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THE AKUAN OR SPIRIT-FRIENDS. 381 
noises. Those in the company of the “ owner” at such times may 
feel justly frightened. The more courageous of them may be in- 
clined to use their weapons. But the master of the akuan will 
keep on urging: “ Be reverent and silent. It is nothing. It is 
our protector. It need not cause any alarm, nor should any harm 
be done. There is no danger.” And so on and so forth. What he 
says always turns out true, and never a mishap has been heard of, 
though the monster really does keep pace with them not many yards 
away. Besides these the tiger would do the master other services 
also. Such little courtesies as scaring away thieves and mischief- 
makers from his house are common-place examples. Popular be- 
lief goes even so far as to say that, in extraordinary cases, the 
“owner ” even rides on the tiger when he goes out at night. 
IT knew an old woman at Bukit Kérdas (Jémpul) who died 
three years ago and who, besides having a reputation as a fairly 
successful medicine-woman, was believed to have akuan of both 
descriptions. The spirit type were seven in number, scattered all 
over the country, and the animal type was in the form of a tiger. 
Her husband from whom, it is said, she inherited these akuan as 
well as her art of medicine, had died many years previously. Many 
people believed that the husband turned into a tiger after his death 
(see “The Tiger-Breed Families” Journal 85, pp. 36-39) and 
that the tiger-akuan was no other than himself. The spirit-akuan 
were conjured many times. ‘Once the old woman herself was seri- 
ously ill. In her illness she herself invoked their assistance, and 
she got better. But during her last illness nothing came, and she 
died. The tiger-akuan, on the other hand, used to accompany her 
when she went into the forest, or was going out at.night. Besides, 
the animal always came to the rescue whenever she or any member 
of her family happened to fall into circumstances which made them 
wish for companionship and protection. Many curious incidents 
occured as evidence of the animal’s attention. One, quite romantic, 
was as follows: The old woman had a pretty daughter (who is 
still alive). As is usual with love-sick Malay swains, those who 
entertain a fancy for a girl, delight to go stealthily to the house 
of their lady-love at night to be able to steal fuller glimpses 
(méngintar) of her face and doings than they could ever do any- 
where during the day. Now, in the present case, two lads were 
specially enamoured of the young lady. One night the two ar- 
ranged to go to méngintar to the house. Many friends had warned 
them that the house was always guarded by the old woman’s tiger. 
But partly impelled by the desire to test the report and more 
esnecially by mad love, they decided to act against the warning. 
When they reached the house and each had taken up a position to 
command the view through the chinks in the bamboo walls and 
floor, they succeeded in enjoying the coveted sight only for a few 
moments. On one of them turning round to relieve his strained 
neck and eyes, he found himself, to his unspeakable horror, face to 
face with a tiger, sitting about two yards from him and watching 
R. A. Soc., No. 86 1922. 
