[144] Studies in Brown Humanity, p. 46. [↑]
[145] Bintang, a star, means “the eye” in Malay ghost language. [↑]
[146] About ⅚ lb. avoirdupois. [↑]
[147] A maiam is 1/16th of a bungkal and equal to 52 grains. [↑]
[148] The peeling-knife (pisau raut) is mentioned because it is dreaded by the demons, who hurt themselves (it is alleged) by treading on one end of it, when, owing to its curved blade, the other end flies up and wounds them. Such spirits as the Wild Huntsman are specially mentioned as being afraid of it. Vide p. 118, supra. [↑]
[149] Swettenham, Malay Sketches, pp. 208–210. [↑]
[150] This is a description of Malay dancing from the European point of view; the reason of the “undoubted fascination which it has for the Malays” being no doubt the fact that for them it has a real meaning, which by Europeans (like that of the Malay four-rhymed stanza or pantun) is quite inadequately understood. [↑]
[152] The attitude is that obtained by transferring the body directly from a kneeling to a sitting position. [↑]