6 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



ascending smoke facilitates in some way the com- 

 munication with the gods. 



While some gods, those of war and life, of harvest 

 and of fire, are distinctly friendly, others, namely, the 

 gods of madness and fear, are terrible and malevo- 

 lent ; while the god of thunder and those that 

 conduct the souls to Hades do not seem to be pre- 

 dominantly beneficent or malevolent. 



Laki Tenangan seems to be the supreme being 

 of the Kayan universe. He is conceived as bene- 

 ficent and, as his title Laki implies, as a fatherly 

 god who protects mankind. He is not a strictly 

 tribal god, for the Kayan admits his identity with 

 Pa Silong and with Bali Penylongy the supreme 

 gods of the Klemantans and Kenyahs respectively. 

 In this, we think, the Kayan religion shows a catho- 

 licity which gives it a claim to rank very high among 

 all religious systems. 



Laki Tenangan has a wife, Doh Tenangan, who, 

 though of less importance than himself, is specially 

 addressed by the women. The god is addressed by 

 name in terms of praise and supplication ; the prayers 

 seem to be transmitted to him by means of the souls 

 of domestic pigs or fowls ;^ for one of these is always 

 killed and charged to carry the prayer to the god. 

 At the same time a fire is invariably at hand and 

 plays some part in the rite ; the ascending smoke 

 seems to play some part in the establishment of 

 communication with the god. As an example of a 

 prayer we give the following. The supplicant, having 

 killed a pig and called the messengers of the god, 

 cries, ** Make my child live that I may bring him up 

 with me in my occupations. You are above all 

 men. Protect us from whatever sickness is abroad. 

 If I put you above my head, all men look up to me 

 as to a high cliff." 



Similar rites are observed on addressing Doh 



^ See vol. ii. p. 6i. 



