The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

82 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap.
renders him assistance and service, and shares his
fortunes [Fidus Achates in short) ;
him he addresses
as Bakis, and the title is used reciprocally. A title
reciprocally used by those who are very dear friends,
especially by those who have enjoyed the favours of
the same fair one, is Toyong (or among the Sea
Dayaks
—
Imprian).
This list includes all the important Kayan terms
used to denote personal relations and kinship, so far
as we know ; and we think it very improbable that
any have escaped us. There seem to be no secret
names, except in so far as names discarded on
account of misfortune are not willingly recalled or
communicated ; but a child's name is seldom used,
and adults also seem to avoid calling on one another
by their proper names, especially when in the
jungle, the title alone, such as Oyong or Aban being
commonly used ; apparently owing to some vaguely
conceived risk of directing to the individual named
the attentions of malevolent powers.^
The foregoing account of the social organisation
of the Kayans applies equally well to the Kenyahs,
except that some of the titles used are different.
The Klemantans and Muruts, too, present few
important differences except that the power of the
chiefs is decidedly less, and the distinction of the
social strata less clearly marked, and slaves are less
numerous. The Sea Dayak social organisation is
also similar in most of its features. The most
important of the differences presented by it are the
following :— Polygamy is not allowed, and occurs
only illicitly. Both parties are fined when the facts
are discovered. Divorce is very common and
^ We append to this chapter a table showing the names and degrees of
kinship of all the inhabitants of one Kenyah long house. At the suggestion of
Dr. W. H. R. Rivers, who has found this method of great value in disentangling
the complicated kinship systems of some Melanesian and Papuan and other
peoples, we have collected similar information regarding Kayan, Sea Dayak,
Klemantan, and Murut villages. But in no case does the table discover any
trace of any elaborate kinship system.