THE WOEK OF THE BOMOR 29 



in these cases the red demons, especially Jin Angin 

 Merah, personified in Rikur-ahmar, and Jin Raja 

 Burong, the spirit who is king of the birds, are to blame. 

 From Fire we get nausea or sqaeamishness (inedu), as 

 well as heart -burning pain with fever, conditions of 

 dry heat which turn to hot fevers when affected by hot, 

 dry winds. The yellow jin are blamed for these con- 

 ditions—for example, the external spirit, jin tehk 

 barantay the ** swallow-ghost," (jin layatig-layang), the 

 amkjin hurok api^ and liantu mambaTig, one of the male 

 " Celestial Beings " personified in the glow of the 

 smilight. Reference has already been made to the 

 yellow jin of the seven senses. Many diseases come 

 from Water ; those with symptoms of damp chills and 

 cataiThal vomiting (Ar. halgliamy ht. to spit) develop 

 into ague when meeting vnih. cold and damp mists. 

 These are associated with white ghosts, such as the 

 ghost of Sultan Mahmud, the King of the Sea (Jw 

 Sultan MaJmud Eaja-di-laui)^ and Jin Puteh nur-i- 

 Muhamnmd. 



The homor got these Neo-Platonic ideas from the 

 Persian Sufism he learnt from Muhammadan India. 

 A reviewer of the original edition of this book wrote in 

 the Lancet of May 22nd, 1915 : " It is curious to note 

 the survival of ancient Greek philosophy in the modem 

 philosophy of the Malay bomor, whose beUef is given 

 on p. 5 as follows : * According to the Kelantan bomor, 

 disease is sent by God, and it sprmgs from the elements 

 fire, air, earth, and water,' Compare with this Plato 

 in the Timaeus, cap. 82 : * Now everyone can see 

 whence diseases arise. There are four natures out of 

 which the body is compacted, earth and fire, and water 

 and air, and the umiatural excess and defect of these 

 . . . produce diseases and disorders.* In the Kelantan 

 behef, the elements have spirits (jinn) associated with 



