82 
FASCICULI MALATENSES 
Patani, like the mineral spirits 1 of the interior, have a horror of limes, and 
when a new boat is launched, or an old one painted or repaired, a ‘ sea doctor ’ 
is summoned to protect it against the Hantu Laut by hanging up from its 
prow strings of this fruit, together with the inflorescence of a cocoanut or 
areca palm and strips of red and white cloth. He does this with elaborate 
ceremonial, regarding the details of which I am ignorant. A curiously 
interesting method of putting a spirit to flight, be it of land or water, is 
well known to the Patani fishermen, and can be practised by anyone : it is 
that of causing the spirit to be ‘ shocked ’ ( jadi malu ) by lifting up the 
clothing and unduly exposing the person. 
Beach Spirits 
Besides actual Sea Spirits, the Patani fisherman also fears the Hantu Pantei , 
or ‘ Beach Spirits,’ regarding them as the cause of convulsions or epilepsy, 
which is commonly called ‘pig-madness’ ( gila babi ), because it causes those who 
suffer from it to grovel on the ground like a pig. A fisherman in our service 
at Patani had become ‘ pig-mad ’ after an unfortunate love affair, and his 
affliction was believed to be due to his wandering in a distracted condition by 
the edge of the sea, thus permitting a beach spirit to enter him. His back 
was horribly scored where his father had beaten him to drive out the devil 
by which he had been possessed. 
Persons who can cause Storms 
Certain persons are believed in Patani and the neighbouring States to 
have the power of raising a storm or stilling the wind by a wish, the power 
being innate rather than acquired, and often associated with some physical 
deformity. Thus, a late Siamese raja of Nawngchik, who was known to his 
Malay subjects as Raja Pipi Itam (Prince Black-cheek), on account of a black 
mark that covered one side of his face, was regarded as having this power in 
an eminent degree. He had also the reputation of being able to cause a man 
to die a violent death {mail di-bunoh , literally, ‘ to die of being killed ’) within 
three days by merely cursing him. It was easy to understand that a raja 
would have had an influence of the kind under the old regime, but our men, 
some of whom had known Prince Black-cheek in the flesh, denied that he 
gave any orders or directions that those whom he cursed were to die — it just 
happened. A haji or pilgrim to Mecca, still living in the State of Kelantan, 
is reputed to have powers similar to those of Raja Pipi Itam, and also suffers 
from a like deformity. As he is a haji , and therefore a good Mahommedan, 
I. Malay Magic , pp. 254, 255, 265. 
