-

-

The miring ceremony uses trays with four levels of application:

1. A minimum of three trays, representing a basic miring often conducted in daily life, particularly when experiencing bad dreams or before opening a rice field.

2. Five trays are used for building and establishing a longhouse, the Iban community's traditional dwelling.

3. Seven trays are typically for more serious purposes, such as before embarking on a long journey or a trip with critical matters.

4. Nine trays are specifically reserved for warfare.

The items for the miring ceremony include white glutinous rice, black glutinous rice, plain rice, compressed rice, chicken, pig, tuak (rice wine), sagun, apong/nipah leaf cigarettes, tobacco, cooked eggs, betel leaf, areca nut, salt, and cooking oil. These items are placed in trays and accompanied by the recitation of mantras. For miring ceremonies involving five trays or more, a pig must be included as an offering.

The ceremony begins with the sacrifice of a pig and a chicken. Before the sacrifice, the chicken is usually waved over the guests or honorees. The blood and feathers of the chicken are required to complete the ritual. The honoree pours half of the tuak into several glasses as an offering, while the other half is consumed.

A ritual expert called lemambang conducts the bebiau ceremony, summoning deities and inviting spirits of Panggau Libau to the event. A chicken is used for miau piring, where it is slaughtered, and its blood is applied to the palms using feathers to symbolize the recipient’s openness to receiving blessings from Petara. The blood-soaked feathers are placed on a prepared tray for the ceremony. The Iban believe that the chicken is a primary spiritual shield.

The miring ceremony is of great importance to the Iban, and every procedure in this ritual is believed to be decreed by Petara (deity), not determined by personal will. Only those knowledgeable about the ritual are qualified to conduct it. Therefore, the Iban do not perform the miring ritual without a significant and valid reason, as each act in the ritual serves a specific purpose.

The ranyai tree is decorated by hanging fruits and offerings of food and drink for the ngajat dancers as gifts while they dance around the tree. Coconuts are often hung as symbols of enemy heads. Male dancers symbolically "decapitate" the enemies represented by the coconuts.

The Iban's life, deeply rooted in ancestral beliefs, highlights the importance of mystical elements, which are revered and upheld in both regular and festival miring ceremonies. These mystical forces shape their daily practices and behaviors, instilling a need for frequent miring rituals. The intense fear and anxiety within the Iban psyche give these supernatural forces a powerful influence over their daily lives. Thus, miring rituals are essential for resolving problems and appeasing these forces.

It is clear that all misfortunes are addressed through the miring ritual, seeking forgiveness and pardon from the supernatural powers. The Piring Ampun ritual is performed for any wrongdoing that might anger Petara, in order to prevent disasters such as landslides, epidemics, droughts, death, or misfortune from befalling the individual at fault. At the same time, the miring ritual seeks blessings, permission, social harmony, and all necessary goodness for the Iban community. It is hoped that the well-being of the Iban people can be further enhanced through miring rituals to gain help and protection from supernatural forces. In essence, the miring ritual is a vital necessity for the Iban, who continue to uphold their ancestral beliefs.

-