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| MALAYSIA |
MALAYSIA
Malaysia now includes the mainland of West Malaysia, sharing a land border with Thailand in the north, and East Malaysia, consisting of the states of Sarawak and Sabah (formerly North Borneo). The ethnic grouping of Malaysia includes Chinese and Indian races, but the largest population is of Malays, predominantly Muslim in faith and speaking their own Malay language.
Much of the folklore and magical tradition of the Malays concerns ‘‘sympathetic magic’’ (see magic). The traveler Hugh Clifford, writing in the nineteenth century, stated: ‘‘The accredited intermediary between men and spirits is the Pawang; the Pawang is a functionary of great and traditional importance in a Malay village, though in places near towns the office is falling into abeyance. In the inland districts, however, the Pawang is still a power, and is regarded as part of the constituted order of Society, without whom no village community would be complete. It must be clearly understood that he had nothing whatever to do with the official Muhammadan religion of the mosque; the village has its regular staff of elders—the Imam, Khatio, and Bilal—for the mosque service. But the Pawang is quite outside this system and belongs to a different and much older order of ideas; he may be regarded as the legitimate representative of the primitive ‘medicine-man,’ or ‘village- sorcerer,’ and his very existence in these days is an anomaly, though it does not strike Malays as such. . . .
‘‘The Pawang is a person of very real significance. In all agricultural operations, such as sowing, reaping, irrigation works, and the clearing of jungle for planting, in fishing at sea, in prospecting for minerals, and in cases of sickness, his assistance is invoked. He is entitled by custom to certain small fees; thus, after a good harvest he is allowed in some villages five gantangs of padi, one gantang of rice (beras), and two chupaks of emping (a preparation of rice and cocoa-nut made into a sort of sweetmeat) from each householder.’’
The Pawang used to regulate taboos, and employ a familiar spirit known as hantu pusaka—a hereditary demon. He also acted as a medium and divined through trance. To become a magician, ‘‘You must meet the ghost of a murdered man. Take the midrib of a leaf of the ‘ivory’ cocoa-nut palm (pelepah niyor gading), which is to be laid on the grave, and two midribs, which are intended to represent canoe-paddles, and carry them with the help of a companion to the grave of the murdered man at the time of the full moon (the 15th day of the lunar month) when it falls upon a Tuesday. Then take a cent’s worth of incense, with glowing embers in a censer, and carry them to the head-post of the grave of the deceased. Fumigate the grave, going three times round it, and call upon the murdered man by name: ‘Hearken, So-and-so, and assist me; I am taking (this boat) to the saints of God, and I desire to ask for a little magic.’ ‘‘Here take the first midrib, fumigate it, and lay it upon the head of the grave, repeating ‘Kur Allah’ (‘Cluck, Cluck, God!’) seven times. You and your companion must now take up a sitting
posture, one at the head and the other at the foot of the grave, facing the grave post, and use the canoe-paddles which you have brought. In a little while the surrounding scenery will change and take upon itself the appearance of the sea, and finally an aged man will appear, to whom you must address the same request as before.’’
Malay magic may be subdivided into preparatory rites, sacrifice, lustration, divination, and possession. Sacrifice took the form of a simple gift, or act of homage to the spirit or deity.
Lustration was magico-religious and purificatory, principally taking place after childbirth. It might be performed by fire or water. Divination consisted for the most part of the reading of dreams, and was, as elsewhere, drawn from the acts of men or nature. Omens were strongly believed in.
‘‘When a star is seen in apparent proximity to the moon, old people say there will be a wedding shortly. . . .
Malaysia now includes the mainland of West Malaysia, sharing a land border with Thailand in the north, and East Malaysia, consisting of the states of Sarawak and Sabah (formerly North Borneo). The ethnic grouping of Malaysia includes Chinese and Indian races, but the largest population is of Malays, predominantly Muslim in faith and speaking their own Malay language.
