Folk literature of South Sumatra; Redjang Ka-Ga-Nga texts.

Jaspan, M. A.
Canberra, Austl., Australian National University, 1964.

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FKL
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WANXAN NA
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AM / v N & N

FOLK LITERATURE of SOUTH SUMATRA

ANI
мм
А /

NA
4 M W w x y W X Y

NW

мм
W 4 A M N A N v M x 6

И и 1 м ки х / A W w . ve
мил NAN
мл
- м и 1 u V X W 6 WWW
Redjang Ka - Ga - Nga Texts
и / л . ки NAN AW X Ň WW В r M
M N
N 1 M

A MWAN u v w x N U N W

ИГА M. A. Jaspan
у AN X N AN W A. W 1 км /

Nh V W NaN
x W o r WH N M. * / / wwИИ

& V W X NAN W ár w км и / N N N

WA
Мух
x 1 a w w м и м * 1 1 W
м W
м л u v

a w w 2 м и м е 1 м 2 W и Х

w м и им M и | W W / M A W X // А

AW
ми ги
у м и м м и / И И У 4 v w x /
имки " x AM WE
мм Али
и и

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

/ w А и w X
x y AW
a w w w /
wwА
CANBERRA
м . и 7 м / / W X Y AW W В
В / /
 100 ° E

08
KARO
PAK - PAK
SIMELUNGUN

(
TOBA

MANDAILING

gasco
too a 09

KERINTJI
BATIN

REDJANG
‫هب‬

LEMBAK

.
KIKIM
‫هد‬

LEMATANG
AMPAT
-

KOMERING

LAWANG
Sumatra SERAWAT
PASEMAH OGAN

DISTRIBUTION OF KISAM
KA GA NGA SCRIPTS MAKAKAU
-

50 100 150 200 250 300

LAMPONG
0

MILES on
100
E

MP
°
 THOMAS A SEBEOK
Paiton House ,
INDIANA UNIVERSITY Indiana University
Bloomington Indiana
LIBRES 47403
BLOOMINGTON

FOLK LITERATURE OF SOUTH SUMATRA

REDJANG KA -GA - NGA TEXTS

FRL
PL
5135

Department
M. A. Jaspan
of Anthropology and Sociology
42
J J44

C.4

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

CANBERRA

1964
200
COPYRIGHT

First published 1964

Printed in Australia by
Union offset Company Canberra
for the Australian National University
Canberra
Registered in Australia for transmission
by post as a book

k?
To Helen
 Nairs
NN
W
&ķ

usawis
F
1
on
gn

u
w
vo

it
it
.
yuxu

so

/
‫مه‬xv
Nixou

‫رس‬

N‫؟‬
w
P

Plate 1 Bamboo cylinder Text

B
(

)
 3

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 4.

1 . Introduction 5

2 . The syllabary 8

3. The materials of KA - GA - NGA texts 15

Ą. The language of the texts 19

5. The subject matter of the texts 22

6 . The texts with transliteration 27

7. Translations of the texts 64

8. Textual and analytical notes 83

Bibliography 91

Map 1 - The distribution of KA - GA - NGA inside front

Scripts in Sumatra cover
Map 2 - The location of texts in this inside rear
volume ( 1962 ) cover

Plate 1 Bamboo cylinder ( Text B) 2

Plate 2 Marsden's 1783 ' Sumatran

Alphabets ' 9

Plate 3 - A fragment of Labberton's

copper plate inscription 18

Plate 4 Bamboo tile ( Text c ) 21

Plate 5 Bamboo tile ( Text D ) 24

Plate 6 Rattan stick ( Text E) 25

Plate 7 - The Slupua buffalo horn heir

looms ( including Text G ) 26

Plate 8 Part of Aliakbar's letter ( Text H) 72

4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my appreciation of the en

couragement , advice and assistance given by
Professor J. A. Barnes , Professor A. H. Johns ,
Dr. S. A. Wurm and Drs . Soewito Santoso of the
Australian National University , Canberra . For
assistance in acquiring some texts and gaining
to others I gratefully acknowledge the help
of Amirul Mukminin , the Subdistrict Officer of
North Lebong ; Pesirea A. Sani of Sadeui Sawea ,
Bemanai Ai subclan ; Hadji Amin , Desirea of Sukau
IX subclan at Sadeui Ameun ; Pesirëa Ali Raman of
the slupua Lebong subclan at Tabea Da'eut ; Kok
Tjeo of Lebong Donok ; Oei Kim Soei of Bencoolen ;
Mohammed Kri of Padang Bendar ; Masari of Kutai
Lekat in the Palik subclan and Ahmad Sjaharuddin
of Muara Aman and Jogjakarta .

My are also due to Ali Akbar of Talang

thanks
Blau , who was first teacher of KA - GA - NGA .
my
Mr. Ralph Westen of the John Curtin Medical School
at the Australian National University has given
the benefit of his experience in designing and re
producing this volume . Mr. H. Pieterse of Olympia
Typewriters Ltd. , Sydney , helped to overcome the
numerous technical problems in producing the first
KA -GA - NGA typewriter .

The field during which these texts were

work
collected or transcribed was carried out in South
Sumatra from 1961 to 1963 under the auspices of
the Department of Anthropology and Sociology of
the Australian National University , to which I
express my thanks .

M.A.J.
 5

1 . Introduction

The only substantial collection of South

Sumatran KA - GA - NGA texts thus far published is that
of Baron Sloet van de Beele , edited by van der Tuuk
in 1868. This monumental collection - with its
transliteration and translation of the texts laid
the foundation for the systematic study of the in
digenous syllabic script literature of South Sumatra
but little further has been done in this direction
with the notable exception of van Hasselt's public
ation of a few Redjang texts in 1881 and Labberton's
publication in 1932 of a text on copper plate at the
Koninklijk Koloniaal Instituut in Amsterdam .

The texts that I discovered in Redjang country

from 1961-63 , inscribed on bamboo , buffalo horn and
rattan and written on barkcloth , are here published
,

for the first time . In my view the most important

of these is undoubtedly the Bemanai barkcloth
chronicle ( Text A ) .O This document was only revealed
to me on the last day of my 21 month visit to Redjang
country , and then by the light of a minute kerosene
lamp for the duration of less than one hour : in these
circumstances the document could not be fully tran
scribed and only part of it is presented in this
volume .

There are about 180,000 native speakers of

Redjang living in the regencies of Redjang - Lebong ,
North Bencoolen and a corner of Musi - Rawas in South
western Sumatra . In 1962 I counted 417 people who
had some knowledge of the KA -GA - NGA script , but most
of these were elderly folk . In 1963 evening classes
in KA -GA - NGA were being given in several villages by
students of secondary schools and universities - fore
most among them Achmad Sjaharuddin B.A. of Muara Aman
in Lebong , a student of linguistics at the State
Islamic Faculty in Jogjakarta , Java . Since 1962 the
Department of Culture of the South Sumatran Provincial
Government has paid increasing heed to the KA -GA - NGA
literature , and has published a brief comparative
study of the several South Sumatran syllabaries
( Pantjarona 1962 , II
and IV ) .
6

It is
noteworthy that whilst the Redjang have a
language own which is unintelligible to
of their
Malays , the language of their KA -GA - NGA texts is Malay .
This was clearly the language of literature and docu
mentation and was modelled on the court language of
the medieval South Sumatran Kingdom of Melayu .

It has been generally assumed that the earliest

written Malay literature dates from the 15th century
( Johns 1963 : 410 ) and that the greater part of Malay
literature until the present century was written in
Arabic script . Students of Indonesian literature
generally are acquainted with the much earlier works
of Javanese and Balinese literature , but from the
point of view of purely Malay literature , Kawi , Post
Kawi and Makassarese ( Matthes 1883 this is essent
ially a Makassarese version of the Javanese Jaya
Lengkara legend ) , Lampong ( van der Tuuk 1868 ) and
Batak ( inter alia the Poestaka Ginting , van der Tuuk's
Bataksch Leesboek 1860-61 and Joustra's Karo
Bataksche Vertellingen 1907 ) texts are in regional
languages and must be excluded from the designation
' Malay ' . Johns (
ibid ) states unequivocally that
' there is no surviving Malay work in which Arabic
loan words are absent and which is not written in the
Arabic script . Yet it is unthinkable ' ., he continues ,
' that a Malay Buddhist empire of the magnitude of
Sriwidjaya should have been deficient in the arts of
literature . ' Furthermore , ' certain peculiar features
of the earliest Malay texts using Arabic script ' can
only be explained by an older tradition of writing in
a syllabic script of Indian derivation , similar to
that still used in Java . Everything has been lost ,
however , apart from a few inscriptions and four lines
of a poem written in Indian - type characters carved on
a stone found at Minye Tudjuh in Atjeh .

