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
No doubt the names of many more of the subordinate angels might
be collected, as we are repeatedly told that they are forty-four
in number.
Of the prophets (Nabi) there are an indefinite number, the title
being applied to many of the more prominent characters who figure in
our own Old Testament (as well as in the Koran), but who would not
by ourselves be considered to possess any special qualifications for
prophetic office. Among the more famous of these I may mention (after
Muhammad and his immediate compeers) the prophet Solomon (sometimes
considered--no doubt owing to his unrivalled reputation for magical
skill--as the king of the Genii, whose assistance the hunter or
trapper is continually invoking); the prophet David, celebrated for
the beauty of his voice; and the prophet Joseph, celebrated for the
beauty of his countenance. Besides these (and others of the same type),
there is a group of minor prophets whose assistance is continually
invoked in charms; these are the prophet Tap (Tetap or Ketap?),
"lord of the earth;" the prophet Khailir (Khaithir or Khizr), "lord
of water;" the prophet Noah, "lord of trees;" and the prophet Elias,
"planter of trees."
Khizr is often confounded with Elias. He discovered and drank of
the fountain of life (whence his connection with water), and will
consequently not die till the last trump.
Next to the prophets comes the "Sultan" (Sultan), or "King" (Malik),
both of which Arabic titles, however, are somewhat rarely used by Malay
magicians. Still we find such expressions as Sa-Raja (Sang-Raja?) Malik
(King of Kings) applied to Batara Guru.
Next to these royal honorifics comes the title of "Headman" or
"Sheikh."
There are, it is usually stated, four of these Sheikhs who are
"penned" (di-kandang) in the Four Corners of the Earth respectively,
and whose names are `Abdul Kadir, `Abdul Muri, a third whose name is
not mentioned, and `Abdul `Ali. [172]
Sometimes they are called "Sheikh `Alam" (or Si Putar `Alam), and
are each said to reside "within a ring-fence of white iron." Hence
we obtain a perfectly intelligible meaning for the expression, "Ask
pardon of the Four Corners of the World," i.e. of the Sheikhs who
reside therein, though the phrase sounds ridiculous enough without
such explanation.
The only other Arabic title which is perhaps worth noticing here
[173] is that of "Priest" (Imam), which we find somewhat curiously
used in an invocation addressed to the sea-spirit. "Imam An Jalil is
the name of the 'Priest of the Sea.'"
In the invocation addressed to the Sea-spirit we find the expression:--
"Jungle-chief of the World is the name of the Old Man of the Sea."
There can, however, be little doubt that this "Old Man of the Sea"
is a mere synonym for Batara Guru.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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