20 FOLKLORE OF THE MALAYS. 



tion which demands that great attention should be paid to the 

 selection of lucky days and lucky hours for the commencement of 

 any important undertaking, The failure of an enterprise, or the 

 bad weather which may happen to attend a journey, is often 

 ascribed to insufficient care in selecting a time when all the condi- 

 tions for the start (langkali)* should be propitious. There are 

 numerous methods of ascertaining lucky and unlucky days and 

 times, but the ceremonies do uot end with the fixing of the time. 

 While waiting for the lucky moment to arrive, a Raja or Chief who 

 is about to start on a journey remains alone in the house, while his 

 attendants stand below in readiness. When at length he descends 

 the steps, his path must not be crossed by any one, nor may any one 

 stand in front of the door. If he knocks his head against the 

 lintel, or catches his great toe in any obstacle, the start is given up, 

 and he returns to the house. If he reaches the ground without 

 accident (kachah Jialaman), he meditates upon a prescribed formula 

 which he repeats in his mind. He avoids the centre of the Jialaman 

 (open space or yard in front of a house) , which is called by the 

 Malays tanah Jtiibur ('" the site of tombs"), and directs his course 

 towards the right. 



A journey so begun may last an indefinite time without impair- 

 ing the efficacy of the good fortune ensured by the observance of 

 the proper ceremonies on starting. The whole journey, e. g., a 

 pilgrimage to Mecca, is covered by them, and the good luck ensur- 

 ed thereby ends only when the house is again reached on the 

 return of the traveller. Some Malays, however, prefer to renew 

 the lavgkah every Friday. 



One of the methods of ascertaining what particular times will 

 be auspicious, or the reverse, is called si bora/hole ("'the bent 

 one'" ). The thumb of one hand is cloesd, and the two joints and 

 three spaces thus formed are made to represent, early morning ( pagi- 

 pagi ), forenoon ( tcugak naiJc ), midday ( tengah hari ), afternoon 

 ( tengah turun ), and evening (petang-petang ). Different degrees 

 of fortune may be expected according as the periods named fall to 

 the different joints and spaces of the thumb. Another system is 

 called si tandok ("the horn"). It is a calculation on paper by 

 means of a design in the shape of a horn, to different parts of Avhich 



* Sanskrit langh, to stride. 



