Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-12-01
MALAY EVIL SPIRITS
THE "SPECTER HuNTSMAN" THE
MOST DREADED OF THEM ALL.


MOST DREADED OF THEM ALL.
Another Vampire, the PennnggaIan,
Is Reputed to Suck the Blood Of
Childrcn-spfrits Play "a Large Part
In the Practice of Medicine.
The world Of the magician, the realm
where the supernatural and the real
exist with equal actuality in the minds
of mankind, is constantly diminishing.
Even Bagdad and Cairo, ancient homes
OF wonderful caliphs and innumerable
genii, whose miracles fill the pages of
"The Arabian Nights" have yielded
\ &c he onslaught of civilization, and
ancient spirits, like discarded political
platforms, no longer challenge interest
or excite respect. 1t is accordingly
of more than passing significance to
find in the pages of a new volume by
w. W. Skeat of the civil service of the
federated Malay states an account Of
Malay magic descriptive of the popu-
lar religion and folklore of a land
where ghosts have still some honor in
their own Sountry and spirits yet rule
with occult power.
Between man and the spirits the Ma
lay chooses a special ambassador
whose official existence is as certain as
that of the medicine man of the North
American Indian. Steamship whistles
have tended to diminish his prestige
along the shore, where the ships of
Europe sail, but inland he maintains
his primitive authority. distinct from
that of the Mohammedan clergy. This
pawang, as his title runs, is frequent
ly a hereditary official, and certain
small fees are his by right. In case Of
good crops, the result, of course, of his
i~ntercession with the spirits, he re-
ceives a magnificent fee of ~ cents.
Every pawang has his own particu-
lar spirit, whose influence he can al
ways command, and works through
him to secure favors at the headquar-
tiers Of all the spirits. The pawaDg
may wear yellow robes, which the Ma
lay reserves for royalty, has certain
regalia Of his own and in general has
privileges of great significance. He
acts as a spirit medium, and each has
his peculiar speciality, as they say IL,
vaudeville. For example. n claimed
that he could raise up sand bars In the
face OF hostile fleets.
The charms of the pawang, however,
are for the most part for use against
the evil spirits, the spiritual foes that
populate the midair of the Malay. The
voice of birds at night in the Malay
peninsula, as In the world generally, is
regarded as i'll omened, and the boot Of
a certain owl In the Malay mind pre-
sages the koyab Kapan-that is; the
tearing of cloth'-for a shroud, and the
household which hears this note in
stantly summons the pawang to avert
the danger. But another bird. the ba-
berek, Is wen more an evil omen The
peasant who hears 1t brings forth a
wooden platter and, beating on 1t, fear
fully ~incants:
"Great-grandfathe.. bring us their
hearts" For the baberek travels in the
encourage Of the "Specter Huntsman."
most fearful of Malay evil spirits.
In days long past, SO the legend goes,
there lived a man whose wife during
pregnancy expressed the desire for a
taste Of the flesh of the ous deer,
and her husband set forth to seek 1t.
But the wife made SO many unusual
conditions with regard to the way the
deer should be taken that the hunter
husband never found it, and SO. with
weapons. dogs and with his son, the
~Specter Huntsman," wanders forever,
and, nourishing an ancient grievance
against mankind, Is the most fearful
OF evil spirits So, of nights. when the
Malay hears the baberek calling out
IN the darkness he recalls the words
Of the huntsman hat these notes would
be the sign Of his presence and sum-
mons the pawang to murmur the end
less nominations intended to neutralize
the evil effects Of the visitation.
Even when he goes forth to snare the
Wild fowl the Malay proceeds according
60 rules laid down by the practice of
the lore Of the pawang. He builds q
conical hut with Z rallied Enclosure be-
fore II, an Enclosure rejoicing in the
ZANE Of King solomon's palace yard,