This present collection of Redjang texts , to be

amplified later with others from Pasemah , Serawai and
cognate Middle Malay peoples , provides both evidence
and examples of an earlier Malay literature using an
indigenous script . The use of the phrase ' indigenous
script ' requires some explanation . All three scripts
which Redjang have used or continue to use - KA -GA - NGA
Arabic and Roman are alike in having been borrowed
from countries to the northeast of Sumatra .
 7

The KA -GA - NGA , however , differs

from the Arabic and
Roman alphabets in that the Redjang so adapted it to
their own needs that it is now a distinctively indi
vidual syllabary, it bears a close relation
although
to the other South Sumatran syllabaries ( see Table 2 ) .

perhaps not surprising . then that these

It is
earliest specimens of Malay literature should come
from South Sumatra . After all , Palembang and its
hinterland were the centres of the earliest Malay
empires , Melayu and Sriwidjaya . Nevertheless , it
has not been possible thus far to assign any accurate
dates to the texts in this collection , other than
that of to the recent letter of Ali Akbar . The aged
custodian of the Bemanai clan chronicle claimed that
it was inherited from her great - great - grandfather
(buluwa pelmong ) and there is internal evidence that
this may well be so , in which case it probably dates
from about the mid - eighteenth century . There are no
Muslim names in the text and no mention of Allah .
This is in accord with what we know of the Highland
Redjang who , at the time of the Dutch military con
quest in 1859-60 ( van Rees 1860 ) had not yet been
converted to Islam .

of the other seven texts , only that on buffalo horn

is pre - Islamic . The others all contain references to
Allah and probably date from the period 1860 to 1900 .
This present collection of texts is intended to
acquaint those interested in the subject with the nature
of the syllabary and the content , language and style of
the texts . It is hoped that this preliminary collection
will be followed by a further compilation and analysis
at a later date .
8

2 . The Syllabary

The Redjang syllabary consists of 23 radical

characters of South Indian origin , first published
by Marsden in 1783 ( See Plate 2 ) . Vowels and ter
minal consonants take the form of diacritic signs
placed above , below or to the side of the radical
character . Marsden gave a name for each of these
diacritic signs but the names are no longer used .

12 10
11
9

11
13
o

31

117

1 116

1 À ku 8 ka ' , kak
2 . ki 9 kai
3 ké 10 kar
4 ! ko 11 À kang
5 kau 12 kan
6 keu , ke 13 À -k
7. këa , kah 14 1 ka

Figure 1 - A paradigm showing the relative positions

of the diacritic signs in combination
with the first radical character A ( ka ) .
 REJANG ALPHABET .
N W MM M

M
N ja M
À

bre A
M

V
м

cha
ha da nin

pa
ga
nga

w M

À
w
la N

s
N
M

mba

nja
SO 27 000 hha nda
ngga
'

Mark Mark

of
Sf
Pause

of

.
Commencement

•
.
The

are

by

the
of
Letters these Alphabets governed varety ligns application which
a

of

of
a

the
the
considerably alter terminating sound These which belong peculiarly Rejang

to
.
ar as
follon
.

to an

a
the
Duo deaths nhich changes Termination from
•

to

.a
ah
Cajeena orDuo debònia changes Catoolang changes ang

to

to
.
a to ar 00

0
vlajoonjoong Cameetan

.
.

Calonan to to
u

i
Cafzeling

.
to
Camrecha ont

..
ay
Catooloong

akon
ka

kay

ki
xkee

Ac
Škan skah škar ekon
A

kang

AN NUUT for
each

The Letters

the
writing most part representing syllable

,
joined
,
er

in

.
night
The

from

the
left

Writing hand holhe

is

($ r
BATTA
s 2 2 B ca
il
ma
be
ha

ү
ga
bu
pa

da

een 00
la

nya
gra

7 ) LAMPOON
y
T

pa Seve da

-
ba

ka ma cha
la
ga

gna
jo .

ha
la

gria
,

Plate Marsden's 1783 Sumatran Alphabets

-
2

'

'
10

The set of diacritic signs can similarly be

combined with each of the 23 radical characters , as
in the following examples :
Table 1 The combination of the radical characters
( ka pa dja ) with diacritic signs

ka pa M dja

ku ! pu м dju
. ki w pi M dji
ké ✓ pé djé
djo

you
ko ✓ po
kau pau djau

M
?

ke keu pe peu dje djeu

M
4

,
,

kea kah pea pah djea djah

1

M
,

V.

,
ka pa M. dja
A
:

'

'

'
kar par djar
kai pai djai
ñ

kang pang djang

M

kan pan djan

☺

--k --P --dj

o

similar syllabary of radical characters

A

diacritic signs found among the neighbour

be
is
to

and
ing Lembak Pasemah and Serawai though with certain
,

minor variations concordance of these syllabaries

A
.

is shown in Table
2
.
 11

Table 2 - A concordance of the Redjang , Kerintji ,

Lembak , Pasemah and Serawai syllabaries

Redjang Kerintji Lembak Pasemah Serawai

ka

& V
ga

nga N NI N M
ta
da 4 h

na M

Perssi
pa

Prssi
a
Nprests
ba
ma ХИ и

хXми
Х

и
tja o
saftl381

dja
nja W W w
H
?
Alls

sa
/

ra
&
?
dels

la N n

wa
8
spx

ha
rsd

mba
DASM

ngga
A

VW
a
nda
v

ndja
or
a

Tu T2
a

2
T
12

For the purpose of accurately recording and

reproducing texts I began in September
1961 to design a Redjang typescript . This was not
a simple task , chiefly in view of the variations
in the script from one part of Redjang country to
another . Furthermore there are certain morpholog
ical differences in the scripts of the various old
texts I was able to consult , and more recently ,
living writers of Redjang prose , such as Ali Akbar
of Talang Blau , Masari of Tunggang and Zarchalifah
of Talang Leak - have introduced some variations
of their own .

The typescript eventually adopted represents

a basic adhesion to Marsden's of 1783 , but incorpor
ates some of his own later corrections ( 1811 ) or
alternative renderings , especially where the latter
conform closest to present usage The variations
.
noted in van Hasselt ( 1881 ) and Westenenk ( 1921 )
were also taken into account in determining the
final draft of the typescript .
The first designs from the draughtsmen in
Wilhelmshaven , Germany , were submitted to a number
of Redjang for their comment , and as a result of
this the present typescript was finalised . Table 3
is a concordance of Marsden's 1783 and 1811 sylla
baries and mine of
of 1962.
1962 . Table 4 compares the
equivalent diacritic signs .

1
1
 13

'Table 3
-
The Redjang syllabary showing Marsden's and
Jaspan's list of characters

Syllabic character
Romanisation
( radical form )

Marsden Marsden Jaspan Marsden Jaspan

1962 1962

(
1783 1811 1783

A ka ka
ga ga

WINNI N
nga nga

A ta ta

) )
AA da da
M

\
M na na

pa pa
/ ba ba
xx & X X ma ma

4 cha tja
ja dja
M nia nja
AN MMU AN M sa sa

M ra ra
N la la
eea ja
w

00a
M

wa

hha ha
N
> >
mba
N

mba

N AM
ngga ngga
A

W nda
N

nda
AN nja ndja
N

W AL a
a
14

Table 4 - A concordance of diacritic signs used by

Marsden , Westenenk and Jaspan

( in conjunction with the radical character ]

Marsden Westenenk Jaspan

if
1783 1921 1962

te kan kan de kan

di kang ń kang do kang
ku ku ku
ki &M4 ki ki
tota

kar up kar kar

Å
a
JI
kah kah keal

IF
kau kau kau

fast
to ke Ef ké ké
ko ko ko
ft
F
kei ké kai kai
,

ka
&
ke2 ke keu

,
.
kok
M. ko ka kak3
,

,
'

'
Notes Neither Marsden nor Westenenk appear to
-
1

have identified or been able to represent

the distinctive fringilised diphthong
.

In Pasemah and Serawai

-
2

This represents glottal stop

or

hamzah
a
-
3

.
 15
3. The Materials of KA -GA - NGA Texts

Redjang KA - GA - NGA has been produced on and using

a variety of materials . The texts already described
in the literature ( Marsden , van Hasselt , Westenenk ,
Labberton ) are on barkcloth , bamboo and copper plate .
In addition to these I have seen inscriptions on
buffalo horn , rattan , paper and the wooden lintel . of
a door .

i . barkcloth

far as I could ascertain , only one of the three

As
kinds of barkcloth made by Redjang was used for
KA - GA - NGA texts . This was the variety called te'eup
bunut , the barkcloth of the bunut ( Calophyllum spp . )
tree . This cloth is of an off - white colour and is
softer and more pliable than that made from natea
( Crudia Curtisii ? ) and te'eup ( Artocarpus Kunstleri )
trees , which is used for blankets , clothing and
basket straps . The texts contain an average of 21
syllables per line and are written with a pen ( igis )
made of the centre blade of a palm frond . Ink is
made from either the bark of the lebeu'en ( Vitex
Pubescens ) tree which is immersed in a small quantity
of water , or from the black berries of the kembang
seribu . In the past , according to Marsden ( 1811 : 182 ) ,

ink was ' made by mixing lamp - black with the white of
egg ' . The Bemanai barkcloth folio consists of 14
folded ' pages ' each measuring 24 x 19 cm .

ii . bamboo

All KA -GA - NGA texts other than those on barkcloth

and more recently on paper . are incised or engraved .
In the case of bamboo , rattan and horn , the inscriptions
are made with the point of a kris , the result producing
what is called ' an incised letter ' ( su'eut knu'i ) . The
precision of the inscription varies with both the material
and the skill of the inscriber : there are considerable
variations in the quality of inscription on the same
16

kind of material , whether bamboo or rattan . On the

whole the finest and clearest inscriptions are those
on bamboo , and the least legible those on rattan and
horn .

All
the bamboo texts known to me are on a variety
called bulua gading or aur gading ( Bambusa Wrayi ) ,
literally ' ivory bamboo ' . This bamboo has two qualit
ies which make it eminently suitable for inscription :
firstly it has a pale ivory yellow colour which im
proves with age , and secondly it has a remarkably hard
and durable epidermis . This outer layer is not easily
damaged or marked and requires an exceptionally sharp
and forceful instrument - such as a kris , dagger or
sword point -- to cut it .

