The Headhunters of Borneo: A Bedtime Tale 'bout the Dayak in the Olden Days

As a "bedtime story," this book is quite entertaining. However, as a scholarly work, it lacks a strong foundation. 

The author relies heavily on imagination and views the Dayak people from a Western perspective. The Headhunters of Borneo served as an initial source shaping misconceptions and stereotypes about the Dayak as a headhunting tribe.

While presenting some accurate information, the book also contains numerous errors and oversimplifications. Its focus on headhunting practices has greatly influenced misguided perceptions of the Dayak among outsiders.

Fails to depict Dayak life

This perspective fails to reflect the complex life and culture of the Dayak people. They possess a rich and diverse cultural heritage, with traditions, beliefs, and practices far more complex than portrayed in the book.

Therefore, it's crucial to critically examine information about the Dayak while respecting the diversity and complexity of their culture.

With further ethnographic research and a more accurate understanding of the tribes in Kalimantan, including the Dayak, we can move beyond stereotypes and grasp the nuances of their life and culture better.

The book portrays the indigenous inhabitants of Kalimantan, their traditional accommodations, and distinctive attire from a Western perspective. Consequently, it perpetuates the perception that Kalimantan is inhabited by headhunting tribes and scantily clad women.

This work stands as an early literary piece about Kalimantan, an island rich in culture and history. Over 100 years after its publication, it remains a topic of discussion, providing insight into the European view of Kalimantan at the time, influenced by exoticism and curiosity about the mysterious and unknown.

Accompanied by 30 illustrations depicting the visual nuances of local life, everyday attire, types of accommodations, and overall lifestyle, the book provides a clearer picture of the cultural diversity and lifestyles of the Kalimantan tribes at the time.

Provoking but naive

In 1879, explorer Carl Bock, at the request of His Excellency Van Lansberge, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, ventured into the interior of Southeast Kalimantan. 

In 1881, Bock published his sensational observations from his journey from Tangaroeng to Bandjermasin, a distance of over 700 miles.

His report included findings of cannibalism practices among the Dayak tribes and his quest to find tailless men, a story he had heard. Later, it turned out that indeed there were tailless men in Kalimantan, but not behind, rather in front, just like Western men.

Bock's thoughts not only make us feel uneasy but also naive.

Carl Alfred Bock (1849-1932) was born in Denmark to Norwegian parents. At the age of 19, he decided to pursue a career in natural history and headed to London.

In August 1878, during his first specimen-collecting journey for the Zoological Society in London, he found himself aboard a Dutch steamship bound for Batavia to Padang. 

Shortly after, he was tasked with exploring the interior of Southeast Kalimantan, and his findings were immortalized in the book "The Headhunters of Borneo." The valuable information he brought back from his adventures provided new insights into Kalimantan that had never been revealed before.

Misleading yet impactful

This book had a significant impact on perceptions of the Dayak tribe. Due to the limitations of literacy and writing skills at the time, Bock became one of the main sources of information about the Kalimantan tribes, especially the Dayak. In his book, Bock described the typical headhunting practices of the Dayak.

However, the book constructed an unbalanced image of the Dayak tribe. While some aspects described by Bock were accurate, many depictions in the book were erroneous.

Bock only had limited knowledge of one of the five headhunting myths in Dayak culture, as later researched by Lontaan (1975) and Masri (2010). The limitations of information and context in his time led to inaccurate portrayals.

Criticism of this book is that while it has historical and ethnographic value, it does not provide a fully accurate portrayal of the life and culture of the Dayak tribe. 

As research advances and deeper understanding of Dayak culture emerges, the interpretation of information in this book also needs to be critically evaluated.

The Headhunters of Borneo may be considered a bedtime story or an entertaining narrative. However, as a scholarly work presenting accurate and in-depth facts about the Dayak tribe, this book shows significant weaknesses. Although it has historical value as a record of its time, it lacks a profound understanding of the life and culture of the Dayak tribe.

Subjective views of a foreign author

This work reflects the perspective of a Western author attempting to articulate his experiences and observations with a different cultural background and perspective. 

The limited information and narrow perceptions of that time caused this book to portray the Dayak tribe in a highly simplified and possibly inaccurate manner.

It's important to always critically evaluate works like this. This book is more suitable as fiction or entertainment depicting how European perceptions of non-European cultures can be distorted.

To understand the culture and life of tribes like the Dayak more deeply and accurately, we must rely on more contemporary ethnographic research and literature based on a better understanding.

Therefore: Dayak people should write from their own perspective!

-- Rangkaya Bada