Drying the first of the padi.--Preparations being complete, the two
baskets full of newly-cut rice were carried down the steps and out
to an open part of the field, a little way from the house, and there
spread on a mat in the sun to dry. To spread it properly is not an
easy matter, the operator (who in this case was the owner), standing
on the mat and spreading the grains with a long sweeping motion of the
hand from one side of the mat to the other (the process being called
di-kekar, di-kachau, or membalikkan jemoran). In the present case
several objects were placed in the centre of the mat, consisting of--
1. A basket-work stand (one of those used for the cooking-pots,
and called lekar jantan).
2. A bowl of water deposited upon this stand and intended "for the
Rice-soul (semangat padi) to drink when it becomes thirsty with
the heat of the sun."
3. A big iron nail.
4. A candle-nut (buah k'ras).
5. Six trodden-out rice "heads," a couple of which tied in a slip knot
(simpul pulih) are fastened to each corner of the matting.
Pounding of the rice from the three baskets.--When the rice had been
sufficiently dried, it was once more collected in the baskets, and
carried back to the house to be pounded. [429] That operation took
place the same evening, when the rice was pounded and winnowed [430]
in the ordinary way, the only noteworthy addition being the tying of
bunches of the grass called sambau dara to the upper ends of the long
wooden pestles which the Malays use for the pounding operation.
Disposal of the empty rice-stalks from the three baskets.--The chaff
thus obtained was deposited in a heap by the owner of the field in
a place where three paths met, crowned with a wreath made of the
empty rice-stalks, and covered by a big stone which was intended,
I was told, to keep it from being blown away.
The sugar-cane was left to grow in the midst of the mother-sheaf,
until the latter should be reaped by the wife of the owner; when
this takes place, it is carried back to the house and used for next
year's reaping. Meanwhile the "heads" of the mother-sheaf are pounded,
and the grain thus obtained is mixed with the grain obtained from
the Rice-soul, and deposited in the rice-bin (kepok) together with
a stone, a lump of rosin (damar), and a wreath composed of the empty
rice-ears. I may add that I saw the articles which had been deposited
in the previous year in the rice-bin of the Malay at whose house I
witnessed the ceremony which I have just described.
I did not witness the preliminary search for the mother-sheaf (in which
the Rice-soul was supposed to be contained), but it was described to
me by the Pawang, and performed for my benefit by the people of the
house. The Pawang's description ran as follows: In order to confine
the "Rengkesa" (a Spectral Reaper) to the boundaries, visit the four
corners of the field, and at each corner tie a knot in a rice-leaf,
and hold your breath while you repeat the following charm:--
"In the name of God, etc.,
A swallow has fallen striking the ground,
Striking the ground in the middle of our house-yard.
But ye, O Shadows and Spectral Reapers (Rengkesa),
Have your appointed place on the Boundaries (of this field).
By virtue of," etc.
These noxious spirits being thus confined to the Four Corners, you
may search in safety till you find one of the special varieties of
rice-ear in which the Rice-soul resides.
There are several varieties, of which the best is called Tongkat
Mandah; it may be described as an ordinary "rice-head" bending over
to meet the tip of a second (adventitious) "rice-head," but it is
produced only by a freak of nature. There is some risk connected with
this variety, however, for if the "Reception (Sambut) Ceremony" is
not properly performed the owner will die. The second best is called
"The Kite" (Lang). The third best is called "The Veiled Princess"
(Putri Bertudong); in this case the sheath of the "head" is of unusual
length, and overshadows the "head" itself. A fourth kind is called
Padi Bertel'kum, and is described as a "Female Rice" (padi betina);
like the "Veiled Princess," it has an unusually well-developed sheath;
whilst a fifth kind is the "Padi Mendhara"--a rice-plant whose leaves
show white lines or markings.
How women should reap on ordinary occasions.--Whenever women go out
to reap they should repeat certain charms before leaving the house,
[431] and again before depositing their baskets on the ground. Their
heads should be covered, and they should always be careful to reap,
as has been said, facing the sun, to prevent their shadow from falling
upon the rice in the basket at their side. Occasionally, however,
the body is uncovered, and I was even told of one, Inche Fatimah of
Jugra, in Selangor, who when reaping stripped herself bare from the
waist upwards, and when asked why she did so said it was "to make the
rice-husks thinner, as she was tired of pounding thick-husked rice."
