Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

GENERAL REMARKS 409
"was" and "pawer" of the combs) are not in all
cases divisible as they would be on the combs.'
The chief difference, however, appears to be that
in the case of the combs the main Disease-pattern is
always to be found in the centre, whereas both in the
blowpipe patterns and in those of the quivers and
charm-tubes the central panel is often a blank one.
The fact alleged by Vaughan-Stevens, that in blow-
pipe patterns of the kind the upper pattern serves to
protect the men from epidemics, and the lower the
women {sic), suggests to his editor the possible applica-
tion of some such explanation to the upper and lower
patterns of the quivers and charm-tubes. On the
other hand, the central patterns that some of these
very quivers and charm-tubes possess are explained
by the same authority as charms directed against the
Diseases that attack the men only. Finally, even
the division of the ring-lines into groups can be of
no very special significance, as they are sometimes
distributed at equal distances over the whole bamboo.-'
Biiriai Bamboos.
The Semang " gu' " and burial bamboos are of
no account as charms. '
On
the former the mytho-
logical designs and emblems connected with the
Putto (of whom only the tradition remains that they
were once an order of greater chiefs and servants of
the god Pie) were incised, and the latter have now
passed to the Sna-hut. Four myth bamboos were
obtained from the Sna-hut hy Vaughan - Stevens,
together with the interpretation of their patterns.
' Z.f. E. XXV. 71-100. - //'. described as being available as a chaiin
' See, however, Gu' IV., which is against water-snakes.