The bamboo texts are of two kinds , bamboo tiles

or laths ( as in Texts C and Din this collection ) and
whole cylinders or tubes ( as in Text B ) . An average
tile text measures ll
' x 7.5 cm . and a cylinder 44 cm .
with a diameter of 3 cm . The tiles have an average of
8 syllables per line with a range of 5 to 14 . The
mean number in the case of a cylinder is 32 syllables
and the range 27 to 39 . In both cases the letters
are from 0.4 to 0.5 cm . in height .

or both margins of a bamboo text are usually

One
decorated with line engravings . The cylinder in
Text B has this design on the right hand margin .

io
in

Figure 2
 17

The tile in Text C has a decorative margin on the

left side only and in Text C on the right .

Figure 3
en sord
memancic Comisia
itinanonuzi
in tanse
DATOCam !
carnaval
200 rzo :
a
Ciciday

The sole punctuation mark or Ć ori -

which signifies either the beginning of a composition ,

its
-
or a new chapter or section within a single
end
text - is almost always placed in an outset position
to the left of the text , but within the inscribed
marginal band , as in Figure 2 .

iii . rattan

Texts inscribed on rattan sticks (beus bneuw ) are

now the most common form of heirloom KA - GA - NGA texts
in Redjang country . A stick of this kind has an
average length of 93 cm . the text extends to 48 cm .
of this length - and a diameter of 2.5 cm . There is
an average of 37 syllables per line and 3 to lines ll
per text , but there are usually more illustrative
drawings on the rattan sticks than on the bamboos .
These are at the left - hand side of the text and at the
top of the stick when it is used as a walking stick or
magical wand . The most common variety of rattan for
KA -GA - NGA inscription is smambau ( Calamus Scipionum ) .

iv . buffalo horn

There are at most 8 lines of text on the KA -GA - NGA

horns and between 10 and 30 distinct syllables in each
line . Decoration of the wide end of the horn takes the
form of delicate carving , the theme of which is almost
always a god ( diwo ) with a distinctly Hindu mien ( see
Plate 4 ) . These inscribed and carved horns are sacred
18

heirlooms an ) of the slupua Lebong subclan .

( kumeut They
may only
be brought out on special occasions and benzoin
must be burned as a ritual precaution - as in the case of
the Bemanai barkcloth chronicle - for as long as they are
exposed to view .

v. copper plate

and will not be

This has been described by Labberton
repeated here . There are no longer any copper plate
texts in Redjang country , though there may be some else
where in South Sumatra .

20

ng
Mighton
Mermain sur INHA
,
11.Mimgem
25 netent
Интенси1 и
My a

ivirut
man

mitt
nilai 11-mavimo
Vill

Xhu KM1 I mean

-
30

A4White
Bin
' marrin
dvis
14 VO

Plate 3 -- A fragment of Labberton's copper plate

inscription
 19

4. The Language of the Texts

The language of Redjang folklore myths , legends

and fables - is invariably Redjang , but poetry ( sambeui
berdjung . mandak and nialang : see Jaspan 1962 and 1964 )
and all the KA - GA - NGA texts known to me are in a liter
ary form of old Malay which the people call Melajau
Purbo . This use of the phrase ' old Malay ' is not to
be interpreted as the equivalent of Teeuw's ( 1959 ) ,
but it is nevertheless older than the Malay now ' spoken
in South Sumatra .

In some of the texts there is a varying admixture

of Redjang words ( e.g. smambau , sumeui , tumbu ) . The
syllable mba for which there is a separate character N
is an m with an implosive attack ; this does not exist
in Malay , yet it occurs frequently in the KA - GA - NGA
texts . Elision of velar and alveolar nasals in con
sonant clusters a characteristic feature of the
Redjang process of assimilating Malay words - also
occurs in these texts , as in :

Redjang Malay English

tokot or tongkat stick

tokat
✓ pitu pintu gate

Final consonants are also dropped in the Redjang

form of Malay words , and this again is reflected in
the language of the texts :

Redjang Malay English

A A tingga tinggal to stay , re

main
tungga tunggal one , single
20

Characteristic vowel changes from Malay to Redjang

are also present in the texts as in the following ex
amples :

Redjang Malay / Indonesian English

му ° leum dalam in
dirai diri self
IN ulaubalang hulubalang a warrior of
soldier
smambau semambu a variety of
thick rattan
*
Initial u' in the texts is sometimes aspirated as in
Kerintji and Kubu :

Redjang Malay / Indonesian English

hurang orang a person

hundang undang a law

**
Final hº nowever , is usually elided or the Malay
syllable -ah becomes the Redjang fringilised diphthong
!! ( ea ) :

Redjang Malay / Indonesian English

umea rumah a house

tumbu tumbuh to grow

À À tatea tatah studded , in
laid

Finally
there are some words in the texts ,
,

which would be meaningless or ambiguous to Malay

speakers unfamiliar with Redjang :

*
Cf. Dyen ( 1953 : 31-33 ) .
** Cf. Dempwolff , 0. ( 1937 ) and Dyen , I. ( 1953 : 45 ) .
 21

Redjang /
Malay Indonesian English

alau pergi to go

.
♡ ♡

N N lalau pergi djauh 1. to go away

2. turun kawin 2. to marry in
di tempat a distant
jang djauh place
sumeui harimau nénék ancestral
tiger
N X° leum dalam in
N X Mo remas mas gold

To wasnot
‫مرن‬ ‫هره‬Za‫لاون‬ stokin
‫الم‬

‫هایس‬

Žurna
Intanto
Toth
‫ام‬
‫ات‬
‫لاس‬

*
H
A
3

‫ا‬

24 ore
.

ikor
na toltott 40th
Bola
than

Sin attoo ma

Plate Bamboo tile Text

4
-

C
(

)
22

5 . The Subject matter of the Texts

The content of the texts is not confined to any one

theme , sacred or profane , but there is an extensive re
pertoire that includes love lyrics ( berdjung ) , spells
( idau - idau ) , incantations ( utjeup - utjeup ) , maxims
( pepatea ) , proverbs ( pribahaso ) adat formulations and
clan histories ( roajat or tembo bang mego ) .

A bamboo tile with a spell inscription was and is

regarded as a talisman capable of disarming malevolant
jungle spirits such as Semad Belelkat and the various
devils ( iblis or sitan ) .. A good example of this is
Text C : here the author of the incantation begins by
identifying a jungle spirit who has presumably become
detached from a . living
for an unattached spirit
body
is dangerous and must be returned to its physical home .
The procedure in such cases is to inform the spirit of
its name ( ' Suting Nursani is your name ' ) and the names
of its parents ( ' Wadan Djenitun is the name of your
mother , Radja Mibun is the name of your father ' ) . The
spirit is then assured that its body is still alive
and it is induced to return to it .

Text D is a characteristic berdjung lyric . Here

the author , presumably a young man ( perdjako ), expresses
his melancholy at being rejected by the girl of his
choice . The seeming impossibility of his being accepted
by her is expressed in a terse phrase of five words :

Barat laut As the sea

Tunggu maring_gunung on a mountain

which can , by their nature , never exist in this way .

Furthermore , he has lost her to a rival whom he compares
with an ancestral tiger ( sumeui ) , a metaphor which com
bines a nation of the fierce strength and the magical
power of the successful suitor . In the final two lines
of the poem he given vent to his sense of grief and loss
by conjuring up an image of her diligence and beauty

ruma ketunun a house of weaving

bulan purnama a full moon
 23

the latter phrase being a standard Redjang metaphor

for describing a beautiful girl's face .
The texts on the rattan sticks indicate that they
are intended as a kind of wand or a magical staff of
office . In Text F there is ' he who reads ( i.e. owns
and can recite ) this text will prince ' , for the
be a
stick is said to be an ancient heirloom inherited
from Adam and according to Allah , has the magical
power ( sakti ) of preserving life and causing death .

The legal digestprecepts on the Slupua buf

and
falo horn ( Text G ) are reminiscent of a Sacred mandate
or instruction ( pseun ) that a father who is about to
die gives to his eldest son who will succeed him as
head of the family and custodian of its ancestral
spirits and graves . In this case the father is the
headman of the senior village of the clan ( Baginda
Pembarap In settling legal disputes the words of
) ..
true witnesses must always be considered decisive . In
commencing the agricultural year , men must not plant
their swiddens before the clan chief has planted his .
The boundary markers of swiddens and wet ricefields
must be clear and respected by all . Those who fail to
observe these laws will be put in stocks in the
lage square . These are the laws of ' His Highness , Chief
vil
of the Senior Village ' ( Baginda Pembarap ) of Slupua
Lebong .

From the historical and ethnographic viewpoint , the

most important document in this collection is the
Bemanai barkcloth chronicle . A complete study and an
alysis of its contents must await its complete trans
cription . We have enough at present , however , to know
that it
provides a reliable written account of the
origins , early settlement and pedigree of the Bemanai
clan , and the subsequent dispersion and place of settle
ment of its constituent subclans . This is of importance
in establishing an incontestible historical charter of
land tenure rights , and in establishing the order of
seniority among the subclans and the villages within
each subclan . This chronicle substantiates similar
accounts which I had previously recorded from oral nar
ratives but it is more detailed and accurate .
24

Plate 5 -

a. Bamboo fire - making

box , with inset brazier
used when reciting in
cantion in Text C.

b . Bamboo tile Text D

HANS riti
na tom
OT I Hors
TORRE

at
 25

IM
ko

Plate 6
- Rattan stick ( Text E )
26

Much circumstantial ethnographic data is yielded

from this Chronicle . For example , ancestors are re
corded in the male line but not in the female ;
daughters are seldom mentioned , but in the few cases
where they are , it is to state that they ' went away '
( to marry ) the chief of another clan ( according to the
rule of clan exogamy ) . The apical ancestor of each
of the Redjang ' Four Pillar ' clans is described as a
bhikku ( bikau ) and a warrior . None of the ancestors
have Muslim names .

