Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat

1. PURIFICATION BY WATER

296 words | Chapter 62

The following description (by Sir W. E. Maxwell) of the bathing ceremony, as practised by the Perak Malays, may be taken as typical of this subject:-- "Limes are used in Perak, as we use soap, when a Malay has resolved on having a really good "scrub." They are cut in two and squeezed (ramas) in the hand. In Penang a root called sintok is usually preferred to limes. When the body is deemed sufficiently cleansed the performer, taking his stand facing the East, spits seven times, and then counts up seven aloud. After the word tujoh (seven) he throws away the remains of the limes or sintok to the West, saying aloud, Pergi-lah samua sial jambalang deripada badan aku ka pusat tasek Paujangi, 'Misfortune and spirits of evil begone from my body to the whirlpool of the lake Paujangi!' Then he throws (jurus) a few buckets of water over himself, and the operation is complete. "The lake Paujangi is situated in mid-ocean, and its whirlpool most likely causes the tides. All the waters of the sea and rivers are finally received there. It is probably as eligible an abode for exorcised spirits as the Red Sea was once considered to be by our forefathers." [486] The ceremony just described is evidently a form of purification by water. Similar purificatory ceremonies form an integral part of Malay customs at birth, adolescence, marriage, sickness, death, and in fact at every critical period of the life of a Malay; but will be most conveniently discussed in detail under each of the particular headings referred to. The tepong tawar ceremony (for the details of which see Chapter III., and which is perhaps the commonest of all Malay magic rites) would also seem to have originated from ideas of ceremonial purification.

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. CHAPTER I 3. CHAPTER II 4. CHAPTER III 5. CHAPTER IV 6. CHAPTER V 7. 2. Birds and Bird Charms 109 8. 4. Minerals and Mining Charms 250 9. 4. Fishing Ceremonies 306 10. CHAPTER VI 11. 12. Divination and the Black Art 532 12. 7. Heptacle on which the Seven-Square is based 558 13. 11. Fig. 1.--Bridal Bouquets 375 14. 12. Fig. 1.--Bridegroom's Headdress 378 15. 20. Fig. 1.--Musical Instruments 508 16. 23. Fig. 1.--Hanuman 516 17. 24. Fig. 1.--Weather Chart 544 18. 28. Fig. 1.--Wax Figures 570 19. CHAPTER I 20. CHAPTER II 21. 3. The two royal Swords; one on the right hand and one on the left 22. 4. The royal "Fringed" Umbrella (payong ubor-ubor), carried behind 23. 5. The royal "Cuspadore," carried behind the left-hand 24. 7. The eight royal tufted Lances (tombak bendrang or bandangan), 25. 6. The royal Ceiling-cloth and Hangings (tabir, langit-langit 26. 7. The "Moving Mountains" (gunong dua berangkat), perhaps the 27. 8. The royal Drums (gendang naubat); said to be "headed" with the 28. 9. The royal Trumpet (lempiri or | 29. 12. The royal rebab or Malay fiddle. 30. CHAPTER III 31. 1. Leaves of the grass called sambau dara, which is said to be the 32. 2. The leaves of the selaguri, which appears to be "a shrub or 33. 3. The leaves of the pulut-pulut (the exact identity of which I have 34. 4. The leaves of the gandarusa (Insticia gandarusa, L., Acanthaceæ), 35. 5. The leaves of the gandasuli (which I have not yet been able to 36. 7. The leaves of the lenjuang merah, or "the common red dracæna" 37. 8. The leaves of the sapenoh (unidentified), a plant with big round 38. 9. To the above list may be perhaps added the satawar, sitawar 39. 10. The satebal (Fagræa racemosa, Jack., Loganiaceæ). 40. CHAPTER IV 41. introduction to Muhammadan influences, the only ones of importance 42. CHAPTER V 43. 1. WIND AND WEATHER CHARMS 44. 2. BIRDS AND BIRD CHARMS 45. 1. BUILDING CEREMONIES AND CHARMS 46. 2. BEASTS AND BEAST CHARMS 47. 3. VEGETATION CHARMS 48. 8. The falling of the leaves in old trees. 49. 8. Wangkang. 50. 4. A plant of saffron (kunyit). 51. 12. A large iron nail. 52. 1. Sapenoh. 2. Sapanggil. 3. Jenjuang (or lenjuang) merah (the Red 53. 1. A strip of white cloth (folded up and lying at the bottom of 54. 7. Five cubits of red cloth by means of which the soul-basket was to 55. 1. Money, rice, salt, oil, tame animals, etc., were forbidden to 56. 4. The reapers, till the end of the reaping, were forbidden to let 57. 5. The light placed near the head of the Rice-child's bed might not 58. 1. A basket-work stand (one of those used for the cooking-pots, 59. 2. A bowl of water deposited upon this stand and intended "for the 60. 5. Six trodden-out rice "heads," a couple of which tied in a slip knot 61. 4. MINERALS AND MINING CHARMS 62. 1. PURIFICATION BY WATER 63. 2. THE SEA, RIVERS, AND STREAMS 64. 3. REPTILES AND REPTILE CHARMS 65. 4. FISHING CEREMONIES 66. 1. PRODUCTION OF FIRE 67. 2. FIRE CHARMS 68. CHAPTER VI 69. 1. BIRTH-SPIRITS 70. 2. BIRTH CEREMONIES 71. 3. ADOLESCENCE 72. 4. Personal Ceremonies and Charms 73. 5. BETROTHAL 74. 6. MARRIAGE 75. 7. FUNERALS [638] 76. 8. MEDICINE 77. 2. "Neutralisatory" Ceremonies for destroying the evil principle 78. 3. "Expulsory" Ceremonies (for the casting out of the evil 79. 4. "Revivificatory" Ceremonies (for recalling a sick person's soul, 80. 3. If the rice floats in a line across the sun's path (berator 81. 4. If you see a solitary grain travelling by itself (bersiar) 82. 5. If the parched rice travels towards the right of the jar the 83. 6. If it travels towards the left of the jar he will recover, 84. 7. If, however, it floats right underneath the candle it is 85. 1. If they take the shape either of a boat or a crocodile, this 86. 2. If they take a square shape, a tray of offerings (anchak) 87. 3. If they take the shape of a house, a 'state-hall' (balei) 88. 1. If the rice is lumped together (bulat or berlubok) it is a 89. 2. If it extends itself crosswise (panjang melintang) it is a 90. 3. If it takes the shape of a spirit-boat (lanchang) you must 91. 4. If it keeps travelling either to the left or the right, it is 92. 5. If it takes the shape of a crocodile, or anything of that sort, 93. 9. DANCES, SPORTS, AND GAMES 94. 6. Bidak, the Pawns. [707] 95. 1. In the game called sakopong all cards from two to six are cast 96. 2. Main chabut is a species of vingt-et-un, and is played with either 97. 2. Kachang di-rendang di-tugalkan, i.e. two aces; a very convenient 98. 3. Lunas sa-glabat, or sagaji ampat-b'las, i.e. angkong dengan daun 99. 5. Ace and two, which is the best of all. 100. 3. Daun tiga 'lei or Pakau is played here as follows:-- 101. 10. THEATRICAL EXHIBITIONS

Reading Tips

Use arrow keys to navigate

Press 'N' for next chapter

Press 'P' for previous chapter