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
As soon as this rhyme is finished the two outside boys make off as
fast as they can, pursued by the "pole-cat," who is allowed to give
a really good bite (in the arm) to the first person he overtakes.
Main Tunggul.--This game I saw played with four boys a side. A
boy was selected to represent the tunggul or stump, and took up his
position at a little distance (about half-way between the two parties
as they stood facing each other a few yards apart). Up to the stump
(tunggul) a boy from each of the sides alternately ran and whispered
the name of a boy belonging to the opposite party. This whispering
was continued until the names of the two boys selected happened to
agree, the tunggul then making a gesture, at which the boys of one
of the sides crossed over and carried back on their shoulders the
boys belonging to the opposite side.
Kuching (the Cat Game) was a mere guessing game. The "guesser,"
or witness (saksi), stood at a little distance with his face turned
away whilst another boy was selected to play "puss," and yet another
boy was permitted to twitch him on the ear or wherever else he might
prefer. Then the "witness" was told to turn round, and going up to the
"cat" he made his guess.
Sorok-sorok is merely the Malay equivalent of our hide-and-seek,
with the exception that whereas hide-and-seek may be played by day as
well as by night, the game of sorok-sorok should properly be played
at night alone.
Main Galah Panjang.--A square of ground is marked out into four
quarters by a cross (as in the accompanying figure), and on it a game
not unlike our own "Tom Tiddler's Ground" is played (by three players
on each side). The name means the "Long Pole" game.
Another child's game is called Sanebang, and is played as follows:--
Two players sit down on the floor facing each other and chant the
following rhyme, one of them lightly touching the other's left arm
in time to the music:--
Sanebang sanebu Sanebang! sanebu!
Kuala Sambau At the mouth of the (river) Sambau
Ujan bunut In the drizzling rain
Mandi katong Bathes the Katong, [711]
Sentak pelok Twitch and embrace
Tangan Tuan Putri The Princess's hand.
The well-known game called Sapu-sapu 'Ringin I have seen played
as follows:--
Two players sit down on the floor opposite each other, with their legs
stretched out straight in front of them and their hands in their laps,
and join in singing these lines:--
Sapu-sapu beringin, Brush, brush the banyan-tree,
Katimbun dayong-dayong, A pile of oars lies stacked;
Datang 'Che Aji Lebai Here comes 'Che Aji Lebai
Bawa buaya kudong. Bringing a maimed crocodile:
Kudong kaki, kudong tangan, Maimed in foot and maimed in hand,
Tiada buleh berpulangan. It can't go home again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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