A Malay ghost story
J.E. Nathan’s 1914 publication in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society documents a Malay ghost story recorded from a Negri Sembilan resident in Ulu Pahang. The narrative serves as an ethnographic record of death rituals and supernatural beliefs prevalent in the region during the early colonial period.
Summary
The story begins with a family unit consisting of Jenal, his wife Debus, and their child Mat Dong, who establish a rice clearing by Sungai Chemerka to cultivate crops (p. 89). Following Jenal’s sudden illness and death, Debus is left alone in the jungle hut to await her mother, but instead encounters an ancient crone who inspects the corpse (p. 90). The hag is revealed to be a spirit accompanied by a group of ghosts dressed like Hajis, dangling from the rafters, which terrifies Debus (p. 90).
Debus tricks the spirits by dropping her betel nut knife to the ground, forcing them to chase her while she hides behind a tree (p. 91). The spirits mistake a wild sow for the woman and kill it, allowing Debus to escape to her parents (p. 91). At dawn, a group of men return to the clearing to find the corpse desecrated with purple bruises where the ghosts had sucked the blood (p. 92).
The site is subsequently abandoned and remains uninhabited to this day (p. 93).
Key Findings
- Linguistic blend: The narrator notes the idiom bears traces of both Negri Sembilan and Ulu Pahang (p. 89).
- Physical description: The hantu is described as hump-backed, gap-toothed, with talon-like nails (p. 90).
- Supernatural hierarchy: The ghosts are depicted wearing turbans like Hajis, indicating Islamic influence on folklore (p. 90).
- Escape mechanism: Debus uses a betel nut knife (kachip) to create a distraction and escape route (p. 91).
- Physical evidence: The corpse showed purple bruises and was found lying face down, confirming the spirits’ feeding (p. 92).
- Cultural taboo: The specific location, Sungai Chemerka, remains taboo for clearing land (p. 93).
Conclusion
Nathan’s account preserves a cautionary tale that reinforces community boundaries and the dangers of the jungle, while documenting the specific linguistic and ritualistic practices of the Malay people in Pahang during the early 20th century.
Context
- Published by the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society to document oral traditions.
- Reflects colonial-era interest in indigenous folklore and legal/anthropological records.