The sheaf which is left standing after the taking home of the
Rice-soul is called the Mother of the Rice-soul (Ibu Semangat Padi),
and treated as a newly-made mother; that is to say, young shoots of
trees (putik-putik kayu) are taken, pounded together (di-tumbok), and
scattered broadcast (di-tabor) every evening for three successive days.
When the three days are up you take cocoa-nut pulp (isi niyor) and
what are called "goat flowers" (bunga kambing), mix them, and eat
them with a little sugar, spitting some of the mixture out among
the rice. [So, after a birth (as the Pawang informed me), the young
shoots of the jack-fruit (kababal nangka), the rose-apple (jambu),
and certain kinds of banana (such as pisang abu and pisang Benggala),
and the thin pulp of young cocoa-nuts (kelongkong niyor) are mixed
with dried fish, salt, acid (asam), prawn-condiment (b'lachan), and
similar ingredients, to form a species of salad (rojak). For three
successive days this salad is administered to mother and child,
the person who administers it saying, if the child be a girl,
"Your mother is here, eat this salad," and if the child be a boy,
"Your father is here, eat this salad."]
Invariably, too, when you enter the rice-clearing (menempoh ladang)
you must kiss the rice-stalks (chium tangkei padi), saying, "Cluck,
cluck, soul of my child!" (kur, semangat anak aku!) just as if you
were kissing an infant of your own.
The last sheaf (as I think I have said) is reaped by the wife of the
owner, who carries it back to the house (where it is threshed out
and mixed with the Rice-soul). The owner then takes the Rice-soul
and its basket and deposits it in the big circular rice-bin used by
the Malays, together with the product of the last sheaf. Some of the
product of the first seven "heads" will be mixed with next year's seed,
and the rest will be mixed with next year's tepong tawar. [432]
4. MINERALS AND MINING CHARMS
In the Western States of the Peninsula by far the most important
branch of industry has for many years been that of Tin-mining. Though
something like 90 per cent of the labourers employed in the mines are
Chinese, the ceremonies used at the opening of tin-mines are purely
Malay in character.
The post of mining wizard, once a highly lucrative one, was in
past days almost always filled by a Malay, though occasionally the
services of a Jungle-man (Sakai) would be preferred. These mining
wizards enjoyed in their palmy days an extraordinary reputation,
some of them being credited with the power of bringing ore to a place
where it was known that no ore existed; some, too, were believed to
possess the power of sterilising such ore as existed, and of turning
it into mere grains of sand.
The ore itself is regarded as endued not only with vitality, but also
with the power of growth, ore of indifferent quality being regarded
as too young (muda), but as likely to improve with age. Sometimes,
again, it is described as resembling a buffalo, in which shape it
is believed to make its way from place to place underground. This
idea, however, is probably based upon traditions of a lode, though
it is quite in keeping with Malay ideas about the spirits residing
in other minerals, the Gold spirit being supposed to take the shape
of a kijang or roe-deer (whence the tradition of a golden roe-deer
being found at Raub in Pahang).
In connection with the subject of tin-mining the account contributed
[433] in 1885 by Mr. Abraham Hale (then Inspector of Mines in the Kinta
district of Perak) to the Journal of the Straits Asiatic Society is
of such value as to necessitate its being quoted in extenso. It will
be followed by such notes upon mining invocations as I was able to
collect in Selangor, after which a few remarks upon the Malay theory of
animism in minerals generally will bring the subject to a conclusion.
To commence with Mr. Hale's account:--"The valley of the Kinta is,
and has been for a very long time, essentially a mining country. There
are in the district nearly five hundred registered mines, of which
three are worked by European Companies, the rest being either private
mines, i.e. mines claimed by Malays, which have been worked by them
and their ancestors for an indefinite period, or new mines, in other
words new concessions given indifferently on application to Malays and
Chinese. There are about three hundred and fifty private Malay mines,
and it is with these principally that the following paper will deal.
"So far, no lodes have been discovered in Kinta; it is, however,
probable that, as the country is opened up and prospectors get up
amongst the spurs of the main range, the sources of the stream tin
will come to light.
"Mining in Kinta, like mining in Larut, is for stream tin, and this
is found literally everywhere in Kinta; it is washed out of the sand
in the river-beds--a very favourite employment with Mandheling women;
Kinta natives do not affect it much, although there is more than one
stream where a good worker can earn a dollar per day; it is mined for
in the valley, and sluiced for on the sides of hills; and, lastly,
a very suggestive fact to a geologist, it has been found on the tops
of isolated limestone bluffs and in the caves [434] which some of
them contain.
