carved, dance clothes made with tree ๐ณ skin & palm/ mengkuang leaves ๐ฟ๐ฟย Generally, the males’ ๐ฌ are with more exaggerated dance moves to express the spirit of the mask ๐ญ & in clockwise ๐ direction around the female ๐ญ dancers
While the female ๐ญ dancers will wear the skirts made ofย palm/ mengkuang leaves ๐ฟ๐ฟย & plaited mengkuang head gear. They will dance anti-clockwise ๐ around an earthen mound named as “a busot” ๐
This dance ๐๐ป is performed with gestures to relate the annual Ari Muyang ritual ceremony, everyday events e.g. fishing ๐ฃ , celebrations ๐๐ etc. & with the music ๐ถ๐ต ๐ผ played from the music instruments below,
- bamboo๐๐stampers named “tuntog”
- a viola ๐ปnamed “jule”
- the double-headed drum ๐ฅ named “tambo”
- a brass gong named “a-tawa”
Do enjoy the short clipsย ๐น๐ฅ captured while the travel team members ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ซ mostly joined in to enjoy this traditional dance ๐๐ป with Mah Meri ๐น๐บ dancers ๐๐ป๐๐ป
Spirit Wood Carving
The Mah Meri ๐น๐บ people also well known ๐๐ป with their spiritual wood carving, apart from its richness of music, songs ๐ค๐ผ & dances
They are mostly with the remarkable wood carving skills, in particular wood sculptures & masks ๐ญ All are depict their Ari Muyang, mythical creatures, animal spirits e.g. birds ๐ฆ๐ฆ , dragon ๐ etc. from the Mah Meri’s ๐น๐บsurroundings of swamp, sea ๐ & forest ๐ณ๐ณ
According to 1๏ธโฃ of the Mah Meri ๐น๐บ wood carver (Oppsss…She forgot to ask โabout his name), he shared that sometimes he carves the sculptures as per his dreams ๐ญ The forms & figures actually appeared a few times in the dreams ๐ญ which most of the Mah Meri ๐น๐บwood carvers would believe the messages ๐ from the other world ๐ to them for spiritual wood carvings ๐
So, upon waking up, he would then set to carve the figures that he encountered in his dreams ๐ญ ย He added that some sculptures are carved for the purpose of healing too
Traditionally, the materials for wood carving including nyireh stone, rare red mangrove hardwood etc. ๐
Palm/ mengkuang leaves ๐ฟ weaving/ origami
Guess whatโโ๏ธ
For Mah Meri ๐น๐บ females ๐ญ to get married๐ฐ๐ป๐ฐ๐ป, they must good ๐๐ป at weaving. Ha…Ha…An interesting fact learnt๐
Accordingly, most of the Mah Meri ๐น๐บ females ๐ญ are well known ๐๐ป with their impressive weaving skills. It was once said & believed that Mah Meri ๐น๐บleaf ๐ฟ๐ origami to be the oldest in the world ๐บ ๐ Wowโผ๏ธ
SiennyLovesDrawing ๐ฉ๐ป loves ๐ her head gear received from Mah Meri ๐น๐บ people as welcoming gift ๐ which was folded with the palm leavesย ๐ฟ๐ฟย upon her entering to the village ๐๐ก
Among the weaving designs are spirit flowers๐ผ๐ป๐, birds ๐ฆ๐ฆ etc., objects of adornments e.g. head gears, belts etc. to be worn for celebration ๐ ๐ , jewelleries, purses๐๐, baskets etc.
The young fronds of the palm leaves are intricately to be folded to make offerings & ornaments for the ritual ๐๐ป ceremonies of the Mah Meri ๐บ๐น people ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ
Ari Muyang
On an annual basis, Mah Meri ๐น๐บpeople ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ซ will gather together at the Spirit House ๐ in their village named Rumah Muyang to celebrate its Spirit & Ancestor Festival ๐๐ named Ari Muyang Festival around mid March ๐๐คฉ
Ari Muyang Festival ๐๐ is celebrating for 3๏ธโฃ days with aims to seek protection, to appease the spirit guardians & to offer prayers ๐๐ป to honour their ancestorsโบ๏ธ
She was told that during the festival ๐๐ceremony, the spirit mediums or known as “dukun” will enter into a state of trance ~ an inhabited by a muyang’s spirit. The “dukun” will bless the Mah Meri ๐น๐บ people ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ซ by smearing their foreheads & forearms with rice ๐ powder mixed with flowers ๐ ๐ผ๐ป & leaves ๐ฟ๐๐ฑ
Then, Mayin Jo’oh dance ๐๐ป will be performed to inviting the muyang to join in this festive celebration ๐๐
SiennyLovesDrawing ๐ฉ๐ป wishes to celebrate this mentioned Ari Muyang Festival ๐๐ with the Mah Meri ๐น๐บ peopleย ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ in the near future then ๐
A great ๐๐ป๐ย cultural learning day at Carey Island ๐คโต๏ธ๐๐ย of Selangor, Malaysia ๐ฒ๐พ with media ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ team ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ซ of Rentak Selangor 2018
Website:ย http://mmcv.org.my/
FB:ย https://www.facebook.com/www.mmcv.org.my/
Do invite SiennyLovesDrawing again, just can’t wait to be in forย Rentak Selangor 2019 ya
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