伊班人反抗日本侵略者，他們擁有的只是一身紋身和長矛

（英文來自國外雜誌）

The Bungai Terung, which translates to the eggplant Borneo flower, is the first tattoo an Iban individual would receive. The Bungai Terung is a tattoo which marks the Iban tradition known as Bejalai (a journey of knowledge and wisdom), where an individual would leave their longhouse to experience the world. The tattoo is located on the front of the shoulder (never the chest) to show where ones bag straps lie, to prepare the individual to carry the weight of their own world. passage of a person into adulthood. The Bungai Terung has a spiral at the center of the eggplant flower the Tali Nyawa, which means the rope of life and is identical to the underside of a tadpole which symbolizes the beginning of a new life.[citation needed]

伊班族人一生中的第一個紋身是一種花，這是他們傳統中對智慧的象徵。這個紋身一般位於肩膀前部承重的位置，象徵著肩負自己的世界，花蕊的螺旋象徵著生死輪迴，在他們新生的時候，用於指引他們。

All the tattoos, following the eggplant flower, are like a diary. A young male would go out on his own to find knowledge and from each place he went to he would get one tattoo to mark not only where he is from but also where he has been. From each place the tattoos have different styles so the regional differences in his tattoos would tell the story of his journeys in life.[citation needed]

這些紋身就像行走的筆記，年輕人背井離鄉學習知識，每到一個地方就會添一個紋身來證明自己的經歷。不同地區的紋身風格不同，這些差異正好講述了主人一生的經歷。

Borneo tattoos do not just mark physical journeys. Some represent big life events, such as fathering children etc. For example, there is a tattoo a man can have done on his hand called the Entegulun. You can only have this if you have taken heads. Most tattoos are for protection, for example the tattoos on the throat (pantang Rekong) are meant to give strength to the skin on the throat, to stop the bearer s enemies from being able to sever the bearer s head. Males and Females of high status would get the throat tattooed. It symbolizes an individual who is highly accomplished in a field of their life, e.g.; A warrior who has taken many heads, or a great Shaman, or a headman of a longhouse, or a great carver or artist, etc.[citation needed]The tattoos on the back (Ketam Itit/Ketupong) represent the back of the crab, the tattoos on the arms (Ketam Lengan)represent the arms of the crab. A crabs shell is a hard armor, which protects its wearer.

紋身不止證明他們身體所經歷的旅程，有些記錄著人生大事，比如榮升父親。舉個例子，有一種手部紋身只有斬殺過敵人的勇士才能獲得。絕大多數紋身像是護身符，比如喉部的紋身在他們看來會給這裡的肌膚增強力量，不會被敵人砍頭。貴族階層一般有資格獲得這樣的紋身，證明他們身居高位或者在某一領域很有成就：一個殺敵無數的戰士，大薩滿，酋長，或者藝術家，背部的紋身往往是蟹足，因為螃蟹身披重甲，能保護內臟。

Borneo tattooing today[edit]

Many of the designs no longer exist. In the 1950s and 1960s many people in Borneo converted to Christianityand a lot of the traditional tattooing stopped. The tattooing and designs almost died away. About 10 years ago there was a resurgence when a lot of journalists and researchers came and asked questions about the old ways. This caused a lot of the younger people to look back and now many of them are getting these traditional tattoos done again.[citation needed]

許多紋身如今已不復存在。上世紀五六十年代許多人轉投基督教，紋身習俗隨之消失。十年前有學者與記者前來探尋失落的紋身技術，使得年輕人重新開始習得那些傳統紋身。

Am I wearing this right?

There is a saying of, 「If it ain』t broke, don』t fix it」. The classic Bunga Terung design being just that: classic, might not warrant a makeover. However, the traditional Bunga Terung tattoo has such a deep meaning behind it; 1) One on each shoulder for the 『Berjalai』 journey to make you stronger to carry your travelling pack, 2) Protection, and 3) the centre coil to symbolise the transformation from a tadpole (young man) to maturity.

有句古話叫不破不立，這在經典的婆羅洲紋身這裡並不存在，他們堅持經典。這些紋身背後有深深的內涵：肩上的紋身使你強壯，能背負行囊；背上的是護甲，胸前的紋身象徵著男子漢的成長。

It is this profound relationship with a dying practise that it is better to preserve its status as an Iban tribal ritual antiquity than to have its importance diluted and misunderstood by being misused by today』s wearers. Tattoos are freely received and given out today in a contemporary society where self-expression in the form of body modification is part of a thriving industry. A very large majority of wearers will get a design based purely on aesthetics, and this unfortunately results in many instances of misapplication of tattoos; misinterpretation, wrong connotations, inappropriate location on the body, demeaning of tribal ritual tattoos and so forth (Christensen W., 2012) Most obvious of all, today』s wearers do not go on 『Berjalai』 journeys, and many seekers are not of Borneo origins, let alone Iban.

