CH. X MYTHOLOGY OF THE MINAHASSEBS 251 



The agriculturist always found it of the greatest im- 

 portance to pay due reverence to Mandej, and on every 

 important occasion to give great fossos or feasts in his 

 honour. 



In the neighbourhood of the fields the priests placed 

 holy stones about a foot in height, upon which the little 

 quadrangular altars or paposanan rested, and anyone who 

 violated those holy places, or neglected to bring to them the 

 necessary offerings, was liable to bad fortune, violent sick- 

 ness, or even death. 



Of the miuor spirits, we find two well-marked classes, 

 the empung-rengarengan, who were the protecting or 

 household gods, and the demons — se sakit — the evil spirits 

 of sickness and bad luck. Each man had an empung- 

 rengarengan, who was born with him and grew up with 

 him, who accompanied him on all his journeys, and was 

 ever present to protect him against injury, evil spirits and 

 sickness. The empung-rengarengan literally mean the gods 

 of the same age (91). As Wilken points out, they correspond 

 very closely with the ' genii ' of the Eomans. 



These guardian spirits are constantly referred to by 

 the natives for protection and advice, and are appealed 

 to in then- prayers after the true and mighty gods. 

 Some examples will serve at the same time to illustrate 

 this point and to show the character of the native prayers. 



empung e wailan ! empung-rengarengan ! Turuan-ei 

 u lalan karondoran, wo tija u lalan kaengkolan. 



mighty gods ! protecting spirits ! Show us the right 

 way, and turn not from us. 



empung e wailan ! empung-rengarengan ! Kuman wo 

 melep wo lumema — Pikipikian an sakit, wo kelu-kelungan ung 

 kelung ijow watu ; — wo jajo-ajo mange witi si Lokon telu katuaan 

 wo kalakawir nami. 



mighty gods ! protecting spirits ! Eat, drink and chew 



