SPIRITUAL EXISTENCES 13 



Tenangan, except only his bearing the title Lakiy 

 which, as we have seen, is the title by which a man 

 is addressed as soon as he becomes a grandfather. 

 The name Tenangan is not a proper name borne by 

 any Kayans, nor, so far as we know, does it occur 

 amongst the other peoples. Laki in Malay means 

 a male. The name is possibly connected with the 

 Kayan word tenang which means correct, or genuine. 

 The termination an is used in several instances in 

 Malay (though not in Kayan) to make a substantive 

 of an adjective. The name then possibly means — 

 he who is correct or all-knowing ; but this is a very 

 speculative suggestion. 



It is possible that the Kayans owe their concep- 

 tion of a supreme god to their contact with the 

 Mohammedans. But this is rendered very im- 

 probable by the facts : firstly, that the Kayans have 

 had such intercourse during but a short period in 

 Borneo, probably not more than 300 years, (though 

 they may have had such intercourse at an earlier 

 period before entering Borneo); secondly, that 

 among the Sea Dayaks, who have had for at least 

 1 50 years much more abundant intercourse with the 

 Mohammedans of Borneo than the Kayans have 

 had, the conception has not taken root and has not 

 been assimilated. 



The Kenyah gods and the beliefs and practices 

 centering about them are very similar to those 

 of the Kayans. This people also recognises a 

 principal god or Supreme Being, whose name is 

 Bali Penylong, and a number of minor deities 

 presiding over special departments of nature and 

 human life. The Kenyahs recognise the following 

 minor deities : Bali Atap protects the house 

 against sickness and attack, and is called upon in 

 cases of madness to expel the evil spirit possessing 

 the patient. A rude wooden image of him stands 

 beside the gangway leading to the house from the 



