Malay Magic / Being an introduction to the folklore and popular religion of the Malay Peninsula

by Walter William Skeat

Fig. 2. Pillow-ends.

Patterns used for decorating the ends of the wedding pillows.

Page 378.

The bride’s hair is done up in a roll (sanggul) and this is surmounted with a head-dress of artificial flowers (called g’rak gĕmpa), cut out of p’rada kresek (“crackling tinsel”) and raised on fine wires; her forehead is bound with a band or fillet of tinsel—gold-leaf (p’rada Siam) being used by the rich—which is called tĕkan kundei, and is carried round by the fringe of the hair (gigi rambut) down to the top of each ear (pĕlipis)[84]; for the rest the bride is clad in a “wedding jacket” (baju pĕngantin), which has tight-fitting sleeves extending down to the wrist, or sleeves with gathers (simak) over the arm, and which is generally made of “flowered satin” (siten bĕrbunga) in the case of the rich, or of cloth dyed red with kasumba[85] (kain kasumba) in the case of the poorer classes. This “wedding jacket” fits tightly round the neck, has a gold border (pĕndĕpun ’mas), is fastened with two or three gold buttons, and fits closely to the person; the wealthy add a necklace or crescent-shaped breast-ornament (rantei mĕrjan or dokoh) round the bride’s neck. She also wears bracelets (g’lang) and ear-rings (subang) and perhaps anklets, of five different metals (kĕronchong panchalogam). A silk sarong, which takes the place of a skirt, and is girt about the waist with a waist-cord (but not usually, in Southern Selangor, fastened with belt and buckle), and a pair of silk trousers, complete her attire.

The groom, on the other hand, is clad in his best jacket and trousers, with the Malay skirt (sarong), fastened at the side, and girt above the knee (kain kĕmbang). His head is adorned with the sigar, a peculiar head-dress of red cloth arranged turbanwise, with a peak on the right-hand side, from which artificial flowers (gunjei) depend, and which preserves its shape through being stuffed with cotton-wool. Its border is decorated with tinsel, and it has a gold fringe (kida-kida). Besides this head-dress the bridegroom has a small bunch of artificial flowers (sunting-sunting) stuck behind each ear, whilst two similar bunches are stuck in the head-dress (one on the right and the other on the left).

Bridegrooms, however, who belong to the richer classes wear what is called a lester (=destar?), whilst former Sultans of Selangor are said to have worn a gold cap (songkok leleng), which is reputed to have contained eighteen bongkal[86] (or bungkal) of gold.

The remainder of the company are of course merely dressed in their best clothes.

The “Rice of the Presence” (nasi adap-adap) is now prepared for what is called the astakona or sĕtakona, which may be described as a framework with an octagonal ground-plan, built in three tiers, and made of pulai or mĕranti or other light wood; it has a small mast (tiang) planted in the centre, with cross pieces (palang-palang) in each of the upper stories to keep it in its place; the framework is supported by four corner-posts, on which it is raised about a foot and a half from the floor. The box thus formed is filled to the top with “saffron rice” (nasi kunyit), and in the rice at the top are planted the aforesaid coloured eggs. Into a hole at the top of the mast is fitted the end of a short rattan or cane, which is split into four branches, each of which again is split into three twigs, whilst on the end of each twig is stuck one of the coloured eggs (tĕlor joran), an artificial flower, and an ornamental streamer of red paper called layer,[87] which is cut into all sorts of artistic and picturesque patterns.

The sĕtakona is erected in front of the pĕlamin, on which the bride takes her seat at about 4 P.M. to await the coming of the bridegroom, the members of her own bridal party, including the Muhammadan priest or Imām, continuing the zikir maulud in the reception room at frequent intervals from 9 A.M. until the bridegroom’s arrival. The arrangements are completed by placing ready for the bridegroom the “Bridal Mat” (lapik nikah), which consists of a mat of screw-palm leaves (or in the case of a Raja, a small quilt, embroidered in the manner called jong sarat) five cubits of white cloth, which are rolled up and put on one side, and a tray of betel.