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
"On Thursday afternoon the bride, dressed in her best, with her
father and relations, received the Resident, who was accompanied by
Mrs. Birch, the Senior District Officer and Mrs. Turney, Captain and
Mrs. Syers, Mr. Edwards, and many other ladies and gentlemen. Cakes
and preserves were served, of which the ladies and gentlemen present
partook. Then the bridegroom arrived, seated in an open carriage with
a groom'sman on each side of him, while one, carrying the Royal silk
umbrella, kindly lent by H.H. the Sultan, went before him.
"The procession was headed by one of the Royal spears, and two
more were carried before the bridegroom and two behind him, and so,
accompanied by the Selangor Band, kindly lent by the Resident, and
by a crowd of people singing and beating gongs and drums, he was
conveyed to the bride's house. His arrival was greeted with showers
of rice, and he was seated, together with the bride, on the dais,
where they, with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Birch, helped each
other to partake of yellow rice.
"So the marriage was completed satisfactorily, and then, as it
was evening, the Resident and Mrs. Birch, and the other ladies and
gentlemen present, returned to Kuala Lumpur; the people who remained
amusing themselves with dagger dances (main dabus).
"On Friday evening the bride and bridegroom left for Jugra in the
Esmeralda, which had been lent by the Resident, to pay their respects
to H.H. the Sultan, returning to Klang on Saturday.
"On the same afternoon the ceremony of the bath was performed, to
the great satisfaction of every one present, and was kept up till
six o'clock, by which time every one was wet through.
"This was the last ceremony in connection with the marriage, and then
every one wished the bride and bridegroom much happiness." [633]
The following account was translated by the writer:--
"Preparations for the wedding of Inche Halimah, daughter of Sheikh
`Abdul Mohit Baktal, and Said `Abdul Rahman Al Jafri, commenced on
Monday, the 2nd of August 1895.
"The mosquito-curtain, tapestries and canopies were suspended,
and decorations, including the marriage furniture (peti betuah dan
bangking), arranged. Moreover, the bridal couch was adorned with
decorations of gold and mattresses raised one above the other,
one with a facing of gold and the other with a facing of silver,
and four pillows with gold facings, and five piled-up pillows with
silver facings; and the kitchen apparatus was got ready, including
ten pans and coppers of the largest size, and the sheds for those
who were to cook rice and the meats eaten therewith. On this day,
moreover, a buffalo was sent by Towkay Teck Chong, with the full
accompaniments of music, and so forth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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