Image by angela7dreams via Flickr The root word that forms the term ‘bobohizan’ is ‘bohi’. It means an ‘exchange’, like ‘momohi’ or that which had been ‘purchased or traded off’. It is something similar to the Jewish concept of “korban -sacrifice" or an ‘atonement’
In the Kadazan concept of justice, peace and order, existing in harmony with their neighbors, the environments both physical and spiritual, at peace with their creator Kinoingan or Kinorohingan whom they were trying to commune with but were unsuccessful, until some of them by the Grace of God discovered the Holy Spirit, because of the inability of their traditional ‘divato’ (guiding spirit) to ascend to the 8th realm (Hibabou) where His Throne is, it was a common practice to offer ‘sacrifice, korban, atonement’ either to appease the evil spirits that they have knowingly or unknowingly offended or ‘buy off’ their freedom from the evil spirits or demons they have ‘wronged’ by not continuing the ‘covenants’ that their ancestors had made with them. This ‘bohi’ could be the blood of ‘human, animals or birds’ or their vital parts like, the heart, skull, or the whole body, depending on the seriousness or nature of their requests.
The requests may vary from good harvests, protection from tormenting spirits or attack from their enemies, from floods, draughts, earthquakes to the possession of supernatural power like ‘gimat, extra-human strength, power to heal or kill, or even a charm or win an election or strike a lottery’.
The rituals in preparing, slaughtering, offering and blessing involving days and nights of gong beating, chanting and dancing are termed ‘momohizan’. The person, a male or female, who performed this task is known as the “Bobohizan”[1] or “Bobolian – Sokid dialect”
The last of the Bobohizan and the possible demise of the Kadazan Language.
[1] Bro Phelan’s article on the Kadazan priesthood documented the various variations of belief systems from tribe to tribe and except for their belief in the self sacrificing loving Kinoingan, their ritualistic practices seem to evolve and focus on the belief of spirits dwelling in stones, mountains, padi and valleys so much so that he concluded it is based more on an animistic, rather than a monotheistic , belief system. Thanks to his superb skill in researching and documenting this dying practices and his contribution in enriching the Kadazan Culture and supplementing the works of pioneers like the late Datuk Fred Sinidol and his team like Gun Wilfred Mojilis, Stephen Sipaun, James Mudi, Justin Stimol and others but REGRETABLY most of their works were ‘unofficially’ destroyed by the verbal directive of the Director of the Broadcasting RTM who was from West Malaysia, another conspiracy to bury the Kadazan people and their legacy forever.
Further development brought along following the Spiritual Revival in the Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches, that also involved the Roman Catholic Church to a lesser degree, had led the serious study of the Word of God, not just the New Testament but also the Old Testament, that had revealed that evil spirits do occupy inanimate objects and animals if not successful in their preference which is the body of human, dead or alive! One third of Jesus Christ’s ministry while He was physically on Earth dealt with demons, evil spirits and fallen angels and the demonized system of Government.
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