Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. Ill SAVAGE MALAYS OF SELANGOR -ji
This simpler form of wedding (as practised by the
Besisi of Sepang in Selangor) was celebrated in the
following manner:— In the first place, the bridegroom
would bring to the house of the bride's parents the
presents required by custom—say five cubits of white
cloth, five quids of betel-leaf, five cigarettes, and a
copper ring.
On the bridegroom's arrival all present partook of
food, and the bride and bridegroom then ate rice off
the same plate. After this meal the gifts were
presented to the bride's parents, and the Batin or
one of the minor chiefs of the tribe {e.g. the
" Penghulu Balei ") then inquired :
" What about
these children of ours } Are we to make them
one ? " To this the parents replied in the affirmative,
and the head of the tribe then gave both bride and
bridegroom a new name.
The parties might then disperse at leisure.
The really remarkable rite called the " ant-heap "
(properly the " hillock " or " mound ") ceremony, re-
ferred to above by Mr. J. A. G. Campbell as a custom
of the Ulu Langat Sakai, appears to be now very nearly
obsolete among the Besisi, so far as I could ascertain.
I once had the good fortune, however, to witness
it when it was being performed at Ayer Itam (in the
Kuala Langat district of Selangor) by some Besisi
who had just returned from Batu Pahat (in Johor,
where they told me that the old custom was still kept
up). I will therefore describe the ceremony that I
saw as carefully as possible. I attended the wedding
at the invitation of the Besisi themselves, w^ith whom
I was on very good terms. Shortly after my arrival
at the village a small pit was dug by Penghulu Lempar
(of Batu Pahat) in front of the door of a special palm-