The Tampun Juah Site Sheds Light on the Past of the Dayak People and their Cultural Identity : Mualang origins trace back to Tampun Juah (2)

Historic Dayak site, Tampun Juah, West Kalimantan. Photo credit: Greg Sabinus.

BORNEOTRAVEL - NOYAN: Dionisius Meligun, a Catholic priest from Mualang serving at the Noyan Parish, is widely recognized for his exceptional expertise and deep understanding of the history and significance of the Tampun Juah site.

With an impressive academic background, he earned the Lic.Th. degree in Theology from Rome and authored the book "Customary Marriage Law of the Mualang Dayak People". This work not only stands as a valuable intellectual contribution but also served as a gateway for the author to delve deeper into the legendary Tampun Juah site.

Priest Dionisius Meligun, expert on Tampun Juah history. Doc. DM.

Mualang origins trace back to Tampun Juah

More than 2,000 years ago, the lives of the people now known as the Mualang were closely tied to the legend of their origins from a place called Temawai/Temawang Tampun Juah. This fertile area was located in the upper reaches of the Sekayam River in Sanggau Kapuas Regency, specifically upstream of Segumon Village in Noyan District.

Read The Tampun Juah site sheds light on the past of the Dayak people and their cultural identity : The Dayak Did Not Come From Anywhere Else(1)

Tampun Juah was a meeting point and a hub for the Dayak peoples, who in the past are now referred to as the Ibanic group. Before settling in Tampun Juah, the Pangau Banyau community lived scattered in areas near Mount Kujau and Mount Ayau, approximately in the Kapuas Hulu region. 

They later migrated to places such as Air Berurung, Balai Bidai, Tinting Lalang Kuning, and finally Tampun Juah. During their migrations, some of them possibly split off and formed other tribes or groups. Tampun Juah became their final settlement, where they thrived and reached a golden age, living in thirty longhouses (traditional stilt houses) with thirty main doors. They lived peacefully, harmoniously, and safely.

Tampun Juah signifies irreversible historical prohibition

The name Tampun Juah itself derives from two words, Tampun and Juah, related to a historical event marking an ultimate prohibition that must never be repeated. Tampun refers to the execution of two severe offenders whose actions could not be tolerated. 

The execution involved laying one person flat on their back and the other face down on top of them. A sharpened bamboo spear was driven into the back of the one lying face down, and both were then cast into the river.

The crime in question stemmed from their involvement in a forbidden (mali) marriage—a union between first cousins (mandal). 

The man was named Juah, and the woman was named Lemay. The execution was carried out by a person named Lujun (the executioner) during the leadership of Guntur Bedendam Lam Sepagi/Jempa.

-- Masri Sareb Putra