Sacred Symbolism in the Ritual Healing Ceremony of Magombok: An Analysis of the Panangsang Dance
Pertanika journal of social science & humanities September 19, 2025 Amsalib Pisali, Haddi Junaidi Kussin, Lena Farida Husain Chin et al.
In the Magombok ritual of the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah, the Panangsang dance serves as a spiritual healing ceremony that bridges the physical and ethereal realms. Analysis of three distinct healing ceremonies using Barthes’ Order of Signification model identified seven animal-inspired movements—Eagle, Rooster, Stingray, Turtle, Spider, Python, and Cobra—that symbolically convey the patient is afflicted by sorcery or ancestral curses. These zoomorphic gestures reflect spiritual values from Bajau Laut mythology, showing the ceremony as both artistic expression and a conduit for spiritual messages integral to healing, reinforcing that sacred elements facilitate communication between humans and the spiritual realm.