Singing Siram Ditaan: Composition, Performance and Transmission of Epic Tales of Derato in Brunei Dusun Society

Table of Contents

• Foreword

• Acknowledgments

• Table of Contents

• List of Diagrams

• List of Maps

• List of Tables

• List of Photographs

• List of Abbreviations

• Preface

• Preamble

• Research Setting

• Written Materials on Siram

• On Verbal Arts and Oral Performance

• Challenges in Handling Brunei Oral Materials

PART ONE: SIRAM DITAAN AND DUSUN ETHNOGRAPHY

Chapter 1 Dusun Oral Traditions: Repertoire of oral genres and siram ditaan

Chapter 2 Dusun Ethnicity, Social Organization and Rice Cultivation: From cultural practices to epic tales

Chapter 3 Myths of Origin of Rice and Temarok Beliefs: Backdrop to epic tales of derato

Chapter 4 Basa Balian, the Derato Language

PART TWO: SOCIAL CONTEXT, SIRAM PERFORMANCE AND TRANSMISSION

Chapter 5 Social Context of Siram Performance

Chapter 6

• Siram Performance, Buwa Siram and Audience

• The Siram Rhythm and Melody

• Buwa Siram—Lyrical Phrases in Siram Ditaan Narratives

• Personalizing the Buwa Siram

• Siram Ditaan as “Word Music”

• Siram Ditaan Audience

Chapter 7

• General Form of Siram Ditaan Narratives

• Siram-singing Structure

• Opening formula

• Utilization of Formulae in Siram Ditaan Narratives

• Closing formula

Chapter 8

• Siram Performers

• The Singers

• Recruitment, Training, Mentorship and Family Relations

• Social Roles, Obligations and Rewards

PART THREE: SIGNIFICANCE AND MEANINGS

Chapter 9

• The Significance of Story-telling in Kampong Ukong

• Siram Ditaan as Social Entertainment

• Siram Ditaan as Moral Teaching and Philosophical Reflection

• Siram Ditaan as Collective Memory: Tradition and (Dis)continuity

Chapter 10 Conclusion

• Siram Ditaan Today: A Reflection

References

LIST OF DIAGRAMS

Diagram 1: Categories of Dusun oral literature

Diagram 2: Architectural drawings of a typical Dusun alai gayo

Diagram 3: Dusun sub-division of cosmological spaces

Diagram 4: Kinship relations of siram singers from KampongUkong, Kampong Sungai Damit Pemadang, Kampong Rambai and Kampong Benutan

LIST OF MAPS

Map 1: Distribution of Dusun settlements in Brunei Darussalam

Map 2: Location of hamlets in Kampong Ukong

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Dusun place-names of traditional hamlets/alai gayo

Table 2: List of words from basa balian-derato, basa kadayan, modern Dusun, Malay and English

Table 3: Siram singer/balian’s multiple roles in Dusun society

LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Photo 1: Yaruh binti Guru singing a siram sindir to a group of elderly ladies; the lady in the middle is the target of sindir

Photo 2: Ruti binti Bandug with her collection of brass gongs

Photo 3: Alai gayo of Sungai Damit Pemadang (but demolished in 1988)

Photo 4: An existing alai gayo located in Kampong Sukang, Belait district

Photo 5: A performance of temarok berayo, a model of a mystical crocodile made of unhusked rice

Photo 6: Dangasih singing siram ditaan in 2011 with deteriorating memory of some of the siram narratives

Photo 7: A small dumbak drum (front and rear view)

Photo 8: Dangasih singing siram ditaan with a small dumbak drum in 2001