Sometimes, again, a White Angel (Mala’ikat Puteh) is mentioned, e.g. as being
in “charge of all things in the jungle,” but what his specific duties are in this
connection does not transpire.
In an invocation addressed to the Sea-spirit, however, we find four more such
angels mentioned, all of whom hold similar charges:—
Chitar Ali is the angel’s name, who is lord of the whirlpool;
Sabur Ali is the angel’s name, who is lord of the winds;
Sir Ali is the angel’s name, who is lord of the waters of the sea;
Putar Ali is the angel’s name, who is lord of the rainbow.No doubt the names of many more of the subordinate angels might be collected,
as we are repeatedly told that they are forty-four in number.
Of the prophets (Nabi) there are an indefinite number, the title being applied to
many of the more prominent characters who figure in our own Old Testament
(as well as in the Korān), but who would not by ourselves be considered to
possess any special qualifications for prophetic office. Among the more famous
of these I may mention (after Muhammad and his immediate compeers) the
prophet Solomon (sometimes considered—no doubt owing to his unrivalled
reputation for magical skill—as the king of the Genii, whose assistance the
hunter or trapper is continually invoking); the prophet David, celebrated for the
beauty of his voice; and the prophet Joseph, celebrated for the beauty of his
countenance. Besides these (and others of the same type), there is a group of
minor prophets whose assistance is continually invoked in charms; these are the
prophet Tap (Tĕtap or Kĕtap?), “lord of the earth;” the prophet Khailir (Khaithir
or Khizr), “lord of water;” the prophet Noah, “lord of trees;” and the prophet
Elias, “planter of trees.”
Khizr is often confounded with Elias. He discovered and drank of the fountain of
life (whence his connection with water), and will consequently not die till the
last trump.
Next to the prophets comes the “Sultan” (Sultan), or “King” (Malik), both of
which Arabic titles, however, are somewhat rarely used by Malay magicians.
Still we find such expressions as Sa-Raja (Sang-Raja?) Malik (King of Kings)
applied to Batara Guru.