"This stream tin has probably been worked for several centuries in
Kinta; local tradition says that a very long time ago Siamese were the
principal miners, and there is evidence that very extensive work has
been done here by somebody at a time when the method was different
from that which is commonly adopted by Kinta Malays at the present
day. There are at least fifty deep well-like pits on the Lahat hill,
averaging about eight feet in diameter and perhaps twenty feet deep.
"Further up country I have seen a large pit which the natives called
a Siamese mine; this is about fifty feet in diameter and over twenty
feet deep, and its age may be conjectured from the virgin forest
in which it is situated. Besides these, at many places extensive
workings are continually brought to light as the country is opened
up, and these appear to have been left undisturbed for at least a
hundred years. Further evidence of old work is furnished by slabs
of tin of a shape unlike that which has been used in Perak in the
memory of living persons; and only a few weeks ago two very perfect
'curry stones' of an unusual shape and particularly sharp grit were
found at a depth of eight feet in natural drift. These may, perhaps,
have been used to grind grain.
"So peculiarly is Kinta a mining district, that even the Sakais
of the hills do a little mining to get some tin sand wherewith to
buy the choppers and sarongs which the Malays sell to them at an
exorbitant price.
"The Malay pawang, or medicine-man, is probably the inheritor of
various remnants and traditions of the religion which preceded
Muhammadanism, and in the olden time this class of persons derived
a very fair revenue from the exercise of their profession, in
propitiating and scaring those spirits who have to do with mines and
miners; even now, although the Malay pawang may squeeze a hundred
or perhaps two hundred dollars out of the Chinese towkay [435]
who comes to mine for tin in Malaya, the money is not perhaps badly
invested, for the Chinaman is no prospector, whereas a good Malay
pawang has a wonderful 'nose' for tin, and it may be assumed that the
Chinese towkay and, before his time, the Malay miner, would not pay
a tax to the pawang unless they had some ground for believing that,
by employing him and working under his advice, there would be more
chance of success than if they worked only on their own responsibility.
"The pawang being a person who claims to have powers of divination
and other imperfectly understood attributes, endeavours to shroud
his whole profession in more or less of mystery. In his vocabulary,
as in that of the gutta-hunters, special terms are used to signify
particular objects, the use of the ordinary words being dropped;
this is called 'bahasa pantang.' [436]
"The following are some of the special terms alluded to:--
"Ber-olak tinggi, [437] instead of gajah--elephant. The elephant
is not allowed on the mine, or must not be brought on to the actual
works, for fear of damage to the numerous races and dams; to name him,
therefore, would displease the spirits (hantu).
"Ber-olak dapor, instead of kuching--cat. Cats are not allowed on
mines, nor may the name be mentioned.
"A tiger of enormous size called Ber-olak is said to haunt
Kinta. The legend about him is as follows:-- A long time ago, in the
pre-Muhammadan days, a man caught a tiger kitten and took it home;
it grew up quite tame and lived with the man until he died, when
it returned to the jungle and grew to an enormous size, nine cubits
(hasta) long; it is still there, though nobody ever sees it; it does
no harm, but sometimes very large tracks are seen, and men hear its
roar, which is so loud that it can be heard from Chemor to Batu Gajah;
when heard in the dry season, it is a sure prognostication of rain
in fifteen days' time.
"Sial, [438] instead of kerbau--water-buffalo. The buffalo is not
allowed on the mine for the same reason as the elephant.
"Salah nama, [439] instead of limau nipis--lime (fruit). If limes are
brought on to a mine, the hantu (spirits) are said to be offended;
the particular feature of the fruit, which is distasteful, appears
to be its acidity. It is peculiar that Chinese have this superstition
concerning limes as well as Malays; not very long ago a Chinese towkay
of a mine complained that the men of a rival kongsi [440] had brought
limes and squeezed the juice into his head race, and, furthermore,
had rubbed their bodies with the juice mixed with water out of his
head race, and he said they had committed a very grave offence,
and asked that they might be punished for it.
"With Malays this appears to be one of the most important pantang [441]
rules, and to such a length is it carried that belachan (shrimp-paste)
is not allowed to be brought on to a mine for fear it should induce
people to bring limes as well, lime-juice being a necessary adjunct
to belachan when prepared for eating.
"Buah rumput, [442] or bunga rumput, instead of biji--tin sand.
