Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917Lumholtz, Carl
History
Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917
Lumholtz, Carl
Borneo -- Description and travel; Ethnology -- Borneo; Natural history -- Borneo
Among the aborigines of Borneo whom I visited, with the possible exception
of the Punan nomads, the belief in evil spirits and in good ones that
counteract them, both called antoh, is universal, and to some extent has
been adopted by the Malays. Though various tribes have their own
designations (in the Duhoi (Ot-Danum) ùntu; Katingan, talúm; Kapuas,
telún; Kahayan, kambae), still the name antoh is recognised throughout
Dutch Borneo. Apprehension of evil being predominant in human minds, the
word is enough to cause a shudder even to some Malays. There are many
kinds of both evil and good antohs; some are male, some female, and they
are invisible, like the wind, but have power to manifest themselves when
they desire to do so. Though sometimes appearing as an animal or bird, an
antoh usually assumes the shape of a man, though much larger than an
ordinary human being. Caves in the mountains are favourite haunts of evil
antohs. In the great rivers, like the Barito and the Katingan, are many of
huge size, larger than those in the mountains. Trees, animals, and even
all lifeless objects, are possessed by antohs good or bad. According to
the Katingans the sun is a benevolent masculine antoh which sleeps at
night. The moon is a feminine antoh, also beneficent. Stars are the
children of the sun and moon--some good, some bad.
To drive away malevolent antohs and attract benignant ones is the problem
in the life philosophy of the Dayaks. The evil ones not only make him ill
and cause his death, but they are at the bottom of all troubles in life.
In order to attract the good ones sacrifices are made of a fowl, a pig, a
water-buffalo, or, formerly, a slave. Hens' eggs may also be proffered,
but usually as adjuncts to the sacrifice of an animal. If a child is ill
the Katingan makes a vow that he will give Antoh from three to seven eggs
or more if the child becomes well. If it fails to recover the offering is
not made.
The blood is the more precious part, which the Bahau of the Mahakam, and
other tribes, offer plain as well as mixed with uncooked rice. The people
eat the meat themselves, but some of it is offered to the well-disposed
antoh and to the other one as well, for the Dayaks are determined to leave
no stone unturned in their purpose of defeating the latter. The Duhoi
(Ot-Danums) told me: "When fowl or babi are sacrificed we never forget to
throw the blood and rice mixture toward the sun, moon, and 'three of the
planets.'" With the Katingans the blian (priest-doctor) always drinks a
little of the blood when an animal is sacrificed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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