Malay Magic: Being an introduction to the folklore and popular religion of the Malay PeninsulaSkeat, Walter William
Religion
Malay Magic: Being an introduction to the folklore and popular religion of the Malay Peninsula
Skeat, Walter William
Magic -- Malay Peninsula; Malays (Asian people) -- Folklore; Malays (Asian people) -- Social life and customs
"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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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