"Akar, or akar hidop, [443] instead of ular--snake.
"Kunyit, [444] instead of lipan--centipede.
"Batu puteh, [445] instead of timah--metallic tin.
"It was important that the Pawang should be a marked man as to
personal appearance; for this reason there are certain positions of
the body which may be assumed by him only when on the mine. These
attitudes are--first, standing with the hands clasped behind the
back; and, secondly, with the hands resting on the hips. This second
position is assumed when he is engaged in 'invocating' the 'spirits'
of a mine; the pawang takes his station in front of the genggulang,
[446] having a long piece of white cloth in his right hand, which he
waves backwards and forwards over his shoulder three times, each time
calling the special hantu whom he wishes to propitiate, by name; whilst
engaged in this invocation his left hand rests on his hip. During the
performance of any professional duty he is also invariably dressed
in a black coat; this nobody but the pawang is allowed to wear on a
mine. These attitudes and the black coat comprise what is technically
termed the pakei pawang.
"The professional duty of the pawang of a mine consists in carrying out
certain ceremonies, for which he is entitled to collect the customary
fees, and in enforcing certain rules for the breach of which he levies
the customary fines. [447]
"At the time of the opening of a mine he has to erect a genggulang,
[448] and to call upon the tutelary hantu of the locality to assist
in the enterprise. The fee for this is one bag (karong) of tin sand.
"At the request of the miners, instead of a genggulang a kapala nasi
[449] may be erected, as cheaper and more expeditious. The fee is
one gantang [450] of tin sand.
"He also assists in the ceremony of hanging the ancha [451] in the
smelting-house; his principal associate in this is the Panglima Klian,
who draws the ancha up to its proper position close under the attaps.
"1. Raw cotton must not be brought on to a mine in any shape, either
in its native state or as stuffing of bolsters or mattresses. The fine
(hukum pawang) is $12.50; the ordinary pillow used by a miner is made
of some soft wood.
"2. Black coats and the attitudes designated pakei pawang [452]
may not be assumed by any one on the mine, with the exception of the
pawang. (Hukum pawang, $12.50.)
"3. The gourd used as a water vessel by Malays, all descriptions
of earthenware, glass, and all sorts of limes and lemons, and the
outer husk of the cocoa-nut, are prohibited articles on mines. (Hukum
pawang, $12.50.)
"Note.--All eating- and drinking-vessels should be made of cocoa-nut
shell or of wood: the noise made by earthenware and glass is said
to be offensive to the hantu. But in the case of a breach of this
regulation the pawang would warn the offenders two or three times
before he claimed the fine.
"4. Gambling and quarrelling are strictly forbidden on mines; the
fine is claimed for the first offence. (Hukum pawang, $12.50.)
"5. Wooden aqueducts (palong) must be prepared in the jungle a long
way from the mine. (Hukum pawang, $12.50.)
"The noise of the chopping is said to be offensive to the hantu.
"6. Any breach of the bahasa pantang is an offence. (Hukum pawang,
$12.50.)
"7. Charcoal must not be allowed to fall into the races. (Hukum
pawang, $12.50.)
"8. A miner must not wear and go to work on the mine in another man's
trousers. (Hukum pawang, one karong of tin sand.)
"Note.--This applies only to the senar seluar basah, or working
dress. It is also an offence to work in the garment called sarong.
"9. If the chupak (measure) of the mine is broken, it must be renewed
within three days. (Hukum pawang, one bhara of tin.)
"10. No weapon may be brought within the four posts of the
smelting-house which immediately surround the furnace. (Hukum pawang,
$1.25.)
"11. Coats may not be worn within this space. (Hukum pawang, $1.25.)
"12. These posts may not be cut or hacked. (Hukum pawang, one slab
of tin.)
"13. If a miner returns from work, bringing back with him some tin
sand, and discovers that somebody has eaten the cold rice which he
had left at home, he may claim from the delinquent one karong of tin
sand. The pawang adjudicates in the matter.
"14. An earthenware pot (priok) which is broken must be replaced
within three days. (Hukum pawang, one karong of tin sand.)
"15. No one may cross a race in which a miner is sluicing without
going some distance above him, up stream; if he does he incurs a
penalty of as much tin sand as the race contains at the moment,
payable to the owner of the race. The pawang adjudicates.
"16. A kris, or spear, at a mine, if without a sheath, must be
carefully wrapped in leaves, even the metal setting (simpei) must
be hidden. Spears may only be carried at the "trail." (Hukum pawang,
uncertain.)
