Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo; a ... - Sabrizain.org

•MANANG, OR WITCH-DOCTOR 170
A cocoanut is placed on the head of the man and split
open instead of the head, and so on. After this second
ceremony the man is a fully-qualified manang—a manang
mansau (a ripe manang)— competent to practise all
parts of his deceitful craft.
3. There is, however, a third and highest grade, which
is attainable only by ambitious candidates who are rich
enough to make the necessary outlay. They may become
manang bangun, manang enjun (manangs waved upon,
manangs trampled upon). As in other cases, this involves
a whole night's ceremony, in which many of the
older witch-doctors take part. They begin by walking
round and round the aspirant to this high honour, and
wa\«3 over him bunches of betel-nut blossom. This is
the bangun (the waving upon). Then in the middle
of the veranda a large jar is placed having a short ladder
fastened on each side and connected at the top. At
various intervals during the night the manangs, leading
the new candidate, march him up one ladder and down
the other, but what this is supposed to symbolize is not
clear. As a finish to this play at mysteries, the man
lays
himself flat on the floor and the others walk over
him and trample upon him. In some mysterious way
this action is supposed to impart to him the supernatural
power they themselves possess. This is the enjun,
the ''
trampling upon." The fees necessary to obtain
this highest grade among witch-doctors are high, and
therefore few are able to afford it. One who has been
through this ceremony will often be heard to boast that
he is no ordinary spirit-controller or soul-catcher, but
something far superior — a manang bangun, manang
enjun."
There is a yet higher grade which some manangs attain