究竟應該把這些古老紋身請進學院和博物館加以保護，還是任由它經現代人改編或者誤解，二者之間的關係很是複雜。在現代社會紋身被看作一種改變自身外貌彰顯性格的手段。許多紋身的人從店裡獲得他們的圖案，然而很不幸的是這些圖案往往被誤用濫用，或者紋在不恰當的地方。最顯著的一點是，現代人不需要像古時候土著一樣背井離鄉，也和他們不是同一種族。

A picture of a young man who wanted to get a tattoo but was afraid of needles. Picture by Alfred Charlie. The wearer is Iban.

Remember, the Bunga Terung must be done in pairs, for balancing and protecting both sides of your body. That being said, you are free to do as you please… after all tattooing is about personal expression. This post is just a gentle reminder as to the original function and intention of the Bunga Terung.

花朵紋身必須成對出現，用以平衡身體，不過一切依然全憑自願…畢竟，紋身是個人自由。這裡提到僅僅是為了提示這一紋身最早的含義與原因。

As mentioned earlier in the blog, the Bunga Terung is a deviation of the Mata Aso. Here we will look at the components individually.

The Bunga Terung motif, drawn by Sonny Jumpo.

『Bunga』 is a Malay word for flower, and 『Terung』 is Malay for brinjal, or eggplant. Do note that the Iban language contains many words adopted from the Malay language.

這種花屬於茄科，寫法源自馬來語。

The eggplant flower. Photograph Juan Buitrago。The frog life cycle is significant to the Iban because of the connotation it has with the coming of age of a young man. This is represented by the coil, or 『Tali Nyawa』.

伊班族將青年的成長與娃的成長相比。

According to the diagram, on the 70th day from the frog』s existence as an egg, the tadpole would have begun sprout the beginnings of hind legs. This is drawn in comparison to the Iban custom of a young men going into the jungle alone for the first time to fulfill a certain task, most often, the hunt for the first kill. The phrase for this in Iban is 『Berjalai』, which means to walk. As the tadpole shows readiness to begin life on land, so is young man who is ready to walk into the world as a grown man. Before the young man embarks on his journey, he will receive two Bunga Terung, one on each shoulder. The Bunga Terung should never be worn as a single design. It must be in a pair to balance and to protect both sides of the body. It should also be noted that it is around this stage of a tadpole』s life cycle that the fully developed and pronounced intestinal coils can be seen through a transparent belly. 『Tali Nyawa』 directly refers to the coil, and translates as 『Rope of Life』.

根據記錄，蝌蚪自出生第70天起會開始長出前肢。一個伊班少年要獨自探尋雨林，甚至完成一次捕獵。這就是他們文化里的「學步」。當蝌蚪開始上陸時，少年也已經準備好步入更大的世界。在他踏上行程以前，兩肩上會得到兩個紋身。這種象徵蝌蚪成長的紋身必須成對以達到平衡，在土著語里，它的意思是生死輪迴。

Side, top and bottom view of a preserved tadpole specimen. Picture from the Municipality of Caldas, Novas, Goias, Brazil.

Significance of the Bunga Terung

The Bunga Terung, which translates to eggplant flower, is the first tattoo a Borneo male would receive. The Bunga Terung is a coming of age tattoo which marks the passage of a boy into manhood. The Bunga Terung has a spiral at the center of the eggplant flower, known as Tali Nyawa, which means the rope of life and is identical to the underside of a which symbolizes the beginning of a new life.

這種茄科花的紋身是當地人一生中的第一個紋身，隨著他長大成人。花朵中心的循環象徵著生命的輪迴，死而復生。

Did you know that Iban warriors back in the 40s fought against Japanese soldiers that came equipped with machine guns, armed with only tattoos and spears?All but one soldier came back alive.

在上世紀40年代，伊班人反抗手持步槍的日本侵略者，他們擁有的只有一身紋身和長矛。戰鬥到最後，只有一個戰士活著回來。

Image via Lars Krutak

The late Maung was an Iban warrior and tattoo artist

In 2002, American tattoo anthropologist Lars Krutak photographed an elderly Iban tattoo artist, Maung of the Skrang River in Sarawak.