"17. On the death of any miner, each of his comrades on that mine
pays to the pawang one chupak (penjuru) of tin sand.
"It will be noticed that the amount of the majority of these fines
is $12.50; this is half of the amount of the fine which, under the
Malay customary law, a chief could impose on a ra`iyat [453] for minor
offences. It is also the amount of the customary dowry in the case of a
marriage with a slave or with the widow or divorced wife of a ra`iyat.
"The Malay miner has peculiar ideas about tin and its properties;
in the first instance, he believes that it is under the protection
and command of certain spirits whom he considers it necessary to
propitiate; next he considers that the tin itself is alive and has many
of the properties of living matter, that of its own volition it can
move from place to place, that it can reproduce itself, and that it has
special likes--or perhaps affinities--for certain people and things,
and vice versa. Hence it is advisable to treat tin-ore with a certain
amount of respect, to consult its convenience, and what is, perhaps,
more curious, to conduct the business of mining in such a way that
the tin-ore may, as it were, be obtained without its own knowledge!"
Mr. Hale adds an interesting vocabulary of Malay mining terms from
which the following words are extracted as being specially connected
with the superstitions of the miners:--
Ancha.--A square frame 1' 6'' × 1' 6'', composed of strips of split
bamboo for the floor and four pieces of peeled wood for the sides. The
proper wood is kayu sungkei, [454] because it has flat even twigs and
leaves which lie flat and symmetrically; these must be bound together
with a creeper: rattan may not be used; it is hung to the tulang
bumbong [455] just under the attaps [456] of the smelting-shed; it
is used as an altar, the offerings made by the miners to the spirits
being placed on it.
Genggulang.--The platform or altar erected by the pawang at the
opening of a mine. It should be built entirely of kayu sungkei. The
wood is peeled, except the four branches which serve as posts; these
are only peeled up to the twigs and leaves, which are left on, about
4 feet 6 inches from the ground. At 3 feet 3 inches from the ground
a square platform of round peeled sticks, about 1 foot 3 inches each
way, is arranged; one foot above the level of the platform a sort
of railing is fixed round three sides of the square, and from the
open side a ladder with four steps reaches down to the ground; the
railing is carried down to the ground on each side of the ladder,
and supports a fringe of cocoa-nut leaves (jari-lipan). The whole
erection must be tied together with creepers; rattan must not be used.
Jari lipan.--A fringe made of the young white leaflets of the cocoa-nut
palm plaited together. [457]
Jampi.--The incantation of the pawang.
Kapala nasi.--A stake of peeled wood (kayu sungkei) stuck in the
ground; the top of this is split into four so as to support a platform
similar to that of the genggulang. Offerings are made upon it. [458]
Pantang burok mata.--The period of mourning observed when a death
occurs at a mine.
Mourning consists in abstention from work (in the case of a neighbour
or comrade) for three days, or, in the case of the death of the pawang,
penghulu kelian, or the feudal chief, for seven days. The expression is
derived from the supposition that in three days the eyes of a corpse
have quite disappeared. Chinese miners have a similar custom; whoever
goes to assist in the burial of a corpse must not only abstain from
work, but must not go near the mine or smelting furnace for three
days. [459]
Perasap.--Half a cocoa-nut shell, a cup, or any other vessel, in
which votive offerings of sweet-smelling woods and gums are burnt.
Sangka.--A receptacle in which to burn offerings of sweet woods and
gums; it is made of a stick of bamboo about three feet long, one end
being split and opened out to receive the charcoal; it is stuck in
the ground near races and heaps of tin sand. [460]
Tatin gulang.--The pawang's fee for the ceremony of erecting a
genggulang. [461]
The following notes on tin-mining in Selangor were contributed to
the Selangor Journal by Mr. J. C. Pasqual, a well-known local miner:--
"The Malay mining pawang will soon be a thing of the past, and many a
pawang has returned to tilling the soil in place of his less legitimate
occupation of imposing upon the credulity of the miners. The reason for
this is not far to seek, as the Malay miner, as well as the Chinese
miner, of the old school, with their thousand-and-one superstitions,
has given place to a more modern and matter-of-fact race, who place
more reliance for prospecting purposes on boring tools than on
the divination and jampi of the pawang. But the profession of the
pawang has not altogether died out, as he is sometimes called into
requisition for the purpose of casting out evil spirits from the mines;
of converting amang [462] (pyrites) into tin-ore, and of invoking the
spirits of a mine previous to the breaking of the first sod in a new
venture. These ceremonies generally involve the slaying of a buffalo,
a goat, or fowls, and the offering of betel-leaf, incense, and rice,
according to the means of the towkay lombong.
