so will surely be killed by the “eagle-wood spirit,” who is supposed to be
extremely powerful and dangerous. I myself received a warning to this effect
from some Labu Malays when I saw one of these trees felled. Malays maintain
that men are frequently killed by this spirit (mati dĕ’ Hantu Gharu), but that they
may be recalled to life if the following recipe is acted upon:—“Take two ‘cubits’
(?) of ‘Panchong leaves’ (daun panchong dua heta), flowers of the sunting
mambang, and ‘bullock’s eye’ limes (limau mata kĕrbau), squeeze [the limes(?)]
and rub them over the corpse, saying, ‘Sir Allah! Sir Mangga Tangan! God’s
Essence is in your heart (lit. liver). God’s attributes are in your eyes. Go and
entertain the male Borer-Bee that is in your heart and liver.’ The dead man will
then revive and stand upon his feet.”
The most important point about eagle-wood, however, from the animistic point
of view, is the Pawang’s use of the gharu mĕrupa, a strangely shaped piece of
eagle-wood which possesses a natural resemblance to some animal or bird. It is
believed to contain the soul of the tree, and therefore is always, when possible,
carried by the collectors of eagle-wood in the belief that it will aid them in their
search. I myself once owned one of these gharu mĕrupa, which possessed a
remarkable resemblance to a bird. This appears to me very fairly sufficient
evidence to prove that the tree-soul is not supposed by the Malays necessarily to
resemble a tree.^177