A ''Bobohizan'' (Tangaa' Kadazan term) or ''Bobolian'' (Bundu Liwan Dusun term) is a high priestess, a ritual specialist and a spirit medium in

Kadazan-Dusun Kadazan-Dusun (also written as Kadazandusun or Mamasok Kadazan-Dusun) also less-known as "Mamasok Sabah" are two indigenous peoples of Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups Kadazan and Dusun. The Kadazandusun is the largest native group of Bu ...

pagan rites. The office of ''Bobohizan'' or ''Bobolian'', is also the chief preserver of

Momolianism Momolianism is a belief system of the Kadazan-Dusun people of Sabah. Momolianism states that land is a gift from the creator, the earth is a centre of the universe and that the land connects them to the past, present and future. This system ...

, i.e. the philosophy and way of life of the Kadazan-Dusun people. One of the primary roles of a ''Bobohizan'' is to appease the rice spirit Bambaazon during harvest festival or

Kaamatan Kaamatan or Pesta Kaamatan is a form of harvest festival celebrated on 30 and 31 of May annually in the state of Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia. It is normally celebrated by the ethnic Kadazan-Dusuns, as well as by other ...

. During the event, she will lead a procession of people from her village through the

paddy field A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-A ...

under the full moon, to give thanks and to seek a bountiful harvest for the rice-cultivating Kadazan-Dusun people. A ''Bobohizan'' also plays a role as a mediator between the spirits and the people. One of the commonest duties of a ''Bobohizan'' is to heal and cure illnesses with herbal remedies and rites.

Origin

''Bobohizan'' is said to stem from the first ancestors of the

people, ''Kinoingan'' and his wife ''Suminundu''. It is not certain whether the calling of ''Bobohizan'' (''Bobolian'' in the Bundu-Liwan dialect) exist prior to or after the settling of the ancestors at

Nunuk Ragang Nunuk Ragang is a site traditionally considered as the location of the original home of the ancestors of the Kadazan-Dusun natives who inhabit most of northern Borneo. The site, nearby a village named Tampias, is located at the intersection of ...

. Long after the first ancestors passing to ''Hibabou'' (Heaven), the rites, prayers, and incantations (''Rinait'' or ''Inaait'') were lost and forgotten. This is when Suminundu sent a spirit to earth to teach the people about the ''rinait''. The spirit came every evening, calling upon anyone brave enough to learn. The call was repeated for years but no one was brave enough to come forth until one day a brave woman went out and meet the spirit in the dark. She soon learned the art of ''rinait'' and rites from the spirit and passed it on to other women in the village. According to legend, because of the woman who was brave enough to meet the spirit, all ''Bobohizan'' in

Penampang Penampang ( ms, Pekan Penampang) is the capital of the Penampang District in the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 93,616 in 2010, with ethnic Kadazan as the majority. It contains, or is synonym ...

was by custom, women only.

Roles

A ''Bobohizan'' plays a pivotal role in a daily life of the Kadazan people before the advent of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

. This ranges from appeasing the rice spirit during '

and Magavau festivals, appeasing the skull spirits during the Magang celebration, appeasing and offering sacrifices to the spirits of the sacred jars (''gusi'') and to exorcise evil spirits. ''Bobohizans'' are also involved in

charms Charm may refer to: Social science * Charisma, a person or thing's pronounced ability to attract others * Superficial charm, flattery, telling people what they want to hear Science and technology * Charm quark, a type of elementary particle * Ch ...

, reading

omens An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...

and to a lesser extent

augury Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" (Latin ''aus ...

References

Malaysian mythology Magic (supernatural) Austronesian spirituality {{mythology-stub

Origin

Roles

See also

References