and pressing downwards with it, worked it round to the left and back again
repeatedly whilst he recited the necessary charm. After this he leaned in turn on
the upper end of each of the drums, which he inclined over the brazier and
“charmed,” concluding in each case with three loud taps on the drum which he
was “charming,” each tap being accompanied by similar taps on the other two
drums. Finally, the Pawang put the flageolet (sĕrunei) to his lips, and the other
instruments accompanied him in the performance of the tune called taboh.^192
As has already been observed, the performances at these theatrical exhibitions
are of several distinct kinds, and vary considerably in different places. The
Joget, a kind of dramatic and symbolical dance, has been described under the
head of Dances. The Ma’yong is a theatrical performance which includes both
dancing (or posturing as Europeans would be tempted to call it) and singing. It is
generally performed by travelling companies of professional actors and
actresses, who go on tour and perform either at the houses of Rajas or other
persons of some social standing, or before the general public in some public
place.^193 Just as the dances of the Joget are supposed to be symbolical of
different actions and ideas, and are accompanied by appropriate music, so in the
Ma’yong there is quite a long list of tunes, each of which is considered to be
appropriate to a particular action, or to some one or more of the dramatis
personæ. In fact, one may almost say that we have here, in principle, the rude
germ of the Wagnerian Leitmotif. Thus when one of the performers is supposed
to be sent to sleep, the Lagu Lĕgor Radin is the one used; in the representation of
a death, the Lagu Mĕrayu; when a character is supposed to be entering the
jungle, the Lagu Samsam; when any one sits down, the Lagu Patani Tuah.
Similarly the Lagu Puyuh, the Lagu Dang Dondang Lanjut Kĕdah, and the Lagu
Sendayong Dualapis Pŭtri are appropriated to the Princess (Pŭtri), one of the
stock characters of this species of play, while other tunes can be used only by the
Princess and the Raja or principal male character (Pa’yong); and others, again,
are employed indifferently to accompany any of the parts, whether prince,
princess, clown (P’ran), or maid (Inang).