Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat
2. FIRE CHARMS
302 words | Chapter 67
In procuring fire by circular or cross friction the performer will
often say, by way of a charm--
"The Mouse-deer asks for Fire [534]
To singe his mother-in-law's feathers."
The "mouse-deer's mother-in-law" is the name of a small bird, which is
said to have very gay plumage of five colours and to resemble the green
pigeon (punei) in shape, and the explanation of this charm is said
to be that in the days of King Solomon, when both the mouse-deer and
his mother-in-law wore their human forms, the Mouse-deer was greatly
annoyed by the conduct of his mother-in-law, who kept dancing in front
of him as he went. A quarrel ensued, [535] as the result of which they
were both transformed into the shapes which they now respectively bear;
but the mother-in-law has not yet abandoned her exasperating tactics,
and may still often be seen tantalising the Mouse-deer by hopping in
front of it as it goes along.
There are still some traces of the influence of animistic ideas
in that part of Malay folklore which is concerned with fire. If an
inflammable object, such as wood, falls by accident into the fire,
a stick must be used in extracting it, and the stick left, as a
substitute, in its place.
The hearth-fire (api dapor) must never be stepped over
(di-langkah-nya), nor must the rice-pot which stands upon it, as in
the latter case the person who does so will be "cursed by the Rice."
Both fire and smoke (fumigation) are a good deal used by the Malays
for purposes of ceremonial purification, but the details of such
rites cannot be conveniently discussed except in connection with the
complete ceremonies of which they form a part; they will accordingly
be found under such headings as Birth, Adolescence, Marriage, Medicine,
and Funerals. [536]
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