mangangamat

Mangangamat is a term used in some Austronesian-speaking communities to denote a traditional practitioner who conducts divination and spiritual consultation. The word's exact linguistic origin is uncertain, and references to mangangangamat appear mainly in regional ethnographic notes rather than in major dictionaries or grammars.

Practices attributed to a mangangangamat vary by locality but commonly include interpreting signs or omens, diagnosing the causes of illness, advising on ritual offerings, and facilitating communication with ancestral or spirit beings. Methods often involve listening to dreams, observing natural phenomena, interpreting life events, and using ritual objects or chants. The role is typically embedded in a broader system of folk belief and may operate alongside, or in tension with, formal religious institutions.

Historically, mangangangamat may have served as a local authority on fate, healing, and moral conduct. They may be respected as custodians of tradition or viewed with skepticism, depending on community and era. In many places, modernization, education, and state health initiatives have reduced their presence, while in some rural areas the practice persists as part of cultural identity and oral tradition.

Scholars consider mangangangamat part of intangible cultural heritage in the regions where the term is used, noting its variation and interplay with neighboring belief systems. Because it is poorly documented outside local contexts, interpretations vary and the term sometimes overlaps with other forms of divination or traditional healing.