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they beg for some trifle or other in the keudès (shops) where they deal, saying that they do so in fulfilment of a vow, and generally receive a piece of gold thread, which is afterwards sewn on the head cloth (tangkulōʾ) if the child is a boy, and on the kerchief (ija sawaʾ) if it is a girl.
"I shall slaughter a sheep in the midst of the courtyard." When the fulfilment of this vow is accompanied by an invitation to reciters of the Qurān, it assumes a religious character[1].
The Achehnese mother rocks (ayōn) her child to sleep in a kind of swing, consisting of a rope of which the two extremities are fastened to the ceiling while it is kept apart below by a bar of wood placed horizontally. Under this bar is fastened a handkerchief or cloth so disposed that the child can lie in it with comfort. The mother sings the child to sleep (peulalè) with native lullabies[2].
The child's age is described in Acheh as in the adjacent countries by allusion to the movements it is capable of making. Thus they distinguish between the stages of "lying on the back" (meulinteuëng) "turning on the side" (baléʾ), "lying on face and hands" (dugòm), "sitting" (duëʾ), "crawling" (meuâeuy), "standing" (dòng), "walking" (jaʾ) and "running" (pluëng)[3].
To practise the child in its movements a rounded stick is planted in the ground; to this is attached a section of bamboo, so placed that its hollow end covers the point of the stick, round which it easily revolves. To the bamboo is fastened a wooden handle, the end of which is given to the child to hold, so that thus supported he can toddle round the stick. This instrument is called wéng[4].
- ↑ The Achehnese formulas for the above mentioned vows are as under. The condition meung ka puléh kah = 'if you recover' is to be understood as preceding each one.
Kujaʾ mè kah tujōh bòh meuseugit.
Kujuë beuët siseun tamat.
Kujaʾ mè kah baʾ peuët plōh peuët èëlia.
Kukanduri tujōh bòh ulèë keubeuë.
Kupumanòë kah ngòn ië srah gaki pòteu.
Kujaʾ geumadè tujōh bòh keudè.
Kusië kamèng sabòh diteungòh leuën.
- ↑ The singing of these songs (in Java léla-léla, among the Sundanese neng-nengkung) is called in Achehnese meudōdi, from the sound dōdi (Mal. du-duy) which constantly occurs in a more or less modified form in the cradle-songs.
- ↑ The question asked of parents by those who seek to know a child's age is: "what can your child do (peuë thèë aneuʾ gata)", to which the reply is: ka thèë duëʾ, meuâeuy etc.
- ↑ This is also in general use in Java: Sund. kurilingan, Jav. leredan or gritan.
[Also used by the Malays of the Peninsula, and called by them kepala payong = "umbrella-top.” (Translator).]
