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Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat

4. "Revivificatory" Ceremonies (for recalling a sick person's soul,

706 words  |  Chapter 79

riang semangat). I shall take each of the types in order. For the water-jar ceremony three jars (buyong) containing water are brought to the sick man's room and decorated with the fringe or necklace of plaited cocoa-nut leaves, which is called "Centipedes' Feet" (jari 'lipan). A fourth jar should contain a sort of bouquet of artificial flowers to serve as an attraction to the sick man's soul (semangat). You will also require a tray filled with the usual accessories of Malay magic ceremonies (incense, three sorts of rice, etc.), besides three wax tapers, one of which you will plant upon the brim of each of the three jars. When all is ready, drop the incense upon the embers, and as the smoke rises repeat this charm:-- "If you are at one with me, rise towards me, O smoke; If you are not at one with me, rise athwart me, O smoke, Either to right or left." [655] As you say this, "catch" the first puff of smoke and inhale it (tangkap-lah puchok asap, chium), as it rises towards you. If the smell is pleasant (sedap) it is a good sign; if it has a scorched smell (hangit) it is bad; but if it smells offensive (busok) no medicine can save the patient. Next, before you look into the jars, take handfuls of "parched," "washed," and "saffron" rice, and after fumigating them over the incense, strew them all round the row of jars, saying as you do so:-- "Cluck, cluck! souls of So-and-so, all seven of you! [656] Come, and let all of us here together See (about the) medicine for (you) O souls of So-and-so." Here strew (tabor) the rice first to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again. Before removing the calladium-leaves from the jar-mouths, repeat the following:-- "Peace be with you, Prophet 'Tap, in whose charge is the earth, Suawam, in whose charge are the heavens, Prophet Noah, in whose charge are the Trees, Prophet Elias, Planter of Trees, And Prophet Khailir (Khizr), in whose charge is the water, I crave permission to see the remedies for So-and-so." Here remove the calladium-leaves from the jar-mouths, and taking one of the wax tapers, wave it in the smoke of the censer seven times towards the right, and say:-- "Peace be with you, O Tanju, I adopt you to be a guardian for my brother, You who are sprung from the original elements, From the former time unto the present, You who sprang from the gum of the eyes of Muhammad, I ask to see the disease of So-and-so." Here plant the taper firmly upon the edge of the jar, and "gaze" into the water "to see the signs" (`alamat-nya). Thus if there is an oily scum on the water (ayer berk'rak lemak) it is a bad sign; and to this may be added that if the calladium-leaf covering has acquired a faded look (layu) in the interim, it is a sign of severe sickness. Fumigate the outside of the jars with the smoke of the incense (the medicine-man does this by "washing" his hands in the smoke and then rubbing over the outside of the jars as if he were "shampooing" them); and anoint them with "oil of Celebes" (minyak Bugis). Then take a "closed fistful" (sa-genggam) of parched rice, and holding it over the smoke of the censer (ganggang di asap kem'nyan), repeat this charm:-- "Peace be with you, Mustia Kembang, I adopt you as a guardian for my brother, If in truth you are sprung from the primordial elements, From the former time unto the present, I know the origin from which you sprang, For you sprang from our Lady Eve (Siti Hawa), You I order, your co-operation I invoke, That whatsoever shape you assume Within this your garden of splendour, You break neither plighted faith nor solemn promise." Here throw the parched rice into the jars, and say:-- "Peace be unto you, O Prophet 'Tap, in whose charge is the Earth, O Prophet Noah in whose charge are the Trees, And Prophet Khailir in whose charge is the Water, I crave this water (lit. 'exudation') as a boon, For the healing of So-and-so." And observe these signs:--
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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

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