Abstrakt
In many areas of South East Asia, the Eastern Indonesia not excepting, head-hunting and kidnapping rumors have regularly appeared. In the island Sumba rumors in connection with construction sacrifice were noted.
According to these rumors heads or other body parts are required to fortify constructions of dams, bridges or other buildings of public interest. However, in the beginnings of 1990's when electricity and electronics have been broadly introduced to Sumba, new fearsome images were integrated into the already established concepts.
In these newly emerged rumors blood is obtained to be transported out of Sumba and further utilized in the production of batteries and electronic devices. The aim of this paper is to indicate blood as a matter identified with power and to reveal the notion of this substance in west Sumbanese magic practice.
Besides that, characters of the rumors will be analyzed. While the kidnapping rumors were targeted towards missionaries and Dutch colonizers in the past, recently they and blood stealing rumors alike point at tourists, Indonesian incomers from other islands and the agents of the state.
The role of 'local outsiders' as accomplices of non-Sumbanese blood ordering party will be explored.