14G PETARA, Oft SEA. UTAK GODS. 



" Ai Petara dulu ngiri, 



" Mesei linti tali besara. 



" Tanah lang Petara dulu nencliang, 



" Nyadi mensia. 



" Petara first stretched out the heavens, 



" As big as the comb of the red-feathered cock. 



" The earth Petara first created, 



" As big as the fruit of the horse mango. 



'• The waters Petara first poured out, 



" As great as the strands of the.rotan rope. 



" The stiff clay Petara first beat out, 



" And it became man." 



But here Petara may be any particular being, and may include 

 a multitude of gods. There are other theories of creation or cos- 

 mogony, but they cannot be examined here. 



There are no special observances in direct honour of Salampan- 

 dai. In the Besrmt, she is brought to be present along with the 

 Petaras. But this great spirit, never, I presume, visible in her 

 own person, is supposed to have a manifestation in the realm of 

 visible things in a creature something like a frog, which is also 

 called Salampandai. Naturally this creature is regarded with 

 reverence, and must not be killed. If it goes up into a Dyak 

 house, they c-frer* it sacrifice, and let it go again, but it is very 

 seldom seen. It is one with the unseen spirit. The noise it 

 makes is said to be the sound of the spirit's hammer, as she works 

 at -her anvil. So intimate is the connection that what is attributed 

 to the one, is also attributed to the other. The creature is sup- 

 posed to be somewhere near the house, whenever a child is born : 

 if it approaches from behind, they say the child will be girl ; if in 

 front, a boy. In this case we have an instance of direct nature 

 worship, and it is not the only one to be found amongst the Dyaks. 



Pulang Gana is the tutelary deity of the soil, the spirit presid- 

 ing over the whole work of rice-farming. According to a myth 

 handed down in some parts, he is of human parentage. 8impang- 

 impanq at her first accouchement brought forth nothing but blood 

 which was thrown away into a hole of the earth. This by some 

 mystical means, became Pulang Gmia, who therefore olives in the 



