Pioneering in - Far Eastern Bible College
Pioneering in - Far Eastern Bible College
Pioneering in - Far Eastern Bible College
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Spear<strong>in</strong>g down an ox for “Pilihan”hunt<strong>in</strong>g stems from furtive murder orig<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> revenge, orlucre. Head-hunt<strong>in</strong>g, however, is now a th<strong>in</strong>g of the past.Every “Pilihan”, <strong>in</strong>volves the spear<strong>in</strong>g of an ox. First there isplanted <strong>in</strong> the middle of a field a totem pole carved with a weirdnaked figure. A thick cane several score feet long tethers the ox tothis pole. Then comes a witch-doctor who recites <strong>in</strong>cantationsover the ox for a long while before the animal is ready forexecution. Now, as soon as the mumbl<strong>in</strong>gs are over, the ox issurrounded <strong>in</strong> a tight circle of hostile spearsmen. As the spearsf<strong>in</strong>d their mark, the blood-ooz<strong>in</strong>g ox lunches forwards andsidewards, to f<strong>in</strong>d himself enclosed by the enemy. This actionbecomes more and more tense until the ox loses all breath of life,and down he collapses. The ox is purposely made to suffer pa<strong>in</strong> onbehalf of the s<strong>in</strong>s of the whole village. It is said that some fortyyears ago a human be<strong>in</strong>g bought with money was made a sacrifice<strong>in</strong> this manner. After he died, his head was chopped off and hung<strong>in</strong> the centre of the village. As it is said that his soul still l<strong>in</strong>geredover his skull, a fire was lit to smoke it away until the blood wasdried. The soul of the victim became the guardian-hero of their104