INDIA AND MALAY BELIEFS. 
91 
XVII, 17 (“The Sacred hands of the Aryas ” Volume I, Oxford). 
So to this day does the Malay. In the code of Manu among per- 
sons to be avoided were physicians, sufferers from phthisis, ele- 
phantiasis, epilepsy, leprosy and erysipelas, persons with thick hair 
on the body, a one-eyed man, a usurer, a mariner, a gambling- 
house keeper and dancers. Even now the Malay regards the pro- 
fessions of physician and sailor as degrading, and distrusts one- 
eyed men and hairy persons. 
The Brahman student “ shall not eat food offered at a funeral 
oblation” (Apastamba, pp. 7 and 43, “ Sacred Books of the East.” 
vol. II) : there are Malay rajas who observe this tabu. “He shall 
not sit on a seat higher than that of his teacher” (ib., p. 30) ; '“ he 
shall not drink water standing or bent forward” (ib., p. 57); 
“sheep’s milk is forbidden” (ib., p. 83). All these tabus are 
common among Malays. The Brahman student, “ may not feed 
a thief, a eunuch, an outcast, an atheist, a destroyer of the sacred 
fire, the husband of a younger sister married before the elder, the 
husband of an elder sister whose youngest sister was married first, 
. . . , a younger brother married before the elder brother, an 
elder brother married after his younger brother ” (Gautama, ib., 
p. 254). The objection to younger children, especially girls, marry- 
ing before elder is called by Malays langkah batang and universally 
disliked. 
The henna dance with lighted candles (Wilkinson’s “Incidents 
of Malay Life, 2nd ed., p. 58 and Skeat’s “Malay Magic”) 
is hardly likely to have been invented by a primitive people to whom 
candles were unknown. A dance with lighted candlesticks is com- 
mon in Persia (Hales’ “From Persian Uplands,” p. 121. London 
1920) and the Malay dance would seem to have come with other 
marriage-ceremonies from India. 
There would seem to be a similarity between the outlook of 
those of Hindu faith towards Mahameru, the abode of Indra and 
Vishnu, the pivot of the universe, (Dowson op. cit.) and the out- 
look of the Greek towards Olhmpus. “ Whatever the original 
meaning of Olympus may be, it seems clear that the Olympian gods, 
wherever their worshippers moved, tended to dwell on the highest 
mountain in the neighbourhood and the mountain thereby became 
Olympus” (Gilbert Murray’s “Four Stages of Greek Religion”: 
of. Journal 81, page 26). 
Though I do not suggest its introduction to have been of 
early date, yet perhaps one may note in a paper dealing with India 
and Malay beliefs the fact that the language of signs practised in 
Malay intrigue is identical with that practised in Kandy: — 
“ Kandian girls make almost imperceptible signs to each other. 
If without moving the head, the eyes be momentarily directed to- 
wards the door, the question is asked, “ Shall we go out ? An 
affirmative reply is given by an expressionless gaze, a negative one 
by closing the eyes for an instant” (Parker’s “Village Folk-Tales 
of Ceylon,” Volume II, page 32). 
R. A. Soc., No. 83, 1921. 
