This illusion of invincibility reflected the mysticism associated with the dancers. They are the bissus of Sulawesi — a star-shaped Indonesian island — whose lineage goes back more than a millennium. They are considered spiritual leaders and a bridge between the earthly and celestial because they are thought to embody both male and female traits.
They are called on to pray at events like weddings, births and deaths in southern Sulawesi. To earn the blessings of the gods, they participate in a self-stabbing ritual known as the ma’giri, in which they display their powers by emerging unscathed.
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