<![CDATA[The Ngayau tradition of the Dayak community is often associated with headhunting practices, resulting in a limited understanding of its broader cultural significance. Previous studies on the novel Ngayau have mainly focused on cultural forms and local wisdom, while the representation of Ngayau as a cultural system remains underexplored. This study aims to analyze the representation of the Ngayau tradition in R. Masri Sareb Putra and M.S. Gumelar’s novel Ngayau from a literary anthropology perspective. The study employed a descriptive qualitative method using documentary techniques. Data were collected from the novel and analyzed through Miles and Huberman’s interactive model based on Koentjaraningrat’s cultural framework, consisting of ideas, activities, and cultural artifacts. The findings reveal that Ngayau is represented through three interconnected cultural dimensions. The dimension of ideas is reflected in the perspectives of Macatn Gaikng, Lansau, and Kek Longa. The dimension of activities includes reconnaissance, attack planning, troop preparation, circulation of the red bowl, the implementation of Ngayau, and the establishment of Betang and Gawai celebrations. The dimension of cultural artifacts is represented through various traditional objects and cultural products. These findings demonstrate that the novel constructs Ngayau as a comprehensive cultural system encompassing ideology, social practices, and material culture.]]>
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