2002年，美國攝影與紋身師在沙撈越州記錄了這位曾經的伊班勇士與紋身藝術家，貌。

Maung reportedly fought Japanese soldiers that were armed with heavy machine guns during the second world war and Japanese occupation in Malaya with nothing but his spears and charmed tattoos.

貌在二戰時曾經對抗裝備精良的日軍，當時日本已經佔領馬來西亞，而他們擁有的只是一根長矛。

The oldest surviving Iban tattoo artist from Skrang river claimed that all the tattoos that he hand-tapped were magical thanks to the meteorite that dips in all the tattooing inks he makes.

這位現存最年長的伊班人表示，這些他自己刻下的紋身使用了自己調製的墨水，因而有著非凡的魔力。

"They just went around and through me and I was never wounded," said Maung, as quoted by Lars Krutak.

「他們包圍了我，我卻毫髮無損。」

says.com

The word tattoo is said to have originated from the Tahitian word "tatu", which refers to the act of marking something.

紋身一詞最早來源於塔希提人，意思是留下記號。

The Ibans believe that their tattoos have protective powers in the form of charms that are given by antu (spirits) through dreams, when one is asleep.

伊班人相信，紋身在他們的睡夢裡會向神靈尋求庇護，以為自己帶來力量。

Image via Bamboo Travel

Ibans without tattoos are said to be virtually invisible to gods, as the spirits attached to these tattoos allow the men to be seen by their gods.

身上沒有紋身的伊班人被認為是不受神明庇佑的，因為神明通過紋身與人間達成精神上的溝通。

Krutak says that about 500 years ago, the art of tattooing was practised widely by approximately 1,000 indigenous tribes all around the world, but over the years most of these ancient tribes have vanished.

約500年前，全世界約有1000個不同的部族流傳著各不相同的紋身技藝，但是這些年來絕大多數已經失傳。

says.com

An enlightening documentary by Canadian tattoo artist Thomas Lockhart, and writer cum historian Vince Hemingson, shed light on the fascinating world of the vanishing art of traditional Iban tattooing

加拿大紋身藝術家托馬斯洛克哈德專註於失落的紋身藝術，他意識到伊班族的紋身是一個神奇的世界。

Image via Vancouver Courier

Thomas Lockhart, renowned Canadian tattoo artist

Image via Flickr/Arup Kamal

Simon David of Borneo Ink

Image via Flickr/Arup Kamal

Eddie David of Borneo Ink

Both Tom and Vince go on an interesting journey to discover ancient Iban tattoos along with prominent tattoo artists, brothers, Eddie and Sam David of Borneo Ink.

湯姆和文斯，以及另一對同為紋身藝術家的兄弟踏上了尋找失落伊班紋身藝術的神秘旅程。

Along the way, they speak about how tattoos were viewed as "primitive and a mark of a savage" by urbanites.

一路上他們討論這「紋身是野蠻人的象徵」這一論題。

The David brothers are of Iban descent but grew up in Kuala Lumpur and set up their own tattoo parlour, Borneo Ink in the country s capital in 1996. Borneo Ink happens to be one of the very few places in the country that still offers the art of traditional hand-tapped tattoo.

大衛兄弟原本是伊班族裔，在別處長大。他們在當地開了一家紋身店，也是全世界為數不多能夠提供原始紋身的地方。

says.com

Here are some interesting things about the intriguing world of traditional Iban tattooing:

傳統伊班紋身有這些神奇之處：

Image via Robinson Mike

1. Traditional Iban tattooing practice is deeply associated with headhunting and is synonymous with the coming-of-age ceremony for men, bejalai

1.傳統伊班紋身與獵頭有著很深淵源，也往往是人生階段劃分的象徵。

Image via Scribol

Iban Dayak headhunting warriors

2. The Iban community believe that the traditional hand-tapped tattoos have the ability to intimidate evil spirit and is a language on its own

伊班族任務傳統紋身能夠驅趕邪靈，甚至自己會說話。

Image via Borneo Adventure

3. One of the most fascinating things about traditional Iban tattoos, lies in the process and its tools. It is said that a hand-tapped tattoo can last and look its best even after years of being exposed to harsh weather conditions.

3．關於伊班傳統紋身最神奇的一點在於使用的工具。據說在最嚴苛的氣候條件下，這種手繪紋身仍然能在多年後毫不褪色。

Image via Smithsonian Insider

4. The most basic type of Iban tattoo is thebunga terung design. It is usually the first tattoo that a man gets before going on hisbejalai or coming-of-age ceremony.

