Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

II
igi5.] I. H. N. Evans: Sakai of the Ulu Sungkat. 95
To make a grave a rectangular pit is dug to a depth of a man's
breast and a cave-like excavation sufficient to contain the
body is then made in one side of it. The corpse, which is
wrapped in mats, is put into this, and the mouth of it closed
up by driving stakes into the bottom of the pit and stretching
a sheet of tree bark between the stakes and the mouth of the
burial niche. The hole is then filled in and the deceased's
belongings and food and tobacco placed on the top of the
grave.
[This information was obtained from Yok Pataling, but
one of the youths of the Ungkun settlement, whom I brought
to Taiping, afterwards contradicted the statements about the
position in burial saying that the corpse was put on its back
with its head pointing to the east. Possibly different customs
may prevail among the Ungkun people.]
For the first five days after burial, food is placed on the
grave every day, and for six days numbers of evil spirits are
thought to collect at the grave of the deceased and feast.
During that period children are not allowed to go out after
dark.
The following information, obtained from Yok Pataling,
is somewhat "jumbled" but I found it impossible to obtain a
clearer account.
An eVil spirit in the appearance of the dead person,
(apparently not the actual soul or spirit of the deceased)
haunts the grave. It has its face turned backwards on its
body and its eyes are rolled upwards till only the whites are
visible. When an evil spirit of this kind catches hold of
a human being the part touched withers. If a Halnk dreams
that there is an evil spirit at a grave, his Anak Yang coming
to him in the dream and telling him, he goes to the grave with
his Anak Yang and hiding behind a tree watches the evil
spirit feasting with the companions he has called together.
Now the evil spirit's companions are chiefly spirits whom the
Halak has already conquered and who are afraid of him.
After watching for a time the Halak and his Anak Yang rush
out and the latter seizes the spirit while the Halak stabs it
with a bamboo spear. When the Halak stabs the spirit the
other ghosts all vanish, being frightened of the Halak, and
immediately the mouth of the grave opens and the spirit
jumps into it, pursued by the Halak and the Anak Yang. The
spirit runs away into the earth. The Halak and the Anak Yang
go to the corpse, and the Halak strokes its face to see that all
is well. Then the bottom of the grave opens below^ them and
they find their way to heaven (Snrga), passing over the bridge
called Menteg. After this the Halak returns to earth by some
unknown road. When he has got back to the earth he makes
a medicine hut {huuihnn) and decorates it with sweet smelling
flowers, lehak leaves and long bamboo water- vessels decorated
with patterns and full of water. When night comes he
performs magical rites (berjualak) and in the early morning the
September, 1915. ,
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