"The term pawang is now used by the Chinese to indicate the 'smelter'
(Chinese) of a mine (probably from the fact that this office was
formerly the monopoly of the Malay pawang).
"To the pawangs are attributed extraordinary powers, for besides
inducing tin-ore to continue or become plentiful in a mine, he
can cause its disappearance from a rich 'claim' by the inevitable
jampi, this latter resource being resorted to by way of revenge in
cases where the towkay lombong (or labor) fails to carry out his
pecuniary obligation towards the pawang whose aid he had invoked in
less prosperous times. Some of the stories told of the prowess of
pawangs are very ridiculous; for instance, a native lady in Ulu Langat
(for women are also credited with the pawang attributes), who was the
pawang of Sungei Jelok in Kajang, could command a grain of tin-ore to
crawl on the palm of her hand like a live worm. [463] The failure of
the Sungei Jelok mines was attributed to her displeasure on account
of an alleged breach of contract on the part of the towkay lombong.
"The term pawang is sometimes used as a verb in the sense of 'to
prospect' a sungei or stream; thus in alluding to certain streams or
mines, it is not uncommon to hear a Malay say that they have been
prospected (sudah di-pawangkan) by 'Inche' So-and-so--meaning that
the stream had been discovered and proved by a pawang prior to the
opening of the mines." [464]
In a later article Mr. Pasqual says: "It is believed that tin will
even on rare occasions announce its presence by a peculiar noise
heard in the stillness of night, and that some birds and insects by
their chirrupings and whirrings will proclaim its whereabouts." [465]
In a still later article, after briefly referring to the use of
the bhasa pantang, or "Taboo Language," by tin-miners in Selangor,
Mr. Pasqual proceeds:--
"There are, again, certain acts which are forbidden. In the mine,
especially if the karang [466] has not yet been removed, it is
forbidden to wear shoes or carry an umbrella. This rule, it seems,
originated with the coolies themselves, who in olden times insisted
that the Towkay Labur should take off his shoes and close his
umbrella whenever he visited the mine, so that, as they alleged,
the spirits might not be offended. But their real object was not to
allow him to pry too much into the mine, in case it might not bear
scrutiny; and thus, by depriving him of the protection from the sun
and from the rough mining quartz which would have been afforded by
the umbrella and shoes, they prevented him from going about here,
there, and everywhere, and making unpleasant inquiries, as he would
otherwise have liked to do.
"Quarrelling and fighting in the mine is strictly forbidden, as it
has a tendency to drive away the ore.
"Bathing in the mine is not allowed.
"A man must not work in the mine with only his bathing-cloth around
his body. He must wear trousers.
"If a man takes off his sun hat and puts it on the ground, he must
turn it over and let it rest upon its crown.
"Limes cannot be brought into the mine. This superstition is peculiar
to the Malay miner, who has a special dread of this fruit, which,
in pantang language, he calls salah nama (lit. 'wrong name') instead
of limau nipis.
"In looking at the check-roll it is forbidden to point at the names
with the finger. No one may examine the check-roll at night with an
open light, owing more probably to the fear of setting it on fire
than to superstitious prejudices.
"It is considered unlucky for a man to fall off the mining ladder,
for, whether he is hurt or not, he is likely to die within the year.
"An outbreak of fire in the mine is considered an omen of
prosperity. Several mines have been known to double or treble their
output of tin after the occurrence of a fire.
"It is unlucky for a coolie to die in the kongsi house. When,
therefore, a man is very sick and past all hopes of recovery, it is
customary to put him out of the house in an extempore hut erected in
the scrub, so that death may not take place in the kongsi amongst the
living. His chuleis [467] attend him during his last hours and bury
him when dead. These and other superstitious ideas and observances are,
however, fast dying out, though it would still be an unsafe experiment
to enter a mine with shoes on and an umbrella over your head." [468]
The remaining notes on mining ceremonies and charms were collected
by me in Selangor. On reaching the tin-bearing stratum, the tin-ore
is addressed by name:--
"Peace be with you, O Tin-Ore,
At the first it was dew that turned into water,
And water that turned into foam,
And foam that turned into rock,
And rock that turned into tin-ore;
Do you, O Tin-Ore, lying in a matrix of solid rock,
Come forth from this matrix of solid rock;
If you do not come forth
You shall be a rebel in the sight of God.