最基礎的伊班紋身就是茄科花紋身，通常是少年第一次遠行之前所獲得的。

Image via Mother Of Destruction

5. Each tattoo s design and placement refers to a particular meaning and significance. A tattoo on the back of a man is said to protect the wearer from having his head cut off.

5.每個紋身圖案和位置都有具體含義。背上的紋身可以保護主人不會被砍頭。

Image via Seth 1123

Iban Tattoo backpiece

Image via t4ttoozdesigns

6. It is not only the men who customarily get tattoos in the Iban community. Traditionally, Iban women s tattoos are associated with weaving ceremonial garments that are used to hold freshly severed heads from headhunting trips.

伊班族無論男女都會紋身。傳統上講，婦女的紋身與紡織和慶典有關，也有些用於記錄捕獵的過程。

Traditional tattoos are a significant part of the world s rich history.

Image via Youtube/Selva Store

Over the past few decades, tattoos have gained a great deal of popularity in the world and it is no longer exclusive to indigenous tribes.

過去幾十年，紋身在全世界流行開來，再也不是部落的標誌。

The intricate body art has become a common sight, with people from all walks of life donning it according to their preferences.

這種神奇的皮膚藝術成為普遍的存在，不論是誰都可以根據喜好進行選擇。

Unfortunately, since tattoos have a history of being associated with gangs and criminal activities, negative perceptions about people with tattoos have developed over the years. Surveys and research reveal that people with visible tattoos have lesser chances of attaining a job.

然而，由於紋身曾經一度成為幫派與最罪犯的象徵，調查研究表明帶有紋身的人往往更難找到工作。

However, thanks to more democratic workplaces and better awareness about tattoos, people are starting to become more accepting towards the idea of tattoos and that it is merely a form of body art that has nothing to do with a person s personality and abilities.

不過，社會越來越開明，對紋身更加包容，人們可以擁有更多的選擇，不論是不是要紋身。紋身成為了對身體進行的裝飾而不再具有更多象徵意義。

With tattoos gaining popularity among the masses, more people are also opting for the traditional designs. Is it offensive for non-Ibans to get traditional tattoos or even alter them?

隨著紋身在大眾中變得更加流行，越來越多人選擇了傳統紋身。對於那些不是伊班族的人來說，這種做發究竟是不是一種冒犯呢？

Image via The Malay Mail Online

Sabahan tattoo artist, Carlos Benny Majakil at work

Traditional Iban tattoos are considered as sacred symbols that connect the community to their gods and protect them from evil spirits. Ibans receive the tattoos as rewards and as an illustration of their journey in life.

傳統伊班紋身是一種神聖的符號，用於溝通神靈，遠離邪惡。伊班人在一生中會獲得多個紋身。

Since these symbolisations make it an integral part of the Iban culture and tradition, it may be deemed offensive for people from other communities to get these traditional tattoos without understanding its significance.

鑒於紋身在傳統文化里對伊班人的重要程度，其他族群的人不加了解選擇這些紋身可能會被視作一種冒犯。

It can also be seen as cultural appropriation which is defined as taking or adopting another community s traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, intellectual property. This includes a particular culture s dance, music, sacred objects, cuisine, medicine and religious symbols.

同樣地，這種行為可以被看作文化融合與交流，從其他民族傳統文化中吸取特徵，包括舞蹈，音樂，聖物，飲食，醫藥，或者其他宗教象徵。

Cultural appropriation can be seen as a form of oppression on minority cultures as it has the possibility to alter and strip a community s age old traditions and cultures.

文化交流同樣可以理解為主流文化對小眾的壓迫，有可能摧毀一個部族古老的文化傳統。

However, the Iban community has been known to be warm and generous with sharing their traditions and culture

不過，伊班族親切而友好，樂於分享與交流他們的傳統和文化。

Image via rahmangusdur

With tattoo parlours like the Borneo Ink and Borneo Headhunters Tattoo and Piercing Studio opening their doors and offering their services that include traditional Iban tattoos, it is proven that it is acceptable for non-Ibans to get the traditional tattoos.

隨著傳統紋身店的發展，傳統紋身得到了更好的傳播，其中也包括伊班族的，因此不難證明，即使不是伊班族人也可以選擇他們的傳統紋身。

While it is entirely possible for it to still be offensive to some, non-Ibans that are interested in the tribe s traditional tattoos can read up on it beforehand to better understand the meaning and significance attached to specific designs.

即便一切變得更加開放，對於那些極度珍視部落傳統的人來說，這樣的紋身依然會被視作一種挑戰。因此，紋身愛好者需要注意的是，更好的理解伊班文化，迴避那些會帶來爭議的特殊符號。

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