The Opelousas courier., 1904-06-11
BELIEFS OF THE HALAYS.
SOME sUPERsTITIONS ARE OLDER
THAN MOHAMMEDANiSM.

-
The Fabulous Bird Jintayu and His
Imagined Longing fer Rain-A
Swarm of Bees Brings Good LUCK
Where 1t Settles.
Many people in Singapore are more
or less interested just now IN the
thirty days fast, yearly undertaken
by all followers of. the 1slem faith,
say the Straits Times. IN these
days of modern luxuries and good
living it would seem an anomaly TO
reside in the midst Of a people VINO
vigorously abstain from meat ana
drink, from sunrise to sunset, our
ing one entire month of the year. 1t
is noseasy matter for a native who is
sMorkypg all day in the broiling sun
hto do'so without even moistening his
aips Nth water. There have been
leases Aov1 in which 5soo+ a r Malay a as
take mto Nine frtfn hiFemaster, until
assured 4 "a and over again that it
would beItqES's will that he should
cure his h1NfKby drinking that med
icine. mn
Accommodation is nearly related
to ChristianittkaRsmuch as it recog-
nizes the mira Nixeachirg and Mes
siaship of Chrl ;Ssand by means OF
the Koran it "%smands a very
high state of mor2e be observed,
and has obtained a(Nonderful hold
over the Malay raceaA<The weather
last week in Singapor9\\ appears to
have been almost anomalous in this
part. The fasting Malays we're GER
tainly not scorched by thenheat of
the sun. but they could re-esho the
words Of the Ancient Mariner, 'Water
everywhere, but not a drop to dl AK.
Europeans sometimes find it hard to
recognize the fact that the Malays
have been converted to Mohammedan-
ism, being before that believers in
| the Hindoo religion, and before that
again, worshippers of Dyak idols.
A cursory inspection of the hideous
hwooden gods in Raffles Museum, and
the implements used by magicians in
the Native States gives a very clear
idea of the Malay'5 original upbring-
ing.
Some of the old superstitions and
folk lore still cling to the natives
here. For instance, they believe in a
fabulous bird called the jintayu, and
on his ims2;ned longing for rain have
founded a proyerb which refers to
people who are full of anxiety and
respondent. They say, LAS the jim
tayu awaits the rain" II would sup
pose the jintayu was fully satisfied
this season.
Malays have very much the same
ideas of bad and good luck signs as
prevail in other countries. If one
teiSs on the steps of his house or
knocks his head against the Intel
when starting for a journey he delays
a day, if possible, for the accident
portends death. Fearful i'll luck will
attend a native who starts on a jour,
ney in the rain, for the rain signifies
tears: there must be many unlucky
people in Singapore these days.
AS a swarm Of bees settling on OF
near a house in the home country
brings good luck, so the result is the
very opposite in Malay districts. A
bird flying into a Malay house de
cidedly benefits the %occupier, for. il
caught, smeared with oil and com
manded to fly away with all the il
luck and misfortunes of the house, al
will be we'll.
The Malays possess a p%oetical ma
the writing of poetry as an art to BIZ
aspired to by anybody.
Short couplets are their delight, es
pecially those with a little mora
meaning attached. One founded OF
the weather tendJ to comfort a per
son who has been t;Pdly treated. NOV
it is wet, now it is fine. A day will
come for retaliation" Then again, O
lovers they say: GAS the owl sigh!
longingly for the moon" A young ant
pretty bride they speak of as bein!
Like a sarong not yet uGfolded," al
apt illustration when one thinks o
the bright colors of new sarong.
It seems a pity that many would-b
searchers into native folk lore and Gu
J rious superstitions are so imbued wit
/ the idea that the Malay is, and Away
| has been, a Mohammedan, that the
think it practically useless to invest
t gate, for the Mohammedan religio,
. pure and simple leaves no room TO
: these excrescences. In Singapore W
e see Malay cottages around us, her
and there, yet few know the superst
lions prevailing with regard to tn
8 building of these habitations. For II
r stance, If the steps in front are b
an unlucky chance placed exactly III
: der the centre rafters, 1t will mea
quarrels and fighting under the roo
A visitor to n of these dwelling
n Eaust never lean against the step
q when talking; that would entail a fl
neral from the house. This weird NJ
ton arises from the fact that coffin
are handed to men at the bottom {
the steps.
n