Ho, Tin-Ore, Sir 'Floating Islet,'
'Flotsam-at-sea,' and 'Flotsam-on-land,'
Do you float up to the surface of this my tank, [469]
Or you shall be a rebel to God," etc.
Sometimes each grain of ore appears to be considered as endowed with a
separate entity or individuality. Thus we find in another invocation
the following passage, where the wizard is addressing the grains
of ore:--
"Do You (Grains of Ore) that are on the Hills descend to the
Plains,
You that are at the Head-waters descend to Mid-stream,
You that are at the Estuary ascend to Mid-stream.
And assemble yourselves together in this spot.
Assemble yourselves together, 'Rice-grains' and 'Spinach-seed,'
'Tobacco-seed,' 'Millet,' and 'Wild Ginger-Seed,'
Assemble ye together in this spot.
I am desirous of excavating this spot,
And of making a mine here;
If ye do not assemble yourselves together
I shall curse you;
You shall be turned into dust, and turned into air,
And you shall also be turned into water."
The separate personality of each individual grain is remarkably clear
in the above passage. The names of the different kinds of seed are
in allusion to the various shapes and sizes of the grains of ore.
Yet in the very same charm various kinds of lizards and centipedes are
begged to "bring the tin-ore with them, some of them a grain or two,
some of them a fistful or two, some of them a gallon or two, some of
them a load or two," and so on. No doubt the wizard was determined
to allow the grains no loophole for escape.
The objects of the charms employed by the mining wizards are the
following:--
(1) To clear the jungle of evil spirits (and propitiate the good
ones?) before starting to fell, as is shown by the following passage:--
"O Grandfather King Solomon, Black King Solomon,
I desire to fell these woods,
But it is not I who am in charge of these woods,
It is Yellow King Solomon who is in charge of them,
And Red King Solomon who is in charge of them.
It is I who fell the jungle,
But only with the permission of those two persons.
Rise, rise, O Ye who watch it (the tin?),
[Here are] three 'chews' of betel for you, and three cigarettes,
O Maimurup, O Maimerah, O Gadek Hitam,
Si Gadek Hitam (Black Grannie) from Down-stream,
Si Gadek Kuning (Yellow Grannie) from Up-stream,
And Si Maimerah from Mid-stream."]
(Here some lines follow which are as yet untranslatable.)
"Retire ye and avaunt from hence,
If ye retire not from hence,
As you stride, your leg shall break,
As you stretch your hand out, your hand shall be crippled,
As you open your eye (to look), your eyeball shall burst,
Your eye stabbed through with a thorn of the T'rong Asam, [470]
And your hand pierced with the Sega jantan, [471]
And your finger-nails with Heart of Brazilwood.
Moreover, your tongue shall be slit with a bamboo splinter,
For thus was it sworn by 'Grandfather Sakernanaininaini' [472]
Into the leaf (of the) Putajaya,
Upon the summit of the mountain of Ceylon.
I know the origin from which you spring,
From the Black Blood and the Red,
That was your origin.
We are two sons of one father, but with different inheritances;
In my charge is Gold and Tin-ore,
In yours are Rocks and Sand,
With chaff and bran."
(2) To clear evil spirits away from the ground before commencing
the work of excavation. The charm for this is given in the Appendix,
but is little more than a list of names.
(3) To propitiate the local spirits and induce the tin-ore to show
itself, when the tin-bearing stratum is reached, by means of the
charm quoted above.
(4) To induce the spirits to partake of a banquet which is spread
for them in a receptacle intended to be the model of a royal
audience-chamber.
This, the "spirits' audience-chamber" (as it is called), is usually
from two to three feet square, and is filled with offerings similar in
character to those usually deposited on the sacrificial tray (anchak),
with the addition, however, of certain articles which are considered
to be specially representative of the miners' food. These articles are
sugar-cane, plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, and fish, etc.; all of
which should be placed together with the customary offerings in the
"spirits' audience-chamber." Outside the "audience-hall," at each of
the two front corners, should be placed a red and a white flag and
a wax taper; and at each of the two back corners should be placed a
taper, making in all four flags and seven tapers.
A standard censer (perasapan) must be erected in front of the
"audience-chamber," and a second small censer must also be obtained,
so that burning incense may be "waved" to and fro underneath the floor
of the audience-chamber in order to fumigate it before the offerings
are deposited inside it.