Ali Akbar's letter is rather a potpourri of cus

tomary maxims , sayings and adages , mixed with Koranic
and other Islamic precepts . These are the universal
stock in trade of most older Redjang headmen and
lineage elders . They are not composed in any specific
or immutable order .

Plate 7 -
-
The Slupua buffalo horn heirlooms
( including Text G )
 27

6. The Texts with Transliteration

A Fragment of the Bemanai Clan Chronicle

B letter of a suitor
The

с The spell of Suting Nursani

D - A lover's grief
E A forest charm

F Adam's wand

G - A digest of laws of the Slupua clan

H
H -- Ali Akbar's letter to Jaspan
28

Text BEMANAI CLAN CHRONICLE on barkcloth

1
I

oW
4W
4

4W

+
w
1N

11.
1

4N
N

WW
V
-.

o
*

Xg
i

N
1

1
v
v
/

1
+

1
IV
W.
2

ON
wy

vi

ot
W.
W

ON
4

W.
N
/

W
v

x
H
I

Û
in
. y 'y

itong
My
3

NOW
N
P
W

po
N

ox

☺
New v

4
4 | 14 лихихим " м ! ! ! ! мм х

5 NI W. OM V W N Mo W V W. w W V Xo V 7W N N N

9
i i oh
c
v N X N. ov NŇ v i W WI V xÅ ox N N N N N

7
wr l w l .NY W Ň q V X W ANWV of NŇ V Y N N

8
WV N
N N IV v N WV I vo rov w N ox v W

9 NW N NA Ň✓
v si NM

1
 29

1 Ulaubalang Bikau Bembo djadi Djikalang Tapus ,

Bikau Bermano

2. djadi Bermani dusun ( Ru ) kam . Anak Bikau Bermano

tiga beradik

Dajang Djenggai lalau Tapus Tatah Tungga tingga

di dusun Rukam .

4 Tatah Sekitar mai Bermani nda alau Tatah Tungga .

Gadja Semilan

5 beradik : Gadja Meram tingga di dusun Rukam ;

Gadja Biring lalau

6 Pupuk ; Gadja Merik lalau ke Pundjau ; Gadja Gemeram

lalau Muara

7 Ganau ; GadjaBeniting lalau Tjita Mandi ; Gadja

Ripat lalau Tundjang , lalau ;

8 Gadja Rimbun lalau ke Batu Kalung ; Gadja Pekik

lalau ke Tandjung Dalam ; Gadja

9 Rajo lalau dusun Pandjang Rena .

30

Text B THE LETTER OF A SUITOR ( on a bamboo cylinder )

илтижнкімидня
1
L
• « м ми 4 ° |

/ - - x w I w W x of olу
. .у / Х. o

2 и Ии * оw инулим ои Hн of :У

W MW & x x x of :7 1 :y

3 М
W W- ofо /
у іг го1і ит Mc • .y x 1 + х х х -х 0

мі • MW x w I H W x 1 ox

4 x - м у і о и wх : /дог у луі У

Nov Y N N N W A

5 « му : ох х лв
. 1 о .y x w ти 2 і 1 + 0

9 W V N N NÝ i Ņ N W. V V V X N ONŇ V N O W ON І

.у •M y x w оw и W

7 М fх оf и л у о н г н и л у і Я У. / о

- y of y x w :M w :M
І
 31

i Ini surat budjang kasijan udé . Woi , dengar

serambah duaté , aning Rimunan . Banjak remas di bengit

2 Tenun tus ambis nguraa pekan . Awas rambut djadi

sangulan , djangan tjemas . Bitang di

3 langit sebut punggu Allah gi di bumi . Ba serurung

merindju bulan . Solah mené ' bimbang rijang malam

4 Uma karija keno bebut ramé sura a wong di balai .

Petja keléténg kurang ladju pekan .

5 E: tun bendjudi ajam mereput . Di mané warang peputjé

lindjang sukar berada .

6 Sekarang é tawun bulan ini ati ku merasa rugi . É

tidak ku merasa ngan walijan

7 Tu buruk kepadé utung déwé , é idup di bumi sijang

sijang .
 32

9 8

OT

IT

12

13
ме in

v
Х

We
1 w /

!
У.
/ Go у iv

/
«

V
in
:
у 1

Y
V.
W od
N N У

N
в 1 u

low

W ON NY
N H W !

N
/
с
. o
ANNAN

ці
my

w
x

у
W . Ñ
ide у
м W

W.
W

VI
it

Wij
/
мумми

м
W
T

oN
.v .

1
w ox
х W

INI

w
N. и
w
WWV

- W.
Wти
.v A -

ху
ON :w
. .

і
ll о

NXw
iyiy

.v
vw

ox
N N y

WAN
Ni gu

N H

W ON
qui
N x
W. x on

W ¥
N w w
oil N
I

І МУ *
W i N
v

.y i

W
N
ON

* N

!о
♡

1
 33

8 Pandjang petiwi ., pai nu gawé . Datang bulan

ketjas berandjau . Akat tawun kalau menjadi .

9 Ngitung sukat balam keruwan . Sukatan meniru bungé

gadong , utung neladan kembang gambir .

10 Di tinggi awang masé djadi sepi ; di karang wong

masé djadi tepung rimba kiré . Undang se

ll ni besembaa seni bekiré kita kiré umbaa . Mangga

kita berijea menari .

12 Ang rus pundjaa punggu Lebong , kapung Sindor .

Dija orang wong tuna adé tuné .

13 Dia uruwang kasijan adé mata mbekal ingatan

kindang ari bekal dedaman adé a surang
34

Text C - THE SPELL OF SUTING NURSANI ( on a bamboo tile )

1 WWW W W. W g G

2 N Y W W. V W x N. i

3 имх і м х 1

4 wх у °

5 м х • Гk - k -4 x

6 www x ° и ... 4 x ° * x 1

7 м . Уг х ° и 4х4 м

8 I ! W VÝ

9 улам .. I wy I w .
10 AVAA ÜX N N N N N I ÅM N
 35

1 Suting Nursani ke nama mu

2
Wadan Djenitun ke nama ibu

3 Radja Mibun ke nama bapa

4 Lama lusis
5 Leum badan diri mu

6 Ualim pato kadim iman A

7 Suting Uram ta da mati u

8 Bitang da tumbu

9 Djusunggu A tiba rajé pandjang bulan

terang
10 Depati turun mengandang mengandang
batang djeru
36

Text D - A LOVER'S GRIEF ( on a bamboo tile ]

і 1 1 ° 4 °

.
2

3 x +

4 мхх

5 х 4

6 1 х 2 мм

7 | му им х
 37

1 Barat lawut

N tunggu maring gunung

3 meteri keilangan

4 sumeui maring gunung

5 meteri kekasi

6 ruma ketunun

7 bulan purna ( ma ]
38

Text E - A FOREST CHARM ( on rattan ]

1 V. X o N \ I. V X o N Ň V Y N ox u
j *o

ÚN N M nivy i ý yox Ni N

2 w i ! W M M N N N Y N N N N N ļI
ķi MI iŇ V ol N W NW A wi x .ANO OW

3 N N N N N INOX OW Ñ N N N
1

1
 39

1 Kemrawang biku melalang gi di dalam kutum . Aku

tijado keno hukum kato la

2 I hurang dijo jalula u buto gumbakaju barang

buwang barang gi luput . Aku daripado mati lepas ,

aku dari pitu utan

3 Hung kato awal haram lepas kato Alla

40

Text ADAM'S on rattan

F
-
WAND

)
WN IX

ox
Ywy
L

N
W

oll
N

W.
N

W
.*

W
W
X

N
Y

W
ģi

M
n

N
x
N W. W w. A N ¥ W .w X W on N A Y

2 , y on N
Ñ Ñ N o N Wo D M M N or W ON .♡ ♡ ♡

N N N N ol yor Yox N N N

3
No W. W N of w N ox vi v ol N. W.W. N M X / gi W N of

N W. X NN N
 41

1 Ini surat dalam smambau ini sapé mbatjo

surat ini djadi tuan djadi pangiran djadi
masu ' Tengah Padang

2 Tokat Adam ini kata makluk sakti kata

Allah Urip kata da ' mati kata Allah

3 Ini surat dalam tokat ini : Siapé mbatjo

surat ini merindu
42
Text G - A DIGEST OF LAWS OF THE SLUPUA CLAN

[ on buffalo horn )
1 м . x k . A 4 ° к м - М° -4 1 ми
/ / M 2 1 од

2 Ņiwly I
. w
w wW ol W.
w w
w lI ww 9 M

3 kx + м . хилі
4 N .7 / ww ж млои го их и и мом
1 мг ,

5 O уух муу мг 2

6 х ми и гW° и 4 х + 1 мм
7 .у .w | :) 2 км хв 1 1 ? п УУ ? ? о

8 W N N N Y X л х

6 Ам хмо ги ? и г о м / .y 4 и 1 W

уOL : ми І y y

1.
и х 3 у + + + + + + + + x w

il . с у . Ж wo7 // . м и 7. мои ж

/ o
ry
: of Мw

12 : 1 ° + • гмі «° /
 43

1 . na di mana tidak datang sekahan di

berusak Baginda Pembarap

2 di balai hurang banja saksinja benartjaja

3 dang menikah na ta membilang

4 la tiba na la ngak pijut hutan

menugal ngateun kenakan ha

5 semba tekan tekan dengan paja pa

6 melarang mbinakal pating raran magëa ratusanja

7 ini belapah geri ja ra ba tangan patang mbekilat

8 salanja ridam lama ..... dengan pati

9 tijang pat lama na hendak lagi di tekan tangan

10 ta waka ti kati kala ba sa ka patin petja peralak

di mana bekaknja

11 g pa ngab rasa tilahanebit langa

desaleui g dipag na jai

12 tu surat hundang hundang baginda pembarap kelian bagin

44

Text H ALI AKBAR'S LETTER TO JASPAN ( on paper )

1 М° 1 x °

2 dh wro 2 л •

3 À 4 . V h • м. по
4 * кі А 4 и 1 1 , м .

