Publication Information The main body of the Publication Information page contains all the metadata that HRAF holds for that document.
Author: Author's name as listed in Library of Congress records
Appell, George N.
Appell, Laura W. R.
Title:
To converse with the Gods: the Rungus BOBOLIZAN -- spirit
medium and priestess
Published in: if part or section of a book or monograph
The seen and the unseen : shamanism, mediumship and
possession in Borneo, edited by Robert L. Winzeler
Published By: Original publisher
The seen and the unseen : shamanism, mediumship and
possession in Borneo, edited by Robert L. Winzeler
Williamsburg, Va.: Borneo Research Council. 1993. 3-53 p.
ill.
By line: Author's name as appearing in the actual publication
George N. Appell and LAura W. R. Appell
HRAF Publication Information: New Haven, Conn.:
Human Relations Area Files, 2002. Computer File
Culture: Culture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC) with the alphanumberic OWC identifier in parenthesis.
Rungus Dusun (OC13)
Subjects: Document-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Theory of disease (753);
Religious beliefs (770);
Revelation and divination (787);
Magicians and diviners (791);
Abstract: Brief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article is on female spirit mediums, the BOBOLIZAN.
The Appells argue that the bobolizan are distinct from shamans and other religious types,
because their trances are not soul journeys, or forms of spirit possession. Rather they are
disassociative states akin to dreaming. A trance consists of a conversation between the
bobolizan and her spirit familiar, or LUMA'AG. There are two major groups of supernatural
beings: celestial gods (OSUNDUW) and spirits, which include the ROGON and rice spirits
(ODU-ODU). The ROGON are spirits of the physical and social environment. They are generally
feared because they cause of sickness. RUSOD are a more benevolent type of rogon and are
household guardians. Rice spirits are responsible for agricultural yields. The body has
multiple souls that correspond to the different gods and spirits. The HATOD is the
counterpart of the RUSOD and the DIVATO, or LUGU', are counterparts to celestial gods. With
the help of her spirit familiar, the bobolizan intercedes in cases of disease, misfortune,
infertility, and crop failure. Seven photos are included.
Document Number: HRAF's in-house numbering system derived from the processing order of documents
12
Document ID: HRAF's unique document identifier. The first part is the OWC identifier and the second part is the document number in three digits.
oc13-012
Document Type: May include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs or chapters/parts of monographs.
Essay
Language: Language that the document is written in
English
Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-53)
Field Date: The date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1959-1963, 1986-1992
Evaluation: In this alphanumeric code, the first part designates the type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigene, and so on. The second part is a ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data
Ethnologist-4,5
Analyst: The HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection.
Ian Skoggard ; 2000
Coverage Date: The date or dates that the information in the document pertains to (often not the same as the field date).
1959-1992
Coverage Place: Location of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Kudat District, Sabah, Malaysia
LCSH: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Dusun (Bornean people)