Much of the folklore and magical tradition of the Malays concerns ‘‘sympathetic magic’’ (see magic). The traveler Hugh Clifford, writing in the nineteenth century, stated: ‘‘The accredited intermediary between men and spirits is the Pawang; the Pawang is a functionary of great and traditional importance in a Malay village, though in places near towns the office is falling into abeyance. In the inland districts, however, the Pawang is still a power, and is regarded as part of the constituted order of Society, without whom no village community would be complete. It must be clearly understood that he had nothing whatever to do with the official Muhammadan religion of the mosque; the village has its regular staff of elders—the Imam, Khatio, and Bilal—for the mosque service. But the Pawang is quite outside this system and belongs to a different and much older order of ideas; he may be regarded as the legitimate representative of the primitive ‘medicine-man,’ or ‘village- sorcerer,’ and his very existence in these days is an anomaly, though it does not strike Malays as such. . . .
‘‘The Pawang is a person of very real significance. In all agricultural operations, such as sowing, reaping, irrigation works, and the clearing of jungle for planting, in fishing at sea, in prospecting for minerals, and in cases of sickness, his assistance is invoked. He is entitled by custom to certain small fees; thus, after a good harvest he is allowed in some villages five gantangs of padi, one gantang of rice (beras), and two chupaks of emping (a preparation of rice and cocoa-nut made into a sort of sweetmeat) from each householder.’’
The Pawang used to regulate taboos, and employ a familiar spirit known as hantu pusaka—a hereditary demon. He also acted as a medium and divined through trance. To become a magician, ‘‘You must meet the ghost of a murdered man. Take the midrib of a leaf of the ‘ivory’ cocoa-nut palm (pelepah niyor gading), which is to be laid on the grave, and two midribs, which are intended to represent canoe-paddles, and carry them with the help of a companion to the grave of the murdered man at the time of the full moon (the 15th day of the lunar month) when it falls upon a Tuesday. Then take a cent’s worth of incense, with glowing embers in a censer, and carry them to the head-post of the grave of the deceased. Fumigate the grave, going three times round it, and call upon the murdered man by name: ‘Hearken, So-and-so, and assist me; I am taking (this boat) to the saints of God, and I desire to ask for a little magic.’ ‘‘Here take the first midrib, fumigate it, and lay it upon the head of the grave, repeating ‘Kur Allah’ (‘Cluck, Cluck, God!’) seven times. You and your companion must now take up a sitting
posture, one at the head and the other at the foot of the grave, facing the grave post, and use the canoe-paddles which you have brought. In a little while the surrounding scenery will change and take upon itself the appearance of the sea, and finally an aged man will appear, to whom you must address the same request as before.’’
Malay magic may be subdivided into preparatory rites, sacrifice, lustration, divination, and possession. Sacrifice took the form of a simple gift, or act of homage to the spirit or deity.
Lustration was magico-religious and purificatory, principally taking place after childbirth. It might be performed by fire or water. Divination consisted for the most part of the reading of dreams, and was, as elsewhere, drawn from the acts of men or nature. Omens were strongly believed in.
‘‘When a star is seen in apparent proximity to the moon, old people say there will be a wedding shortly. . . .
‘‘The entrance into a house of an animal which does not generally seek to share the abode of man is regarded by the Malays as ominous of misfortune. If a wild bird flies into a house it must be carefully caught and smeared with oil, and must then be released in the open air, a formula being recited in which it is bidden to fly away with all the ill-luck and misfortunes (sial jambalang) of the occupier. An iguana, a tortoise, and a snake, are perhaps the most dreaded of these unnatural visitors. They are sprinkled with ashes, if possible to counteract their evil influence.
‘‘A swarm of bees settling near a house is an unlucky omen, and prognosticates misfortune.’’ So, too, omens were taken either from the flight or cries of certain birds, such as the night-owl, the crow, some kinds of wild doves, and the bird called the ‘‘Rice’s Husband’’ (laki padi).
‘‘A swarm of bees settling near a house is an unlucky omen, and prognosticates misfortune.’’ So, too, omens were taken either from the flight or cries of certain birds, such as the night-owl, the crow, some kinds of wild doves, and the bird called the ‘‘Rice’s Husband’’ (laki padi).
