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pukat-fishers, and in some degree for all seafaring men. Such unwritten pantangs have a very widespread range. In Java there are many such which are observed in the chase of wild animals. In the neighbourhood of the ancient Galuh there are places where the Mohammedan confession of faith must not be uttered while fishing, for fear of disturbing the spirits of the ancient heathen kingdom! Even in Ḥadramaut the chase is the subject of a certain amount of heathenish lore[1], in which prohibitions of forms of speech play a great part, so that a huntsman or even the friend of one is regarded as a person of ill repute.
Among the fishermen on the North coast of Java whole lists of words can be collected which are prohibited at sea and have to be replaced by others. This is also the case to some extent among the seafaring folk of Acheh. For instance, those at sea must not call a mountain by its proper name, gunòng, lest waves as high as mountains should overwhelm their vessel; the euphemism employed is tanòh manyang = high ground. Gajah, the elephant, is called by his nickname pò meurah[2]. If the fisherman wishes to say that something is "ready," he must not use the ordinary word "lheuëh," because this has also the meaning of "free" or "loose," and its use might give the imprisoned fish a chance of escaping; accordingly the less dangerous synonym leungka is employed. If he wants to speak of a rope being cast off, he uses in place of lheuëh its synonym leupaïh; so too lōb "to pass under something by stooping", and several other words have to be replaced by synonyms or paraphrases by those who are fishing or on a voyage.
To this sort of universal lore must be added the special pukat mysteries. The awaʾs obey the pawang not only because they are his hired servants, but also because he alone possesses this special knowledge.
The pawang and his crew are too busy with the management of their boat and nets to spare time to bring the fish to market them-
- ↑ Thus it is a prevalent superstition in that country that huntsman when starting for the chase, must not perform the morning prayers obligatory on all Mohammedans, for fear misfortune should: befall them or they should at least be unlucky in their pursuit of game.
- ↑ The Malays when at sea will tolerate no allusion to the elephant. They have other curious pantang rules, the meaning and origin of which is no longer known; for instance it is forbidden to cast charred wood into the sea, and the washings of any vessel used for cooking must first be poured into another vessel before they are thrown overboard. See also Clifford's In Court and Kampong pp. 147–48 and Skeat’s Malay Magic p. 314–15. (Translator).
