though perhaps natural retort, the archangel loses his temper, and rudely
exclaims that he “will take the Earth’s Heart whether it will or no.” Here Azrael
“gave the Earth a push with his right hand and his left, and grasping at the Heart
of the Earth, got hold of it and carried it back to the presence of God.” God now
summons Gabriel and orders him to mould (lit. forge) the image of Adam. Then
Gabriel took the lump of earth which was the Earth’s Heart and mixed it first
with water to soften it, then, as it was too soft, with fire to harden it, and when
the image was made, obtained life from God to put into it.^11 [The breaking of
the first image which was made, and the making of the second, are here
omitted]. Finally, the creation of “our Lady” Eve and the birth of her first-born
are described, the latter occasion being accompanied by a thick darkness, which
compelled Adam to take off his turban and beat the child therewith in order to
dispel the evil influences (badi) which had attended its birth.^12
The following extract (from a Malay treatise quoted by Newbold) fairly
describes the general state of Malay ideas respecting the constitution of the
human body:—
“Plato, Socrates, Galen, Aristotle, and other philosophers affirm that God created
man of a fixed number of bones, blood-vessels, etc. For instance, the skull is
composed of 5½ bones, the place of smell and sense of 7 bones, between this
and the neck are 32 bones. The neck is composed of 7 bones, and the back of 24
bones; 208 bones are contained in the other members of the body. In all there are
360 bones and 360 blood-vessels in a man’s body. The brains weigh 306
miscals, the blood 573. The total of all the bones, blood-vessels, large and small,
and gristles, amounts to 1093; and the hairs of the head to six lacs and 4000. The
frame of man is divided into 40 great parts, which are again subdivided. Four
elements enter into his composition, viz. air, fire, earth, and water. With these
elements are connected four essences—the soul or spirit with air, love with fire,
concupiscence with earth, and wisdom with water.”^13
(b) Sanctity of the Body