Head-Hunting and the Magang Ceremony in Sabah

Head-hunting is a topic that fascinates many people. Numerous comments, with varying degrees of accuracy, have been made about the custom. This book draws many of those comments together and then through detailed descriptions of Magang ceremonies shows that the custom was based mainly on religious beliefs. Information collected from different parts of Sabah over an extended period of time demonstrates a general uniformity of beliefs and practices, and confirms the spiritual roots of the ancient tradition.

As there is lack of experienced and competent ritual spiritualists (Bobohizan or Bobolian) of the traditional culture of Sabah, it is possible that a Magang ceremony may never be held again. This book is, therefore, an invaluable record of an important ancient ritual.

Because of the sensational value of the term ‘head-hunting’, some authors of the past have tended to exaggerate the extent of the custom. This book helps to portray ‘head-unting’ in the Sabah context in its truer perspective.