How did some Iban young men seek dreams of a protector spirit?

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totem fish mask — Totemism Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.

To obtain a protector spirit, known as an ngarong, Iban young men traditionally seek out solitude and fast, or they sleep on the graves of prominent individuals. These practices are intended to induce a dream in which a spirit—often appearing as an ancestor or a deceased relative—reveals itself as a helper and protector.

During this vision, the spirit identifies an animal or object in which it is manifested. Once this connection is established, the individual observes the behavior of that animal species, recognizing its actions as the embodiment of their protector spirit. Consequently, the Iban show respect to the entire species, sometimes carrying a part of the animal and offering meals or blood to the spirit it represents.1