114 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



name is given to the ceremony. Other terms, interchangeable with 

 Taming, are Saiit and Bunsud, the last word having primarily the 

 signification of u a post" or "setting a post in the ground.'' The 

 use of bunsud here has reference to the pushing of the foot of the 

 wooden imago into the ground, like a post. Tt will be noted 

 that both the green branches and the wooden images are intended 

 to block the invasion of spirits of evil that attempt, regularly. To 

 break into the ceremonial house on the occasion of a festival. A 

 second point to be noted is that some of the magic branches are 

 acceptable to the diseases, and are put there to make the diseases 

 kindly to the Iiagobo. 



Preliminary Tanung. The preliminary Taming was performed 

 just after sunset on the second night. Leafy branches from a 

 number of trees and shrubs were fixed deep in the ground at two 

 different points: (a) at a spot directly north of the Long House, 

 and beside the path that leads into the village; (b) at the beginning 

 of the trail that winds down the mountain in the direction of Santa 

 Cruz and the coast, a place near the southeast border of >Tati. 

 These branches were from the red-leaved terinagum, the sharp- 

 pointed balekayo, and the balala — all of which act as "medicine" 

 very salutary for the Bagobo. The specific purpose, as has been 

 said, is to keep away the bad buso who try to come to the Long 

 House, bringing sickness to the Bagobo, and introducing besides a 

 form of mental stimulation that would set the men to fighting, 

 and would drive from the house all peace and good fellowship. 

 One of the datu went out to cut the taming, and Oleng, with the 

 help id' his second son. Andan, made the hides in the ground and 

 planted the branches. The taming stood up perhaps five or six 

 feet from the ground, one clump on each side of the path at the 



figures are placed near the house to keep oil epidemics. "Die Dayaks vom Sekayam stelleu 

 lliil/bildnisse von 30 — 100 cm. Lange, Konto genannt, an die Pfosten ihrer Thiiren oder 

 an den Weg, welcher zn ihren Wohnungen fuhrt, and die Dayaks vom Katingan than 

 dasselbe, am Seuchen von ihren Kampongs abzuhalten, indent sit' der Meinung Bind, dass 

 die krankheitbringenden Bantu von diescn Holzstatuen abgehalten vverden, bis zu den 

 liewohnern der Bauser selbst vorzadringen." Cf. Die bildenden Kunste bci den Dayaks 

 auf Borneo, pp. 31—32. 1890. 



The Punati of Sarawak, according to Furness, use carved poles, instead of Bingle 

 figures, In scare off evil -;]>irit s, at least on certain occasions. A l'unan chief had ill- 

 luck; -wherefore to exorcise the evil spirits a great feast, had been held, poles elaborately 

 decorated with carved lace- were erected to frighten awaj demons;..." Borne Life ol 

 Borneo Bead hunters, p. 179. 1902. 