5 h N v a

6 1 ° N NA

7 А. А м ./ к хе

8 і. . . 1 к2 ° MA j a w ' 8

9 į nx 1 А 1 ° Mim NW :

10 до мм x W:

11 « м д° A V WW : x Ex ° Р.

12 x Л. NA х 4 м 4

13 X NN * * x W *

14 1 . ° M N X W: кі : по

15 av 1 ° -А

16 MŰ г. г. 47 :
 45

1 Gusti adat Redjang .

2 Adapun tijap2 gerak utu

3 datang daripada Allah waris

4 itu datang dari nabi , halipah

5 itu daripada radja -

-

6 Adat lembaga itu turun

7 daripada nabi Adam .

8 Berdirilah adat duwa perkara jaitu :

9 Pertama adat Djahilijah .

10 Keduwa adat Salamijah .

il Adat Djahilijah matjamnja

12 ada merendah ada menggunung , ada

13 meléréng ada mendaki .

14 Adat Salamijah , datar harus

15 dipakai , batal dibuang .

16 Djalan perkara ada duwa :

46

17 i All M Ñ řM Wow M
?

18 v y N M iM * Nº :
19 iM у Мw
. M WooN :

20 iM Mi iN ini !! *:

21 ! N N W pi N X Mo

och
22 ✓ N 1 I N Mo v

23 MA WN ou

N
!
♡

:
см
20
24 Ww

!
1
і

25 AN MAU
Ï
N
iN

ĭ
X

!
:

26 Áº
M
X

M
/
1
x
°

in
od

27
У

28 Nº
No
iM

29 Non :
*
N

°
1
°
f

30 Nº
A

!
N
W
1

ll

1
:

31 хо O
N
M

M
А

:
/
 47

17 Pertama djalan karna dunija

18 Keduwa djalan karna Allah .

19 Djalan karna dunija jakni :

20 bersawah , berladang , berkebun , berumah

21 tangga , berlumbung randjung , emas

22 perak , beras padi , kebesaran

23 negeri , atau anak buwah ,

24 beranak berkemenakan , berdusun

25 berlaman , berlabuh bergelanggang , bertepijan

26 tempat mandi meramai sambai

27 dan gandai , tepuk dan tari .

28 Djalan karna Allah :

29 ikutlah oleh mu pirman Allah

30 dan titah rasul dan peladjaran

31 gurumu dalam kitabbullah dan sariat Nabi .

48

32 1. 4 N: А4 ° 1 ° і я :

33 ! ху оля у уу
34 ģ oun У - А1о 1 : • м .

35 уу
. с / W. .уу * Ý A Now

36 V W 4 ° о

37 41 1 ° у ° 11 °

38 у W X * 4 °

39 W: •k 4 ! M o Ni
40 У 1.

41 і: 1 У x ° у °

42 ух оf x 1 °

43 N. x AN

44 jy
. v W W • 4 у .

45 ги х " / х му
:

46 ху му
:

47 WW w •k NA • 1

48 x M 4 Kw И. у о • VW:
 49

32 Berdirilah adat adat tudjuh perkara :

33 Pertama tjapak , keduwa gantang , arti

34 tjupak dan gantang , tidak boleh dilebihi

35 tidak boleh dikurangi bungkalnja

36 pijawai , teradjunja bergetok , tjupak

37 duwabelas tahil , kulaknja kurang

38 duwa lima puluh tahil .

39 Itulah ditiru diteladan ,

40 ketiga kata pusaka , apa kata

41 pusaka , berhubung hubung , empat

42 kata mupakat , kata mupakat

43 kata sekarang , lima kata dulu ,

44 buwatan ditungga , djandji ditepati

45 enam kata kemudian , kata

46 kemudian kata ditjari dan

47 tudjuh kata jang diadatkan .

48 Mana orang jang tidak dipilih

50
49 w wo N N N N :

50 .1 к

51 No Ň V ON

52 * * ik x °

53 W: i M

54 W / o7 .1 уу
. о

55 1 W. .у iM f w or

56 x N N Ý x - 1 °
57 у и ew W X W * *

58 / M N : 1 1 °

59 и / 7 ° у ом

60 . у ои / W. У •4 W

61 ÅM А х у до

62 Ar a N X oW у °
63 * Ал °o Y. N N ON W

64 и го ik x °

65 V. y or 1 W: и к N W
 51

49 djadi radja itu :

50 Orang bingung

51 orang kurang akal

52 orang berdendam

53 orang rendah bangsa .

54 Apa sebab orang bingung tidak

55 boleh djadi radja karna tidak

56 mengeluwarkan paham , mengikut

57 kata orang sadja , namanja itu

58 Penjuluh kutu penghulu beruk .

59 Sebab orang kurang akal

60 tidak boleh djadi radja ,

61 karna lagi temahak atau

62 iri kepada emas perak

63 adat pusaka didj uwalnja .

64 Sebab orang berdendam

65 tidak boleh djadi radja

52

66 | W 1 ° N: кухо или .

67 // / o1 W: ім
68 .ј у о 1 W W .y N N N W

69 VW ° x / у ін wi 11 °

70 / w oy
х 27 ° уу ох
71 4 г. im х ?

72 хуох у,
у ÅM iNN / / оу

73 W y .w імим / / оу

74 x / ° у 2 ° ! w x W ox

75 W !! No • VW: « :у и :

76 1 у в і in
77 / W ON W W 1 x °

78 і лh 1° уу
. 1 x °

79
м. тип - k MW
 53

66 banjaklah hirubiru dalam negeri .

67 Sebab orang rendah bangsa

68 tidak boleh djadi radja ija

69 hendak melebihi bangsa jang baik

70 banjak membuwat rusuh dalam

71 negeri , karna mau baik

72 kampung karna penghulu baik

73 negeri karna radja , baik

74 mesdjit karna malim .

75 Orang jang boleh dipilih djadi radja :

76 terbilang pandai , bangsawan

77 bidjaksana , artinja belum

78 terkentuk sudah tidur , belum

79 termakan lah terasa , tidur sijang

54
80 « у X N xo W W MW
. W

81 x x + 1 ✓ N ° • 1 W°

82 му ох yw . w у x { жі N ! OW

83 1 4. o

84 Ax ° W ! - му

85 х :
« М

86 в М.

87 // įir N

88 кі « м 1 ° ! Mom + 1 x 4°

89 a M
у хи / .y woy

90 у ох , ÅM / / оу

91 w W V N iM

92 ! м x xi ,

93 . уу ому

94 ..MM x x : *

95 А + ° N W. ON W

96 & N w ум дw .у
 55

80 djaga malam senantijasa

81 memikirkan hal ihwal

82 dalam negeri pemandanganpun luwas .

83 Ibarat perhukuman radja

84 dalam negeri , seperti sungai dengan

85 mata air , kalau keruh sungai ,

86 djernih mata air -

87 Sebab radja dan penghulu

88 dengan anak buwahnja , ibarat

89 pagar dengan tanaman , baiknja

90 kampung karna penghulu baik

91 nja negeri karna radja .

92 Kuwasa penghulu memerintah

93 diatas kuwasania

94 Kuwasa radja memeritah

95 diatas adilnja -

96 Orang jang benar djangan di

56

97 of Ň
му
. , го

98 1 . 1 4 x Аж
х 1 м
?. м •г

66 1 м / у х жи

100 и / 7 ° м
х 24
! ҳx ° .
102 4 - jÀ N ° WN у

102 VWhi !! ҳ °

203 уг N°

104 x w 1 /о и у 4 x °

105 ? хи :

106 X NA и си
о
+ / оу •

107 А 4° W N.
VŇ

108 x 1 /
oil
v
i

109
хи Mх °
W
1
/

110
//
ox
1

1
*

ITT Хм
ox
х

оу
1
1

ll2
/
*
 57

97 hilangkan kebenaran , tijap2

98 salah ada mengandung benar , tijap2

99 benar ada mengandung salah .

100 Sebaiknja menghukum itu

101 dari pangkal kata , lalu keudjung

102 kata , penjudah hukumpun baik

103 pada pangkal kata .

104 Mendjatuhkan hukum tiga

105 djalan perkaranja , pertama :

106 mengaku , keduwa saksi , tiga bukti .

107 Kalau tjerdik hendaklah

108 mentjari kawan , kalau gemuk

109 hendaklah mengandung lemak ,

110 banjak tjerdik membuwang kawan

111 gemuk membuwang lemak , hungga

112 boleh perbuwatan pada pertengahan .

58

113 in N w N I do .y N N roll

114 ✓ Ni A W. ^ N VAN
115 AN / W A . y x / #o W V M

116 ^ No 1 W IN V x

117 * ! X W V o

118 AN yŃ V

119 VŇ x 1 ° и 4 °

120 1 x ° ух A À AN

121 N X Mo AAN X W oW

122 AN v ou & A * A

123 / oll i Ñ ☺ . °
No

124 w No

125 .M .llº
126 w od W m / ° V. y or * x .MMW

127 Ä ♡ ♡ 7 м // N :
 59

113 Petuwah duwa baik diturut :

114 satu petuwah padi duwa petuwah

115 kelapa , petuwah padi kian berisi

116 kian rundak . Petuwah kelapa makin tuwa

117 makin berminjak .

