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Adrianus Singsang: Guardian of Dayak customary law
JP/Markus MardiusHe is not your average man
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JP/Markus Mardius
He is not your average man. Adrianus Singsang has been a customary chief and shaman of the Dayak Pergung community in Ketapang regency in West Kalimantan for the past 22 years.
For generations the Dayak Pergung, some 300 homes located 203 kilometers or five hours' drive to the south of the capital Pontianak, have believed in the role of customary chiefs in upholding justice.
The 43-year-old said that since he was appointed as the customary chief, he had resolved countless cases, ranging from marriage and infidelity to homicide and land conflicts.
'I learned customary law from my late father and the village elders,' said the father of two.
His specialized work, he added, made him prone to witchcraft from his rivals. Often, he said his home would be surrounded by thousands of centipedes, spiders, ants and scorpions believed to have been 'sent' by his rivals in order to put a stop to the implementation of the customary law.
'For me, finding strange things creeping on my house walls is no longer surprising. It has always happened since I was appointed as customary chief, shaman and patinggi [top official] to defend those in need of justice,' Adrianus says.
He said the losers in disputes or conflicts had to pay customary fines, which comprise ancient clay plates at prices starting from Rp 200,000 (US$16.90) depending on the case.
Ancient plates and earthen jars are considered as sacred items of heritage in the community. In each of the households, the plates and tajau (earthen jars) have been kept for generations.
'Reselling ancient goods is strictly forbidden. Misfortune or disaster may happen, such as harvest failure for years,' Adrianus says.
Marriage can often cause problems. Citing as an example, he said when a girl wants to marry her grandfather ' something strictly forbidden in all religions and laws everywhere ' and the family agrees then it must be conducted.
'In that case, the customary chief must consider and decide on the total number of customary-law fines to be imposed,' he says.
Rituals, such as bathing pigs and preparing dog blood to dispose of misfortune, prevent problems for the offspring and get rid of evil spirits must be conducted.
And the whole process leading to the formal marriage might take at least two years to complete, he added.
'Why does it take at least two years to complete? It's in the hope that the prospective bride and groom rethink their intentions,' Adrianus says.
If the couple decided to go ahead with their plan, he said they would have to pay the fines, which include eight real ' 1 real is equal to two ancient plates; eight pigs, 14 chickens and other fines amounting to around Rp 85 million.
Marriage is just one of the affairs he has to take care of. In dealing with customary land conflicts, strong evidence and witnesses play crucial factors.
He said that in many cases he had to work hard to be fair and find the best solution possible.
'Apart from being a customary chief, as a shaman I also have to ward off any evil spirit before dealing with any customary-law dispute,' said Adrianus, showing his talisman tied around his waist as well as his knight's bracelet on his right hand.
'Those who lose and refuse to accept the decision often try to cast magic on me by hiring another shaman. Praise the Lord, I have been okay,' he says.
Those who lose land disputes have to pay up to 40 real worth of ancient plates, four ancient earthen jars (each of 30 liters), two pieces of nyabur (traditional blades) and four large gongs ' worth some Rp 180 million.
'I never earn any money from the conflicting parties. I'm doing this out of my devotion, dedication, and I am happy to do it,' Adrianus says.
Markus MardiuS
