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family of such a one, or his follower, then something further must be done, as the injury is regarded as more serious in proportion to the high standing of him who is the subject of it. The ulèëbalang himself when one of his folk is the injured party enters the lists not as chief or judge but as avenger. Either in person or by one of his next of kin as deputy, he goes forth at the head of a host of followers to the gampōng of the offenders, where he is received with special tokens of humility and prayers for pardon.
In addition to the traditional plantain-stalks and glundōng-trees which represent the destruction of the plantation of the guilty party, the latter's house must in this case be symbolically burnt. Accordingly a hut (jambō) is constructed of slight materials and set on fire amid the plaudits (suraʾ) of the avengers. Though all are aware that this burning is the veriest farce, great insistence is laid upon its performance in serious cases. The dependants of the chief can afterwards proudly say to the people of the surrounding gampōngs: "Saw ye not the smoke rise from the burning of the house of X? Yes, we are no Niasese slaves or Klings to let ourselves be injured without exacting vengeance, or to content ourselves with a mere indemnity!"
Destruction of house and courtyard, probably accompanied by bodily hurt or even death to the owner[1] was the original meulangga as the word itself (cf. the Malay langgar) implies.
More peaceful times and calmer manners have substituted for this the dramatic exhibition we have just described, a sort of gampōng-duel, usually of quite a harmless character.
Meulangga may take place within the gampōng also, when anyone has injured his fellow-villager. It is then the male relatives of the injured party that proceed to make the demand, and those of the offender who satisfy it, while the gampōng authorities merely take care that no excess is committed.
In conclusion, it sometimes happens that one ulèëbalang has to meulangga upon the territory of another. Suppose for instance that a servant (rakan) of ulèëbalang A has wounded a dependant of ulèëbalang B without clear proof of strong provocation. After preliminary notice B proceeds with his followers to some place within A's territory
- ↑ This may be concluded from the words in which those who come to meulangga still announce their demands: "We come to slay X, to burn his house and to raze his hedge and garden to the ground".