During the fumigation a charm is recited, in which the assistance
of the spirits of certain canonized Muhammadan worthies is invoked,
concluding thus:--
"Peace be with you, O White Sheikh, wizard of the virgin jungle,
Wizards old, and wizards young,
Come hither and share the banquet I have prepared for you.
I crave pardon for all mistakes,
For all shortcomings I beg pardon in every particular."
Then when the tapers are all lighted and the offerings ready, a
further charm is recited, which begins as follows:--
"Ho, White Sheikh, king of the virgin jungle,
It is you to whom belong all people of the jungle and virgin
forest,
Do you, whose back is turned towards heaven,
Give your orders to all the Elders of the earth and Princes who
are here,
You who here hold the position of Indra,
Come hither and partake of my banquet.
I wish to ask for your assistance,
I wish to open (excavate) this mine." [473]
The chief taboos are the killing of any sort of living creature within
the mine; to wear a sarong (Malay skirt); to bring into the mine the
skin of any beast; and to wear shoes or use an umbrella within the
mine. These are some of the perpetual taboos, but no doubt there are
many others.
In the case of a sacrifice, however, the white buffalo may of course be
killed, not within the mine itself, but still upon its brink; and when
this is done, the head is buried, and small portions (which must be
"representative" of every part of the carcase) should be taken and
deposited in the "audience-chamber."
Among the seven days' taboos are mentioned the killing of any living
timber (within the precincts of the mine?), lewdness, and the praising
or admiring of the "grass seed" (puji buah rumput), which is the name
by which the tin-ore must invariably be called within the precincts
of the mine. This last taboo is due to the use of a special mining
vocabulary to which the greatest attention was formerly paid, and
which did not differ very greatly from that used in Perak.
Another account of the ceremony runs as follows; I give it word for
word as I took it down from my Malay informant:--
"Take five portions of cooked and five portions of uncooked fowls,
both white and black, together with black pulut rice, [474] millet-seed
(sekoi), seeds of the chebak China, etc. etc. When all is ready, burn
incense, scatter the black rice with the right hand over the bottom of
a tray, i.e. an anchak (such as is used for offerings to the spirits),
fumigate and deposit the offerings in five portions upon this layer
of rice (one portion going to each corner and one to the middle of
the tray). Take black cloth, five cubits long, fumigate it, and wave
it thrice round the head with the right hand from left to right,
repeating the following invocation (serapah):--
"O Grandfather 'Batin' [475] the Elder,
In whose charge are caverns and hill-locked basins,
O Grandfather 'Batin' the Younger,
In whose charge are all these your civil and military companies,
May the Ore which is on the Hills descend to the Plain,
May that which is Up-stream descend to Mid-stream,
And that which is Down-stream ascend to Mid-stream,
Assemble you together, O Ores, in this spot;
It is not I who call you,
It is Grandfather Batin the Elder who calls you,
It is Batin the Younger who calls you,
It is the Elder Wizard who calls you,
It is the Younger Wizard who calls you,
Assemble yourselves together, Rubbish and Trash,
House-lizards, 'Kalerik,' Centipedes, and Millipedes,
And partake of my banquet.
Let whosoever comes bring me ore,
A ketong [476] or two,
A fistful or two,
An arai [477] or two,
A gallon or two,
A basket or two,
Assemble yourselves together, Boiled Rice-seed,
Spinach-seed, Tobacco-seed, Millet-seed, Wild Ginger-seed,
Assemble yourselves together in this spot.
I wish to excavate this spot,
I wish to open a mine:
If you do not come, if you do not gather yourselves together,
I shall curse you;
You shall turn into dust, into air, and into water.
By virtue of the magic arts of my teacher be my petition granted.
It is not I who petition,
It is the Elder Wizard who petitions,
It is the Younger Wizard who petitions.
By the grace of 'There is no god but God,'" etc.
The foregoing descriptions of mining ceremonies and charms refer to
tin only, but in so far as general animistic ideas go, they might be
equally well applied to other metals, such as silver and gold.
It has already been remarked that as the Tin spirit is believed
to take the form of a buffalo, so the Gold spirit is said to take
the form of a golden roe-deer (kijang). Of the ceremonies which the
Malays believe to be essential for successful gold-mining, not much information has yet been published. In Denys' Descriptive Dictionary, however, we read the following:-- |
|
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기