II 



igi5.] I. H. N. Evans: Sakai of the Ulu Sungkat. 95 



To make a grave a rectangular pit is dug to a depth of a man's 

 breast and a cave-like excavation sufficient to contain the 

 body is then made in one side of it. The corpse, which is 

 wrapped in mats, is put into this, and the mouth of it closed 

 up by driving stakes into the bottom of the pit and stretching 

 a sheet of tree bark between the stakes and the mouth of the 

 burial niche. The hole is then filled in and the deceased's 

 belongings and food and tobacco placed on the top of the 

 grave. 



[This information was obtained from Yok Pataling, but 

 one of the youths of the Ungkun settlement, whom I brought 

 to Taiping, afterwards contradicted the statements about the 

 position in burial saying that the corpse was put on its back 

 with its head pointing to the east. Possibly different customs 

 may prevail among the Ungkun people.] 



For the first five days after burial, food is placed on the 

 grave every day, and for six days numbers of evil spirits are 

 thought to collect at the grave of the deceased and feast. 

 During that period children are not allowed to go out after 

 dark. 



The following information, obtained from Yok Pataling, 

 is somewhat "jumbled" but I found it impossible to obtain a 

 clearer account. 



An eVil spirit in the appearance of the dead person, 

 (apparently not the actual soul or spirit of the deceased) 

 haunts the grave. It has its face turned backwards on its 

 body and its eyes are rolled upwards till only the whites are 

 visible. When an evil spirit of this kind catches hold of 

 a human being the part touched withers. If a Halnk dreams 

 that there is an evil spirit at a grave, his Anak Yang coming 

 to him in the dream and telling him, he goes to the grave with 

 his Anak Yang and hiding behind a tree watches the evil 

 spirit feasting with the companions he has called together. 

 Now the evil spirit's companions are chiefly spirits whom the 

 Halak has already conquered and who are afraid of him. 

 After watching for a time the Halak and his Anak Yang rush 

 out and the latter seizes the spirit while the Halak stabs it 

 with a bamboo spear. When the Halak stabs the spirit the 

 other ghosts all vanish, being frightened of the Halak, and 

 immediately the mouth of the grave opens and the spirit 

 jumps into it, pursued by the Halak and the Anak Yang. The 

 spirit runs away into the earth. The Halak and the Anak Yang 

 go to the corpse, and the Halak strokes its face to see that all 

 is well. Then the bottom of the grave opens below^ them and 

 they find their way to heaven (Snrga), passing over the bridge 

 called Menteg. After this the Halak returns to earth by some 

 unknown road. When he has got back to the earth he makes 

 a medicine hut {huuihnn) and decorates it with sweet smelling 

 flowers, lehak leaves and long bamboo water- vessels decorated 

 with patterns and full of water. When night comes he 

 performs magical rites (berjualak) and in the early morning the 



September, 1915. , 4 



