Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

SAKAI OF PERAK 353
hut, and there untying them, wrapped them up in a
cloth or mat, and deposited them on the top of the
rice in the second sack. There they had to stay for
three days, during which time the women alone were
allowed to cut the rice in the field, after which a
pause followed until the end of the rice-feast. The
rice-heads thus collected were husked, but the stalks
and husks might not be thrown away before the feast
was over, and were preserved in a basket or sack, which
was kept in the hut. The rice thus obtained formed
the portion used for the rice-feast, it being the rule that
whatever remained over must be divided among the
guests before they returned home after the banquet.'
The following up of these three days' reaping by
the offering to the guests is considered as an act of
hospitality on the part of the chief, any omission of it
being considered " mean." The reasons given to
Vaughan-Stevens for not throwing away the remains
of the feast were (i) that the guests might see how
much had been obtained from the harvest, and assure
themselves that the host had not kept back any of
theithusked rice ; further, it was asserted that the
Rice-soul, when it returns from its three days' wander-
ings, is made welcome by means of the feast, and
also, moreover, fortified by the charms against the
trouble that might be caused by the demons later
on. It was asserted, too, that it would be an insult
to the Rice-soul if its husk were immediately thrown
away as worthless ;
and hence the husks were preserved
in order that the Rice-soul might see them
upon its return. As soon as it returned, the grain of
the seven rice-heads was collected together in a cloth
or sack and hung up in an out-of-the-way place, until it
VOL. I
* Vaughan-Stevens, ii. 152.
2 A