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 the seventh day a similar feast (called kanduri menujoh hari) is
followed by the tahalil, which necessitates a further distribution of
fees (sedekah tahalil); but in the case of poor people this second
tahalil may be omitted, or the master of the house may say to the
company, "I ask (to be let off) the praying fees" (Sahya minta'
sedekah tahalil), in which case the tahalil is free.
Yet another feast is held on the fourteenth day (kanduri dua kali
tujoh hari), when the ceremonies are at end, except in the case of
the richer classes who keep the kanduri ampat puloh hari, or forty
days' feast, and the kanduri meratus hari, or 100 days' feast, whilst
the anniversary is also kept as a holiday by all who wish to show
respect for the deceased. This closes the usual funeral ceremonies,
but a day is generally chosen at pleasure in the month of Ramthan or
Maulud for the purpose of offering prayers and feasting the ancestors.
The only difference made in the case of the death of a woman is that
the washing of the corpse devolves upon women, whilst in the case
of very young infants the talkin is sometimes omitted. The woman's
nisan, as has been explained, is distinguished by its shape. [650]
The temporary nisan may be replaced by a permanent one at any time
after the funeral. At the time the grave is made up, four planks
(dapor-dapor), with the upper edges and ends roughly carved and
scalloped, are placed round the grave mound (tanah mati) to keep the
earth from falling down. Whenever the grave is thus finally made up
a feast is held, but from the necessities of the case this pious duty
is generally left to the rich.
8. MEDICINE
"The successful practice of (Malay) medicine must be based on the
fundamental principle of 'preserving the balance of power' among the
four elements. This is chiefly to be effected by constant attention to,
and moderation in, diet. To enforce these golden precepts, passages
from the Koran are plentifully quoted against excess in eating or
drinking. Air, they say, is the cause of heat and moisture, and earth
of cold and dryness. They assimilate the constitution and passions
of man to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and the seven planets, etc."
"The mysterious sympathy between man and external nature ... was the
basis of that system of supernatural magic which prevailed in Europe
during the Middle Ages." [651]
The foregoing quotation shows that the distinctive features of the
Aristotelian hygienic theory, as borrowed by the Arabs, did eventually
filter through (in some cases) until they reached the Malays. Such
direct references, however, to Greek theories are of the rarest
character, and can hardly be considered typical.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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