Others used the threat of beheading to strip the departing Madurese of their wealth. Several thousand are still hiding in the jungle. The Dayaks, normally tolerant and patient people, see themselves as victims of discrimination who are just fighting for their ancient way of existence. Traditional Dayak life is centered in the remote jungle villages of this vast and forbidding island. Despite centuries of Christian proselytizing, the main religion is Kaharingan, a form of ancestor worship and animism in which all creatures are believed to have a spirit.
Animal sacrifices are common, and belief in the power of black magic is widespread.
Historically, only some tribes engaged in the practice of taking heads. These were the legendary headhunters of Borneo, who struck terror in the hearts of the colonizing Dutch and British. Borneo, bigger than Texas, is the third-largest island in the world. Straddling the equator, it is dominated by steamy rain forests and laced with rivers that serve as highways for the skilled Dayak boatmen. Home to the endangered orangutan and rich in timber, it has become a prime target of rapacious logging companies.