Um guerreiro "Murut" em Nova Iorque

Bornéu - guerreiro "Murut"

Os "Murut" são uma tribo indígena do Norte do Bornéu. De pele morena e feições bonitas, apresentam traços de ancendência mongol. São hoje um povo afável que gosta de nos receber na sua aldeia. Honram-nos com danças guerreiras e com a sua culinária ao mesmo tempo que nos contam histórias dos seus antepassados, os famosos caçadores-de-cabeças do Bornéu. Pagãos, acreditam que os espíritos dos seus antepassados habitam nos cumes do Monte Kinabalu, enquanto que os espíritos dos adversários, mortos em combate, vagueiam nas entranhas das densas florestas.

No livro que tanto gostei "Land Below the Wind", de Agnes Keith, recordo o relato, da viagem a Nova Iorque, de Saudin - guerreiro "Murut" caçador-de cabeças - que Keith transcreveu com muito humor:

New York - Times Square

(...) So we entered into America and went to a very great village with a thousand thousand lights. It was night when we arrived, but when I looked up the sky above the village it was very bright and red and sparkling and there was light everywhere. And I said,"Is this morning?" And they said, "No, this is New York!"(...)

(...) Do you like New York? What do you like the best?" And I said, "Yes, I like New York, and I like best the red electric lights signs that run like streams of fire, and the lights that chase each other around like small animals."(...)

(...) One day I was walking and I came to a large place with many horses in it. (...) So I entered and saw large and wonderful horses, and handsome men with beautiful colored uniforms. They played music and the horses danced the music. I think horses in New York are smarter than are the policeman in my country. (...)

New York - Empire State Building

(...)The buildings were very tall. Sometimes I had to go up and down in what men call an elevator. This is a little room that you get into, and very suddenly it goes up. And when it stops your stomach does not stop. But when it goes down you feel that everything has gone out of you. I was always afraid in it, but said nothing, because I though men would say, "He is just a jungle men!"(...)

(...) I went also to see boxing and wrestling. Boxing is all right, but wrestling is too rough. In my country we do not act like that unless we wish to kill men.(...)

in "Land Below the Wind" de Agnes N. Keith - Fotogr: CRV