MALAY CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

MALAY  CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

digging little more in my malay boooks collection this is  the oldeest of these books , of my age! (1963) Look at the photo below

I am not sure when i boght this book but must be about 6 years ago , I found i think via internet  from a local bookstore in UK involving old books, and seemingly scarce and is the first edition

IN the preface the writer mentions two important  Proverbs 'lain lubok lain ikan nya' (each region it its distinct customs ) as a difficulty  to register he local procedures One more important proverb noticed there is biar niah anak , jangan mati adat (ew prefer to lose a child  than a custom )

This book is a 128 page book  wit paper reminding type of old newspaper. Size is smaller than A5 and by context is by far the  most detailed reference book for customs , especially for Malay  ethics.

Here i  will show you the structure of the book  without going into details . and only for the human ethics (not the  royal ethics as i was not interested )  that  covers nearly the one third of the book

Chapter 1 : House hold and kampong customs

Chapter 2: earlobe piercing , - bersunat (circumcision )- beranak /bersalin (chilbirth and delivery )
the last part shows soem inteesting analysis as :
- lengann or kirim perut (riocking over abdomen - mitoha? in INS )
-actual delivery
-making or naming baby
- tempoh berpantung /taboo period  for the first 44 days / ie the period  the mother is banned to do anything
- bathing the mother after 44 days 

Chapter 3 : marriage
 1 - marriage of a maiden

    a- selection and study of to be bride " before choose the wife choose the parents first
    b - application of bride's hand / betrothal / dowry/ token (ring for example )
    c) sending dowry and solemnization of marriage  of behalf of a kadhi
 2 -hair finishing & teeth filling
     -henna staining
 3 -bersanding (sitting on bride couch)
  -mandi2  berlimau (ceremonial bathing )
  -samburt menyambut (bride's visit to the groom's house )

2 marriage of a widow
 ask for hand
special : marriage ceremony of a young children widow

Chapter 4 Funeral

there are not subchapters  here ; all this process is described  in 8 pages in 3 large sets


PART TWO

Royal malay customs and traditions
this is the part i m not interested  so i skip it !! (though these are double pages )


PART THREE
Grey scale photos showing  materials  used in ceremonies : Swords

APP :
Enggku Mai's bio (possibly the person interviewed  for making this book available )


A comment : this  book is by far the most detailed from the books related to  Malay traditions . As it is half century old i can suppose some of these processes  are possibly vanished or simplified . Only a young Malaysian can advise me !