Through Central Borneo An Account Of Two Years' Travel In The Land Of The Head-Hunters Between The Years 1913 And 1917 By Carl Lumholtz
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Massage As Well As
Abortifacient Herbs Are Employed For The Purpose.
The root of a plant in
general use is soaked in water before administering.
I was also shown a
vine which was about two centimetres in diameter and was told that if a
portion of this was cut off and the end inserted into a pint bottle the
vine would yield sufficient juice to fill it in a night. In case children
are not wanted both husband and wife drink of this liquid after the
morning meal, and both abstain from water for the remainder of the day. It
is believed that afterward it would be possible for the man to have
offspring only by marrying a new wife. There are also several specifics to
prevent conception, but none for producing fertility. The kapala gave as
reasons for this practice scarcity of food and woman's fear of dying. Both
seem incongruous to fact and primitive ideas, and perhaps his view would
better be accepted only as an indication of his ignorance in the matter.
The young people are taught to dance by the blian before they are married,
and take lessons for a year or two.
The Murung blian possesses three small wooden statues of human beings
which he employs in recovering brua (souls) and bringing them back to
persons who are ill, thus making them well. These images are called
jurong, two being males, the other female, and carrying a child on its
back. While performing his rites over either sex the blian holds the
female jurong in his right hand, the other two being inserted under his
girdle, one in front, the other at the back, to protect him against his
enemies.
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