118 Kalau berkata dulu berpikir .

119 Kalau tahu maksut kata ,

120 umpama santan dengan tangguli ,1

121 santan lemak tangguli manis .

122 Kalau tak tahu maksut

123 kata , ba ' alu pantukil

124 duri .

125 Djangan diturut hawa

126 napsu , sebab tidak menimbang

127 berat dan ringan , benar dan salah .

60

128 j ! N N M N' AW і у À W

129 ÅM ху ° му ! w
у о

130 і у м . му wy w у о A L N A N
м .
131 3

132 x x ° и 4 ° і г.
133 і м x www.ox
134 x W x °

135

136
? мі - 2 х х °

137 1 1 ! гох
138 Гум in Ň хох
139 AW 1
Иy
: * : x ° и 4 °

140 in rol
the

141 оww of
w
W

.
w

1
!

142
ou
yo
W

x
1

w
и
4

/
!
y
°
°
:
 61

128 Penghulu ijalah kaja , bukan kaja

129 karna emas , kaja karna adat

130 dan pusaka , kaja karna undang dahulu kala .

131 Apa kata radja :

132 Kata radja melumpahkan , kata

133 penghulu memperselesai , kata

134 malim kata hakikat , kata

135 menteri kata berilang , kata

136 hulubalang kata mengeras kata

137 banjak kata bertjampur .

138 Adapun penghulu , seumpama

139 kaju besar ditengah padang , tempat

140 berteduh hari hudjan , tempat

141 bernaung hari panas , uratnja

142 boleh tempat duduk , batangnja

62

143 / N. x° у ° ľM N

144 у i.k .лу и

145 у оf x W x° і - .А -kv
146 ху k
• 2 w W

147 м 1 м -kyp х .

148 у о уу
. о

149 уу
. оw 2 x° и 4 ° 1 ° W

150 mo
и si M Ñ 2 и 1 °
о
W

151 Mvi / У

152 и , му ? і т .
153 T
2

3 W N N

4 ху 4 °
ОЛ
5 у °
9

7
No 1 м
р
8

AN 9/8/61 у - N N N of !
ору A W ļoW + у °
 63

143 boleh tempat bersandar .

144 Adapun penghulu berdiri dipantu

145 adat , malim berdiri dipintu

146 agama , pegawai dipintu susah ,

147 hulubalang dipintu mati .

148 Adat diatas tumbuh , pusaka

149 diatas tempat , adat jang

150 sepandjang djalan , tjupak jang

151 sepandjang betung

152 pagar negeri delapan perkara :

153 1 peralatan
2 djaga
3 sendjata
4 mupakat

5 parét
6 kawan

7 benar
8 penghulu

Talang Baru 9/8/61

Kiriman dari Aliakbar
untuk Tuan Jaspan Tapus -
64

7 . Translations of the Texts

Text A

1 The warrior Bhikku Bembo became the Djikalang

( clan ) at Tapus ; Bhikku Bermano

became the Bermani ( clan ) at Rukam village .

Bhikku Bermano had three

3 children : Princess Djanggai went to ( be married

in ] Tapus ; Tatea Tungga remained in Rukam

4 village ; Tatea Sekitar went to Bermani ; ( only )

Tatea Tungga did not go away . ( He had ) nine

' elephant '

5 children : Elephant Meram stayed in the village

of Rukam ; Elephant Biring went

6 to Pupuk ; Elephant Merik went to Pundjau ;

Elephant Gemeram went to Muara

7 Ganau ; Elephant Beniting went to Tjita Mandi ;

Elephant Ripat went to Tandjung ; he left ;

8 Gadja Rimbun went to Batu Kalung ; Elephant Pekik

went to Tandjung Dalam ;

Elephant Rajo went to the village of Pandjang

Rena .
 65

Text B

1 This is a letter of tender love

From a young man to you ,
o, listen to (my ) divine serenade ,

little sister , Rimunan .

There is much gold in the maiden's seraglio .

2 Weaving cloth to sell at the fair .

Take care ( your ) hair is well combed in a bun
Don't worry about the stars in the sky .

3 Pronounce the highness of Allah on earth !

A hunchback yearns for the moon
like a bride for the night of her wedding feast .

4 The house of the feast is loud with noise

and the tumult of people in the hall .
( If ) the gongs crack the fair will not succeed .

5 O you gamblers ! Pitting cocks against each other !

So noisy it
is hard for the young people to
( serenade ) .

6 Now year and a month ( have passed )

a
But I feel not they are lost
And my mind has not turned to another .

7 I feel this is misfortune . my

It is poor fate to wait
my
And suffer on this earth forever .
66

8 The world is
wide , go away to work !
When the month of harvest and hunting comes

next year , your suit may then succeed .

9 Counting destiny , it is not yet known

Fate is like a soporific yam flower
My lot is like the scented gambir bloom .

10 In the high clouds it is still peaceful

In the village square people are like flour
in a forest

ll Concerning the rules of entertainment :

( First ) we bow graciously and then

flap our hands as we turn , like waves .

Come let us joyously dance .

12 Let us praise again the Patron of Lebong

at Kampung Sindor .

Here is the young man and you ( are ) his betrothed .

13 Here is a young man with a tender love for you .

His eyes store the image
of that bright morning when you alone will be his
beloved ( wife ) .
 67

Text C

1 Suting Nursani is your name

2
Wadan Djenitun is your mother's name

3 Radja Mibun is your father's name .

4 ( They have ] long been searching for

5 your own body .

6 Your helmsman is broken and faith in Allah

lost .

7 An embryo of man is not killed by God ,

8 The stars do not appear

9 Indeed ſit is ) Allah in the high trail of

the full moon

10 The headman goes down to gaze at the lemon

tree .
68

Text D

1 As the sea

2 on a mountain .

3 the princess is lost ( to an )

4 ancestral tiger on the mountain .

5
The princess my loved one .

6 A house of weaving
7 A full moon .
 69

Text E

From the reticle canopy the bhikku disappears

and in his place ( leaves ] an embryo .
I am beyond the law and word of Allah .

2 He that man there , O God , with a tuft on

,

his fontanelle !
Reject these things , discard them ! Free me
from death , release me from the gate of the
jungle :

3 The introductory word ' Hung ' is forbidden .

Reject it according to Allah's command .
70

Text F

1 Here is a letter on this rattan staff .

Whomsoever reads this letter shall be
its owner and a prince ; he will enter
the Assembly Council .

2 This is Adam's staff , said the Holy

Creature ( Mohammed ] . Allah said : He
shall live , not die , said Allah .
3 Here is
letter on this staff . Whom
a
soever reads this letter will cherish
fit ] .
 71

Text G

1 where not come His Highness the

Headman

in the hall many people , his trusty witnesses

3 now marrying saying

4 arrive forest planting

5 homage sticks with difficulty

6 forbidding tree steps hundreds

7 hand taboo

9 the Four Pillars formerly wished still .

stick hand

10 where

il
12 letter of laws His Highness the Headman
‫‪72‬‬

‫موم‬

‫رما‬
‫اب‬
‫هپ‬ ‫مه‬

‫ب‬
‫‪-‬‬

‫من‬

‫را‬
‫من‬
‫هناب‬

‫اه‬

‫ام‬
‫م‬
‫‪in‬‬

‫م‬
‫‪,‬‬
‫مه‬
‫رھپ‬

‫‪am‬‬
‫‪aruso‬‬ ‫‪arna‬‬

‫‪in‬‬
‫‪115‬‬

‫‪,‬‬
‫‪.‬‬
‫م‬

‫*‬
‫م‬

‫م‬
‫‪ANON molto‬‬ ‫امم‬

‫مهن‬
‫ام‬
‫م‬

‫م‬
‫هام‬
‫*‬

‫‪,‬‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫رد‬
‫ا‬
‫ا‬
‫م‬
‫ر‬
‫‪his‬‬
‫‪no‬‬ ‫‪hodh mly anven‬‬

