20 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



for spirits of this class is Toh. All the spirits of this 

 class seem to be objects of fear, to be malevolent, 

 or, at least, easily offended and capable of bringing 

 misfortunes of all kinds upon human beings. 



The most important of these Toh are perhaps 

 those associated with the dried human heads that 

 hang in every house. It seems that these spirits 

 are not supposed to be those of the persons from 

 whose shoulders the heads have been taken. Yet 

 they seem to be resident in or about the heads, 

 though not inseparable from them. They are said 

 to cause the teeth of the heads to be ground together 

 if they are offended or dissatisfied, as by neglect of 

 the attentions customarily paid to the heads or by 

 other infringement of custom. The heads are thus 

 supposed to be animated by the Toh ; if a head falls, 

 through the breaking of the rattan by which it is 

 suspended, it is said to have thrown itself down, 

 being dissatisfied owing to insufficient attention 

 having been paid to it. This animation of the heads 

 by the Toh is illustrated by the treatment accorded 

 by the people to the heads from the time they are 

 brought into the house. Having been dried and 

 smoked in a small hut made for the purpose, they 

 are brought up to the house with loud rejoicings and 

 singing of the war chorus. For this ceremony all 

 members of the village are summoned from the 

 fields and the jungle, and, when all are assembled 

 in the houses, every one puts off the mourning 

 garments which have been worn by all since 

 the death of the chief for whose funeral rites 

 the heads have been sought. Everyone having 

 donned the ordinary attire, the men carry the 

 heads in procession adorned with daun silat^ the 

 dried and frayed leaves of a palm, before one of 

 the altar posts that stand between the house and 

 the river. There fowls and pigs are sacrificed in 

 the usual way, and their blood is scattered upon 



