The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

THE SOCIAL SYSTEM 83
easily obtained ; the marriage relation, being surrounded
with much less solemnity, is more easily
entered into and dissolved. Infidelity and mutual
agreement are the common occasions of divorce.
Either party can readily secure his or her freedom
by payment of a small fine. There are both men
and women who have married many times ; a tenth
husband or wife is not unknown ; and a marriage may
be dissolved within a week of its consummation.
The Sea Dayak, like all the other peoples, regards
incest very seriously, and the forbidden degrees of
kinship are well understood and very similar to
those of Kayans.
A Sea Dayak village consists in almost every
case of a single house, bat such houses are generally
grouped within easy reach of one another. Very
few slaves are to be found in their houses, since the
I bans usually take the heads of all their conquered
enemies rather than make slaves of them.
Inheritance of Property
At a man's death his property is divided between
his widow and children. But in order to prevent
the disputes, which often arise over the division of
inheritance, an old man may divide his property
before his death. The widow becomes the head of
the room, though a married son or daughter or
several unmarried children may share it with her.
She inherits all or most of the household utensils.
Such things as gongs and other brass ware,
weapons, war-coats, and boats, are divided equally
among the sons, the eldest perhaps getting a little
more than the others. The girls divide the old
beads, cloth, bead-boxes, and various trifles. The
male slaves go to the sons, the female slaves to the
daughters. Bird's nest caves and bee trees might
be divided or shared among all the children.