‫ما‬

‫اب‬
‫‪the‬‬ ‫‪dowodoro‬‬ ‫هل‬ ‫هل‬ ‫هو‬

‫م‬
‫‪ VMM‬هيدل‬

‫‪:‬‬
‫همم‬

‫رپ‬
‫م‬
‫منون هنولب‬
‫ما‬

‫»‬
‫‪۵‬‬
‫الها‬ ‫همانرب‬
‫‪14‬‬

‫هر‬

‫اب‬
‫*‬
‫‪/‬‬

‫و‬
‫ارم‬

‫‪ ' .‬ار‬
‫نم‬

‫س‬
‫هرپ‬

‫رم‬
‫رم‬

‫م‬
‫م‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫و‬
‫ام‬ ‫اک‬ ‫ام‬

‫مما ار‬
‫‪,.‬‬
‫‪Wipe‬‬
‫ئامن‬

‫م‬

‫‪1‬‬
‫‪:‬‬

‫‪Bon NAO Weww‬‬

‫ام‬
‫همه‬

‫ارم‬
‫اب‬

‫رد‬
‫هم‬ ‫مم‬ ‫‪Iwno‬‬ ‫‪no‬‬
‫ام‬ ‫ام‬
‫‪we‬‬ ‫م‬
‫‪۸‬‬

‫ز‬
‫‪.‬‬

‫م‬
‫‪.‬‬
‫هه‬

‫هب‬
‫‪5‬‬
‫همان‬
‫ام‬
‫م‬

‫«‬

‫م‬
‫»‬

‫ان‬

‫م‬
‫هن‬

‫ه‬
‫اه‬
‫الوم‬ ‫الوم‬

‫هو‬
‫اه‬

‫‪-‬‬
‫و‬
‫رهم‬ ‫ماما‬

‫ا‬
‫‪-‬‬
‫ا‬
‫و‬

‫ا‬
‫ر ام‬
‫م‬
‫‪.‬‬
‫وک‬

‫مهم‬

‫رد‬

‫هت‬
‫‪ 1:‬مه‬

‫و‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫م‬
‫**‬ ‫‪tw 14 wen‬‬

‫هن‬
‫‪Ww‬‬
‫‪,‬‬
‫م‬
‫م‬

‫هه‬
‫ه‬

‫‪:‬‬

‫ا‬
‫م‬

‫ر‬
‫مزال‬
‫ومع مه‬

‫رفن‬
‫‪mm‬ه م‬ ‫‪:‬‬
‫طرب‬

‫اب‬

‫مه‬
‫‪/‬‬

‫‪/‬‬
‫*‬

‫*‬

‫ره‬
‫ال‬
‫مرهش‬ ‫مم‬
‫‪:‬‬

‫‪Dow‬‬ ‫‪ww‬‬
‫**‬ ‫مت‬

‫مهم‬
‫رات‬

‫ر‬
‫عم‬
‫هناب‬
‫مامت‬ ‫همه‬ ‫هن‬

‫نم‬
‫دهعم‬ ‫هب‬
‫ال‬

‫‪#‬‬

‫م‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫‪ .‬مم ع‬
‫مارم‬ ‫ارم‬ ‫هنم‬
‫اه‬
‫اه‬
‫‪,‬‬
‫‪mN‬‬ ‫دم‬
‫‪in‬‬

‫من‬

‫‪whom‬‬
‫با‬

‫‪thmen‬‬
‫‪,‬‬ ‫‪:‬‬

‫‪/‬‬

‫ژر نپ ورب‬
‫‪vi‬‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫‪,‬‬

‫و‬

‫مه‬
‫موم ار‬
‫‪k25‬‬ ‫همم‬
‫و‬ ‫زاب مه‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫‪wi‬‬
‫‪,‬‬
‫‪w‬‬

‫‪ww‬‬ ‫مرو‬
‫وت‬

‫امن‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫‪.‬‬

‫اه‬
‫‪/‬‬

‫م‬
‫م‬
‫م‬
‫ملس‬

‫م‬

‫م‬

‫‪.‬‬
‫ه هن‬
‫وم‬
‫و‬

‫مرس‬
‫ن‬

‫‪ worse‬زو‬
‫و‬

‫*‬

‫و‬
‫مه‬
‫یم‬

‫مرم‬
‫ف‬
‫م‬

‫م‬

‫یئرم‬
‫م‬

‫م‬

‫م‬
‫ة‬

‫شت‬ ‫رونام‬
‫مه‬

‫ام‬ ‫م‬
‫‪,‬‬

‫‪swoveo‬‬ ‫‪not‬‬
‫هت‬
‫ه‬
‫ه‬
‫*‬

‫ا‬
‫ا‬

‫هن نم‬
‫ة‬

‫م‬

‫ة‬
‫م‬

‫و‬
‫م‬
‫م‬

‫م‬

‫م رم‬ ‫و وم‬
‫م‬

‫م‬

‫‪:‬‬

‫ما‬
‫هب‬

‫بط‬ ‫هیهت‬
‫مم‬
‫و‬

‫و‬
‫ا‬
‫ا‬

‫‪//‬‬
‫م‬
‫م‬

‫نم‬
‫ه‬

‫مه‬
‫‪P‬‬
‫م‬

‫ه‬
‫* ة‬

‫ط‬

‫و‬
‫م‬

‫‪V‬‬
‫لم‬

‫هن‬
‫ل‬

‫ممام‬ ‫هنم‬
‫‪°‬‬
‫‪،‬‬

‫م‬

‫نم‬
‫هرم‬
‫‪/‬‬
‫م‬

‫‪/‬‬

‫من‬
‫من‬
‫‪.%‬‬
‫‪) /‬‬

‫رهم‬
‫مرم‬

‫هب‬
‫هب‬

‫هب‬
‫وت‬

‫م‬
‫م‬

‫م‬

‫م‬

‫‪Plate‬‬ ‫‪Part of Aliakbar's letter‬‬ ‫‪Text‬‬

‫‪88‬‬
‫‪-‬‬

‫‪H‬‬
‫(‬

‫)‬
 73

Text H

i His Highness , Redjang Adat !

2
The source of every action
3 is from Allah . Inheritance

4 comes from the Prophet ( but ] government

5 from the chief .

6 Customs and institutions are descended

7 from the Prophet Adam .

8 Adat is based on two premises :

9 Firstly , the adat of Jahiliya ;

10 Secondly , the adat of Salamiya .

il Jahiliya adat is of two kinds :

12 lowering and elevating ,

13 sloping downward and climbing up .

14 The adat of Salamiyah : a level course

15 must be held , things abrogated must be cast
away .

16 The wavs of these premises are two :

74

17 The first is the worldly way ;

18 The second way is Allah's .

19 The worldly way consists of :

20 Cultivating wet and dry ricefields , making a
garden ,

21 Having a household , a high coned rice granary ,

gold

22 and silver , rice and paddy ; ( these are ) the

greatness

23 of a country ; or to have many dependants ,

24 ( both ) children and nephews ; to have a village

25 and a village square , an anchorage and an arena ,

26 and a bathhouse at the river's edge ; lusty with

songs

27 and reels , hands clapping and dancing .

28 The way of Allah is this :

29 Obey ye the decree of Allah

30 And the command of the Messenger and the instruction

31 of your teachers of the Holy Book and the Prophet's

religious law .
 75

32 Adat laws consist of seven suits :

33 Firstly a tjupak measure , secondly a gantang

measure

34 The meaning of tjupak and gantang is that their

measure

35 must be neither exceeded nor diminished .

36 Nor may one be adept at tipping the scales ,

37 So that a tjupak has twelve taels and a kulak
38 short of fifty taels by two .

39 That then is the model to be copied .

40 The third is the word of heirlooms . What is this

41 .
' word of heirlooms ' ? ( It is ] the link ( with the
past ) .

42 Fourth is the word of consensus ; the word of con

sensus

43 is in the present time . Fifth , the word of yore :

44 A debt must be paid , a promise honoured

45 Sixth , a word ( spoken ] afterward . A word

46 spoken afterward is a word that is sought for ; and

47 seventh , the word that has become customary .

48 What persons may not be chosen

76

49 to be chief ?

50 A confused man ,

51 a simple - minded man ,

52 a man who bears grudges ,

53 a commoner .

54 Why must a confused man

55 not become a chief ? It is because he has

56 no sound sense but is carried

57 by the word of any man ; the name of such a
person is
58 ' A Picker of Lice , a Headman of Apes ' .
59 The reason why a simple -minded man

60 may not become a chief

61 is that he is avaricious or

62 covets gold and silver ,

63 for which he sells ( our ) customs and heirlooms .

64 The reason why a man with a grudge

65 may not become a chief is that

 77

66 there will be much commotion within his country .

67 The reason why a commoner

68 should not be chosen chief is that he

69 will wish to surpass his betters

70 and so will create much turbulence in the

71 country , because to have a good village

72 you must have a good headman .

73 A country is sound if it has a good chief

74 and a mosque if it has a good ) religious leader .

75 A person who is eligible for chieftainship

76 ( is one ] reckoned to be clever a wise

77 nobleman , which means that he is never drowsy

78 having slept previously and never feels

79 oversated with his food ; he makes it his habit to

sleep at midday
78

80 so that he may keep awake at night ,

81 contemplating the affairs

82 of his country ; his views are also broad .

83 The verdict of a chief in his country

84 should be like a river compared

85 with its source : even when the river is turbid

86 its source is clear .

87 The reason that a chief and his headman

88 are to their subjects like

89 a fence round a garden , ( is that ) a village is
sound

90 when it has a good headman and a country

91 when it has a good chief .

92 A headman's authority

93 rests upon his power .

94 A chief's authority

95 rests upon justice .

96 An honest man must not

 79

97 be denied his honesty , for in every

98 wrong action there is some truth , ( just as ) every

99 true thing contains some fault .

100 It is best that judgement be given

101 from the first word , and then to the last

102 word ; in concluding a lawsuit it is best

103 ( to return ) to its commencement .

104 A lawsuit may be decided

105 in three ways : firstly

106 through admission of guilt , secondly [ by )

witness , thirdly with proof .

107 If a man is wise he will

108 seek a friend , if obese

109 he carries fat .

110 Many wise men discard their friends

lll and obese men their fat , but ' tis

112 best to keep a middle course .

80

113 Two precepts should best be followed :

114 The first of these precepts is paddy , the second

precept

115 coconut The precept of paddy is the more its

fill
. : (

ears )

116 the more it bows its head . The precept of coco

nut is : the older it gets

117 the more its oil .

118 If you speak , think beforehand .

119 If you know the meaning of words ,

120 such as ' coconut cream and aren sugar '

121 ( you will know that ) coconut cream is oily and aren
sugar sweet .

122 If you do not know the meaning

123 of words , your efforts will be in

124 vain .

125 Do not be carried away by

126 passions , for you will then not be able to weigh

127 what is heavy and light , true or false .

 81

128 ( When ) a headman is wealthy he is rich not

129 because of gold , but rich because of adat

130 and heirlooms , rich because of the ancient law

The upholds ) .

