BIDAYUH TRADITIONAL COSTUME
 
By
 
Jonas Noeb, Henry Langgie and Gerald Gilbert Oscar Sindon*
 
 
Introduction
 
People wear clothes for three basic purposes, i.e. protection, communication and decoration.  The attire of the early Bidayuh was made of the soft inner bark of a tree called boyuh.  Other accessories like bangles and girdles were made from certain parts of plants found in the jungle.  Amulets and charms were also worn for good luck and protection against evil spirits.
The jungle of Borneo, to the early Bidayuh, was their ?Garden of Eden?.  They obtained most of their daily needs from the jungle.  They hunted in the jungle.  They cleared the jungle for farming.  This is a sort of attraction towards the event a reflection of their close relationship with the jungle and its inhabitants.  This is an adaptive strategy or a strategy of survival.
 
 
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# Paper presented at the Bidayuh Traditional Music, Songs, Dance and Costume Workshop held at Museum Tun Razak, Kuching on 16 - 17 May 1998.

* Mr. Jonas Noeb is a Headmaster of SRB St. Teresa, Serian.  Mr. Henry Langgie (BBS) is an Agency Manager of Arab-Malaysian Insurance, Kuching.  Mr. Gerald Gilber Oscar Sindon is a schoolteacher.

Received on November 16, 1999.
Published on the Internet by courtesy of Mr. Ahi Sarok (January 05, 2000)
Re-Published for bidayuh dotcom by courtesy of  Mr. Ahi Sarok (May 03, 2000)

Citation:
Noeb, J., H. Langgie and G. G. O. Sindon. 1998. Bidayuh Traditional Costume. Paper presented at the Bidayuh Traditional Music, Songs, Dance and Costume Workshop held at Museum Tun Razak, Kuching on 16 - 17 May 1998. 10p. (http://www.geocities.com/dayung_biatah/bidcostum.html)

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