Huntsman, or Spirit of the Land.
Fishermen and seafarers, on the other hand, obtain many a favour from him, and
even hope to make friends with him by means of simple sacrifices and charms.
Si Raya (or Madu-Raya) is said to have a family, his wife’s name being Madu-
ruti, and his children “Wa’ Ranai,” and “Si Kĕkas” (the scratcher), all of whom,
however, have their own separate spheres of influence. The “Great One” himself
(Madu-Raya) rules over the sea from low-water mark (at the river’s mouth) out
to mid-ocean; and if his identity with “’Toh Rimpun ʿAlam” is accepted,^14 his
place of abode is at the navel of the seas, within the central whirlpool (Pusat
Tasek), from the centre of which springs the Magic Tree (Pauh Janggi), on
whose boughs perches the roc (garuda) of fable, and at whose foot dwells the
Gigantic Crab, whose entrance into and exit from the cave in which he dwells is
supposed to cause the displacement of water which results in the ebb and flow of
the tide.^15
The only other divinities (of the rank of “Mambangs”) which are of any
importance are the “White divinity,” who dwells in the Sun, the “Black
divinity,” who dwells in the Moon, and the “Yellow divinity,” who dwells in the
Yellow Sunset-glow, which latter is always considered most dangerous to
children.
When there is a decided glow at sunset, any one who sees it takes water into his
mouth (di-kĕmam ayer) and dislodges it in the direction of the brightness, at the
same time throwing ashes (di-sĕmbor dĕngan abu) saying:—
Mambang kuning, mambang k’labu,
Pantat kuning di-sĕmbor abu.This is done “in order to put out the brightness,” the reason that it must be put
out being that in the case of any one who is not very strong (lĕmah sĕmangat) it
causes fever.