Malay Magic _ Being an introduction to the - Walter William Skeat

’Che ʿAbas, a performer of shadow-plays, his entire stock-in-trade, including not
only his musical instruments (amongst which were some curious drums called
gĕdu and gĕdombak), but also his candle (with its shade), the rice used for the
ceremony, and his entire stock of shadow-pictures, all of which are now in the
Cambridge Museum.

The following classification of the more important kinds of theatrical
performances, which was drawn up for the present writer by ’Che Hussein of
Penang, the actor of whom mention has already been made, may be of interest,
and will serve to indicate briefly their several characteristic features, though it
does not profess to be absolutely exhaustive:—

CLASSIFICATION OF THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES KNOWN TO MALAYS OF THE PENINSULA

Name    of

Performance

and Reputed

Place   of

Origin

Instruments.Dress. No.  of

Performers.

Place   of

Performance,

etc.

Names   of

Stories

Represented.

1 Lĕkun or

Lakun

(Kedah  and

Siam).

Gĕndang

bĕsar,  gong,

gambang

dua-b’las,

kromong (or

mong-mong),

anak    ayam,

breng-breng,

sĕrunei,

cherek.

Head-dress:

kĕchobong,

chawat

(sayap

layang-lay-

ang),   sabok,

bimpau, sap

suang,

g’lang,

g’lang  kana

(=  kena),

changgei,

saluar.

100 to  200

(in

choruses)   all

females,

except  the

musicians.

Indoors,    with

proper

scenery and

dresses

(masks).

S’ri    Rama,

Dewa

Matahari,

Sendrong,

Prak    Jusin

2 Mĕndura

(Siam).

Gĕdombak,

gĕdu,

sĕrunei,

cherek,

mong,   breng-

breng   anak

Same    as  in

the Lĕkun.

About   10  to

15  good

performers;

all male,

including

the Princess.

Out doors;  no

scenery.

S’ri    Rama,

Lak

Kenawan,

Timun   Muda,

Iprat,  Prak

Jusin,  Pran