THE CULTURE AND CUSTOM OF THE BIDAYUH ETHNIC: THE SELAKO TRIBE: THE NGONCONG CUSTOM - TRADITIONAL TREATMENT FOR THE SICK

INTRODUCTION

The Selako tribe that originates from Borneo is found in the Lundu, Sematan, Bengkayang, and Sambas areas. Ngoncong is a treatment methodology believed very effective to cure strange illnesses related to black magic and invisible creatures.

IMPLEMENTATION

This ceremony involves many stages and usually held at the sick person house. The sick either sits or lye down in the middle of the house. Guests sit down too and forbidden to do actions that can disturb the course of the ceremony. Musical instruments like violin, gong and percussions are played for a while.

The faith healer begins with reciting mantras calling for a certain spirit to help him to look for the sick person spirit believed to be enstranged from his body. The faith healer acts as a medium between the sick and the spirit. Then the faith healer becomes unconscious in which in this situation he obtains the sick person spirit. The faith healer is weak and unable to stand up. He, therefore, needs a helper called penadek.

Penadek helps the faith healer to reach the sick in the middle of the living room. At that moment the faith healer grips his palms believed to contain the sick person spirit. The faith healer then let the spirit enters the sick person body through his ears by placing his (the faith healer) gripped palms on the sick person ears.

When the healing is over now is the turn of the faith healer to be conscioused with the help of penadek that needs blessed water and betel nut young shoots. Penadek slapped the faith healer face with the young shoot dipped into the blessed water. The ceremony ends as soon as the faith healer is conscious.