Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vol. VII,
(vi) Women, while making the yeast tragi) for tapai
cakes, must not see a corpse, or, when they are
made, fermentation of the flour will not ensue.
(From a Malay oi Kampong Linggi. Negri
Sembilan).
(vii) According to Province Welleslej Malays fire-flies
are the clippings from peoples' finger nails.
viiii If you think that you have seen a ghost, you must
spit three times, in order that no evil results may
follow. (From a Province Wellesley Malay).
(ix) A couple of nights after the death of the late Sultan
Ahmad of Pahang (May, 1914) there was a bad
storm of wind in Taiping. This was considered
by all the Malays living in the town as a sign
of the Sultan's passing.
(x) If a cock and a hen copulate on the roof of a Malay
house, they are caught and killed. Both are
then skinned and the skins placed on slender
poles planted in the ground, one on each side of
a path. A cross piece is often tied to the upright,
a little way from the top, in order that the skin
of the body may be spread over it, while the head
and neck of each bird rest on the end of the
upright. The flesh of the birds is eaten by the
people of the house. The action is said to be
chelaka, i.e. unchancy. (1 saw two or three
instances of crucifixion of this kind when in
Upper Perak in 1913.
\x\) If a man washes his hands and in shaking the drops
from them (to dry them) splashes a companion,
the latter says. " Lcpas kali ?" (i.e. " Do you release
me ?"). To this the man who has been washing
must reply " Lepas" (i.e. I release you,. If this
were not done the sins (dosa^ of the man who
washed his hands would cling to the man who
was splashed. (I saw a man so splashed, and
heard the above question and answer in 1916.
The explanation was given to me by a Province
Wellesle)' Malay, one of the men concerned).
(xii) After the boria performances (connected originally
with the deaths of Hasan and Husain, but now
more or less comic entertainments given by bands
of Penang or Province Wellesley Malay youths,
who visit the houses of the wealthy in the month
Muharram) all those who have taken part in a
boria go after the last performance to bathe
ceremonially in order to rid themselves of the bad
luck [buang-kan sial.) which attaches to them as
having part in a dramatic performance. At Taiping
in Peiak the boria performers bathe at the