2J6 
THE BINUA OF JOHOHK, 
tural power. They are believed not only to be able to cure the most 
virulent maladies, but to inflict diseases and death,* and the Malays 
have recourse to them for both purposes. The tigers are subject to 
them, and every Poyang has one in constant attendance upon him. 
When a man falls a victim to a tiger he is supposed to have been sa¬ 
crificed to the malevolence of some Poyang whom he has offended.. 
When the aid of a Poyang is sought to intercede for the life of a sick 
person, presents are carried to him and he repairs to the house where 
his patient lies, with Iiis musical' gilonddn^ a long bambu which is 
suspended in a horizontal position from the roof and struck with 
small sticks. When night comes on, the Poyang begins his chants, 
at the same time w afting a white cloth to and fro, while one of hi,? 
attendants, often his wife, beats the gilondang and another bums in¬ 
cense (benjamin.) These chants are invocations to Jewajewa^ who- 
resides in heaven, and through whom alone Pirman can be approach¬ 
ed. They are chanted to different airs the whole night long, and 
sometimes for three or four nights in succession, until the Poyang 
announces that he has received medicine to cure the disease or that 
the deity is inexorable. The more poweful Poyangs do not need to 
prolong their invocations beyond one or two nights. The explanation 
given of the object of the invocations, and the mode by which they 
reach the deity is this. Whenever a person becomes sick, it is believed 
that Pirman has ordered the Jin Bumi to eat his life(makan diapunia 
xiiawa), and that death will certainly ensue unless Pirman revoke his 
mandate. But as Pirman is inaccessible to mortals J^wajewa must 
be supplicated to intercede with him. The fumes of the incense rise 
to the heavenly abode of Jev/ajewa, who, pleased with the fragrant 
smell, is disposed to welcome the spirit or life-breath of the Poy¬ 
ang which ascends to him in the music of the gilondang. J 4w T aje- 
wa asks the Poyang’s spirit what his errand is. He informs the mi¬ 
nister of heaven of the condition of the sick person, and solicits me¬ 
dicine. If Pirman pleases, J6waj£wa gives medicine to the Poy&ng 
to cure the disease,—the juice or root of a plant, a flower, &c.£ None 
of the Malays with whom I conversed on the subject before entering 
the country of the Binua, were aware either that the Binua believed 
* By the tujo, for a description of which we must refer to our series of 
papers on the Malays, which will be commenced so soon as room can be 
found for them. 
f Sometimes pronounced D6wad6w&. 
11 intended to have given sever&l of the Poyang invocations, but the length 
to which this paper Ms extended renders it necessary to omit them. They 
will appear either in the journal of my excursion, or in treating of the last- 
uage. 
