Book
The Malay magician: being shaman, Saiva and Sufi
Routledge and Kegan Paul • London • Published In 1961 • Pages:
By: Winstedt, Richard.
Abstract
This source is a study of magic as it exists in the Federation of Malay in general and more specifically as it exists in the Malay States of Kelantan, Perak, Pahang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan. Some references are also made to the magic of Patani, a northern Malay State belonging to Siam. Tied up with the concept of magic is the Malay magician, and his many functions and roles in the society are discussed in detail, with special emphasis on his activities in weather control, curing of the sick, instruction in the 'correct' pronouncement of spells and in the 'proper' method of sacrifice, and finally in his capacity as a dealer in magical charms and amulets to solace unhappy lovers. In addition to the above, information is also to be found on animism, gods, spirits and ghosts, the effects of Hinduism on Malay religion and magic, the ritual of the rice-field, and shamanistic séances, and sacrifices. Two appendices present the native texts of passages quoted throughout this source, and additional notes on various aspects of Malay culture not fully discussed in the text. The author's general orientation in this work seems to be to employ historical and comparative data to disentangle the pagan, Hindu and Moslem elements one from another in a complex system of magic.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2010
- Region
- Asia
- Sub Region
- Southeast Asia
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Government Official
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 1963
- Field Date
- No date
- Coverage Date
- 1900-1951
- Coverage Place
- Malaysia
- Notes
- [by] Richard Winstedt
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- LCCN
- 83123502
- LCSH
- Malays (Asian people)