November 2014

201411_STE-048
NAM is angry because she doesn't know how to play the flute. EPK starts the story. three siblings move camps. By the path they dig for tubers, because they don't have any rice. They carry on moving, they eat at the camp. They make a big lean-to. They want to fish, the younger sisters want to go fishing, but the older one warns them not to go fishing downriver, but to go upriver, because there is a tiger downriver who will eat them. They go fishing anyway. Tiger gets them. Brother kills tiger. Then he goes away. He stays with Malays. Tells the kids not to go to the river because of hot rain. He goes to sleep. But the kids go to the river. But a crocodile bites one of them. They wake him up. They tell him what has happened. He tells the crocodile to give back the child but he won't. They argue. He climbs up a tree, and throws down a chicken. This doesn't work. He is a shaman so he can walk into the water. He gets to the Malay child. He attaches a fish hook. They pull on the line, the crocodile reaches the surface. They open up the crocodile, they take the dead child out of the stomach. They tell him to reawaken him from the dead. He does. He stays with them. They make sleeping mats. They give to him. He moves camp, goes back to Batek. He eats with the Batek, he tells them that his sisters died. They are angry with him. They are eating tawɛs, he has a wife. He goes back to the house, he tells her to come and eat, and bring her mother. He is able to just jump to the top of the tree because he is a shaman.They all move camps. There is a lot more to the story but he finished here. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/26/9
201411_STE-049
adds that when Pankɔl is at the top of the tree he plays the flute. Reiterates that he is able to jump to the top of the tree because he is a shaman. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/26/10
201411_STE-050
tries to remember an easy story for me. Background noise of music on phones. Noise from TV. He decides on story of sarɔt. They go to dig for kənsey, the dig, they dig, they are two women, then he has some problems remembering, the women are laughing, the sarɔt arrives and laughs, the women are afraid, (he says he doesn't want to say because the story is bad). This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/26/11
201411_STE-051
they want to make cloth from tree bark, they pound it, they hear the sound of them making it, the next day breaks, they want to go back for the monkey they heard, they head for the tree, they go to the forest, they knock over their house, he goes to look for his wife, he looks for his wife for a long time, they come back (he is getting confused about the story). This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/26/12
201411_STE-052
ETM telling a story while EPK is playing the flute. I think they are telling about the origins of rice. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/26/13
201411_STE-053
says that Gob was burning the grass, and the Batek ran into the forest, and became Batek. Malays ran to the river and became Malays. Says that Tahaɲ river is red because it is the blood of the water monitor. It is an 'original' river. Because Malays were gutting water monitor there. Tells me that Malays say Batek are 'orang haram'. He tells me that Batek asal were the first to play. Then begins to tell a story. A family move camps, the grandmother is very old. They get to lots of rocks. They go up the Tahaɲ river. They get to batuɁ badən, they leave the grandmother there. He tells about the origins of leeches: a shaman sprinkled fruits around they became leeches. Tells about Batu Keniam: it was the house of a family. They make a house, they go to wash, a kawaw stɨsɛt is making his blowdarts, watches them make the house, he sees the house is getting towards the sky, he calls out "sɛt", he sits on top, and the house becomes small again. They wash their clothes at a place in Kelantan, that becomes a rock as well. Their house is at Gunung Tahan. Then they start talking about the Christians who came, and how this is before even the Batek origins stories. This is also confused with stories of us being descended from monkeys. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/27/1
201411_STE-054
talks about lawac, bawac/jilew/dəkɛn. I ask who told him, he said Batek halaɁ. Tells me about the missionaries who have been praying there. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/27/2
201411_STE-055
talks about how Batek became black-skinned. Then he remembers about when missionaries came, apparently they knew Batek stories. They talk about the missionary called Bob, who apparently plans to go to Was Yoŋ, and give them stuff. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/27/3
201411_STE-056
mouth harp playing This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/28/1
201411_STE-057
mouth harp playing, people chatting at the same time. People playing with the mouth harps bought by AR from England. CGP and NAM are teasing. Laughing at silly sounds. People messing around. NBP is annoyed because she doesn't like the sound. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/28/2
201411_STE-058
n/a This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/28/3
201411_STE-059
does sayap taɁɨc. NID asks who made my mouth harp. This recording is also held by the British Library, ID C1773/29