4. MINERALS AND MINING CHARMS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Skeat, Walter William
Si Gadek Hitam (Black Grannie) from Down-stream,
Si Gadek Kuning (Yellow Grannie) from Up-stream,
And Si Maimerah from Mid-stream.”]
(Here some lines follow which are as yet untranslatable.)
“Retire ye and avaunt from hence,
If ye retire not from hence,
As you stride, your leg shall break,
As you stretch your hand out, your hand shall be crippled,
As you open your eye (to look), your eyeball shall burst,
Your eye stabbed through with a thorn of the T’rong Asam,261
And your hand pierced with the Sĕga jantan,262
And your finger-nails with Heart of Brazilwood.
Moreover, your tongue shall be slit with a bamboo splinter,
For thus was it sworn by ‘Grandfather Sakernanaininaini’263
Into the leaf (of the) Putajaya,
Upon the summit of the mountain of Ceylon.
I know the origin from which you spring,
From the Black Blood and the Red,
That was your origin.
We are two sons of one father, but with different inheritances;
In my charge is Gold and Tin-ore,
In yours are Rocks and Sand,
With chaff and bran.”
(2) To clear evil spirits away from the ground before commencing the work of excavation. The charm for this is given in the Appendix, but is little more than a list of names.
(3) To propitiate the local spirits and induce the tin-ore to show itself, when the tin-bearing stratum is reached, by means of the charm quoted above.
(4) To induce the spirits to partake of a banquet which is spread for them in a receptacle intended to be the model of a royal audience-chamber.
This, the “spirits’ audience-chamber” (as it is called), is usually from two to three feet square, and is filled with offerings similar in character to those usually deposited on the sacrificial tray (anchak), with the addition, however, of certain articles which are considered to be specially representative of the miners’ food. These articles are sugar-cane, plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, and fish, etc.; all of which should be placed together with the customary offerings in the “spirits’ audience-chamber.” Outside the “audience-hall,” at each of the two front corners, should be placed a red and a white flag and a wax taper; and at each of the two back corners should be placed a taper, making in all four flags and seven tapers.
A standard censer (pĕrasapan) must be erected in front of the “audience-chamber,” and a second small censer must also be obtained, so that burning incense may be “waved” to and fro underneath the floor of the audience-chamber in order to fumigate it before the offerings are deposited inside it.
During the fumigation a charm is recited, in which the assistance of the spirits of certain canonized Muhammadan worthies is invoked, concluding thus:—
“Peace be with you, O White Sheikh, wizard of the virgin jungle,
Wizards old, and wizards young,
Come hither and share the banquet I have prepared for you.
I crave pardon for all mistakes,
For all shortcomings I beg pardon in every particular.”
Then when the tapers are all lighted and the offerings ready, a further charm is recited, which begins as follows:—
“Ho, White Sheikh, king of the virgin jungle,
It is you to whom belong all people of the jungle and virgin forest,
Do you, whose back is turned towards heaven,
Give your orders to all the Elders of the earth and Princes who are here,
You who here hold the position of Indra,