Batak magic staffs are carved from hardwood, which gains a deep patina from repeated anointment with eggs, animal blood, and palm wine during rituals. The top of the staff may include cotton, feathers, sugar-palm fibers, seeds, various textiles (usually in the Batak sacred colors of black, white, and red), and human or animal hair. A series of human and animal figures are stacked vertically along the shaft, with a female figure followed by a male figure at top. The animals include buffalos, horses, elephants, dogs, snakes, lizards, and crocodiles.

The staff was part of the priest’s identity and an extension of his magical powers. The staff’s power would have been animated by the insertion of a magical substance into the wrappings at the top. Once the ritual was performed, the staff was thought to have come to life, and it became an object both to be nurtured and feared.