131 What is a chief's behest ?

132 A chief's order surpasses all others ; a

133 headman's is : complete the task ! a

134 religious leader's is the behest of truth ;

135 an assistant chief repeats the ( chief's ] order ;

136 a warrior's is a coercive behest ; ( but ] many

137 behests make confusion .

138 A headman should be like

139 a great tree in the centre of a field , a

a

140 refuge on a rainy day , a place

141 of shelter on a hot day , its branches

142 affording a seat , its trunk

82

143 a place to sit back against .

144 A headman should stand at the gate

145 of adat ; a religious leader at the gate

146 of religion , an official at the gate of trouble ,

147 a warrior at the gate of death ,

148 Adat is subject to growth , heirlooms

149 stay in their place . Every circumstance

150 has its own adat , every situation

151 its own appropriate rule .

152 A country's fence ( depends on ] eight

circumstances :

1 equipment
2. vigilance
3 arms

4 consensus
5 Islamic family law
6 friends
7 truth
8 the headman

Talang Baru , 9th August 1961 .

Sent by Aliakbar
to Mr. Jaspan , Tapus .
 83

8. Textual and analytical notes

( Abbreviations : M. Malay , R. Redjang ,

J. Javanese , S. Sundanese )

Text A

Line 1 ulaubalang = M. hulubalang .

A bikau ( M. biku ) was a clan founder . The

Redjang had a confederation of four clans ( bang
mego ) known as the ' Four Pillars ' ( Tiang Pat :
cf. Text G , line 9 ) . Each of the four clans ,
Djikalang , Bemanai , Slupua and Tubeui was foun
ded by a bikau . These were Bikau Bembo , Bikau
Bermano , Bikau Bedjenggo and Bikau Sepandjang
Djiwo . The four bikau were believed to be
brothers and the sons of ' the king of Majapahit ' ..
Bikau Bembo made his headquarters at Tapus ,
which is still the oldest and most important
village of the Djikalang clan .
2 Bikau Bermano , the founder of the Bemanai clan ,
made his capital at the former village of Kutai
Ukeum ( M. Kota Rukam ) on Lake Tes in Lebong . In
this line the first syllable of Rukam is inad
vertently omitted by the scribe , but the word
is correctly written in line 4 . As in present
day Redjang speech , proper names are sometimes
given in their Redjang form and sometimes in
Malay . In this text the following words are in
Redjang : ulaubalang ( hulubalang ) ; bikau ( biku ) ;
Djikalang ( Djurukalang ) ; Gadja Semilan ( Gadjah
Sembilan ) ; lalaų ( pergi or turun or kawin lin
the case of a woman ] ) ; alau ( pergi ) ; mai ( pergi
ke .. ) ; tingga ( tinggal ) ; Tjita Mandi ( Tjinta
Mandi ) ; Pandjang Rena ( Pandjang Rendah ) .

3 dajang is the usual Redjang title for a female

ancestress .
84

Line

5-10 The ' nine elephants ' descended from Tatah Tungga ,
Bikau Bermano's son who remained at Kota Rukam in
Lebong , not only founded the dispersed Bemanai
clan settlements elsewhere in present - day Redjang
country , but are also the ancestors of non - Redjang
communities in Lembak , Rupit , Ampat Lawang and
Serawai country . This genealogy and the settle
ment details accord with the pedigrees I collected
from the Redjang and their neighbours in 1961-63 .

Text B

1 udé is the polite form of the second person pro

noun . Woi is a typical Redjang exclamation , com
parable to the Javanese wah .

serambah ( R. serambëa ) is a love song composed in

pantun style ; it is common to many South Sumatran
cultures .

aning , or ading means ' younger sibling ' ; Rimunan

is a female name .

gold ( remas ) is
here a metaphor for young girls ;
remas is old Redjang for emas or mas ;
bengit cf. J. pingitan .

2 The word tusambis is not altogether clear .

3 Reference to Allah dates this text to the post

Islamic period .
mené ' here error for mengenjan , a bride ;
may be an
bimbang is a Redjangor Bencoolenese feast , either
for a circumcision ( sunat rasul ) or a wedding . The
proper Redjang term is kedjai .
4 There is a belief still
current among the Redjang
that an immoral act recently committed will result
in the cracking of one of the keléténg gongs . It
is a rule of the kedjai that only unmarried persons
 85

Line

4 may and these must be chaste .

dance
, a gong If
cracks people say there is undoubtedly an unchaste
youth among the dancers . When one or more gongs
crack a kedjai loses its fervour and generally
ends ahead of schedule .

5 It was usual ( and now occasional , if the police

can be persuaded to stay away or turn a blind eye )
for a kedjai to be attended by cock - fighting . The
passions of the cock owners and the gamblers often
ran high , however , and sometimes resulted in fierce
arguments and quarrels . It
was believed that any
form of turbulence at a kedjai had the effect of
offending the ancestral spirits and gods of the
Long Hall ( Balai Panjang ) which housed the orch
estra and the dancers . Line 5 is thus a warning
to the gamblers to subdue their voices and to re
frain from fighting .
6
The young man has recalled the kedjai at which he
met and danced with Rimunan . Now a year and a
month have passed during which he has courted her
without success . Nevertheless , he remains faith
ful to her and has not turned his attentions to any
other girl . If she does not respond to him - and
perhaps never will - this is his misfortune , but he
will never give up waiting for her consent .
8 Here Rimunan speaks , cutting him short in pert ,
mocking phrases . petiwi cf. pertiwi J. ; pai = pergi ;
gawé cf. M. gawai . menjadi = mendjadi .

9-10 bungé , masé and kiré are old Redjang and present
Pasemah forms of bunga , masih and kira ; this mutation
of the ultimate vocal 1' a ' to ' é ' is characteristic
of all Redjang poetry in the ' old Malay ' idiom .
12 Kampung Sindor , literally ' the village of Silk ' is a
mythical place which is equated with paradise .
86

Line

13 kindang ari , or kindang arai in present day Redjang

is the time of day just after the early morning
mists have dispelled and the sun shines brightly
though not yet hotly . is between 7 a.m. and It
8 a.m. , and is regarded as an auspicious , time for
commencing work , ritual activities or a journey .

Text C

This is a spell ( utjeup , idau or batjaan ) .. Nursani and

Djenitun are common feminine names ; Radja Mibun is an
ancestor of the present headman of Lemeju village in
Lebong and may or may not be the same person as in Line 3
of this text .

4 lusis cf. J. gusis ; s .. léos .

5 leum R. for dalam

6 ualim a common abbreviation for mualim

6-7 A and u are common abbreviations in Redjang texts

for Allah or Uallah .

7-8 There is a considerable gap between lines 1-7 and

lines 8-10 . There may be no logical connection
between these two parts of the text . My informants
were unable to explain the connotation of the second
part but said that it
too sounded like a spell , the
words and meaning of which are often not clear to
anyone except the man who originally composed . it
Text D

1 Barat= M. ibarat ; lawut = M. laut . The KA - GA - NGA

characteristically employs the character N ( wa )

where an ' a ' or a ' u ' follows another vowel . See

Text H , lines 10 ( keduwa ) , 23 ( buwah ) , 44 ( buwatan ) .

3 meteri is a princess in Redjang mythology and poetry .

A synonym is puti , cf. M. puteri .
 87

Line
4 sumeui is a Redjang word with no M. or J.
equivalent .

7 the last syllable - which is almost certainly X

( ma ) - is missing , this part of the tile having
been consumed by a rat .

Text E

1 This refers to the Redjang belief in the miraculous

birth of a seventh or ninth child to a bikau . A
bikau who had an inauspicious even number of chil
dren , six or eight , entered a latticed canopy where
he stayed seven days and nights until people heard
the sound of an infant crying . Upon opening the
canopy a baby was revealed , the bikau having
mysteriously disappeared ( raib ) .. Kutum is a polite
euphemism for foetus .

2 The meaning of these words is not altogether clear ,

but the sense is that knowledge of the spell and
its utterance will invoke Allah's aid in staving
off disaster or death . pitu : an example of alveolar
nasal elision in a consonant cluster .
3 Hung , a term of exhortation used at the beginning of
a shaman's address to the ancestors or gods . is It
now rarely heard and has been substituted by a long
drawn out Salaaaam Aleikum Salaaaam . cf. aum or J.
om .

Text F
1 smambau : M. semambu , a rattan of the Calamus
scipionum variety .
sapé siapé . See note on Text B , lines 9-10 .

2
tokat = tongkat ; an example of Redjang velar
M.
elision in consonant clusters . The stick is de
scribed as an heirloom transmitted from Adam . The
terms sakti , urip and merindu all enhance the
magical value of the stick , making it a wand .
88

Text G

Of all
the texts in this collection this is the least
legible -
and - with the possible exception of the Bemanai
barkcloth chronicle - the oldest . Buffalo horn appears
not to be a suitable material for KA - GA - NGA , and was
only rarely used . So many characters are obliterated ,
blemished or unclear that it is no longer possible to
make a continuous transliteration or translation . The
few unmistakable words and phrases indicate that the
horn describes or belonged to the Headman of the Senior
Village of slupua ( Baginda Pembarap - Lines 1 and 12 )
and that is was intended to be a digest of laws ( surat
hundang hundang : Line 12 ) . The individual laws or rules
may relate to marriage ( Line 3 ) ; swidden cultivation of
rice ( Line 4 ) ; boundary marking between swiddens ( Lines
5 and 6 ) . In Line 9 there is a reference to the Redjang
Four Pillars Confederation ( Tiang Pat ) of which slupua
was ore of the pillar clans .
Text H

This is the most recent and the clearest in this collection

even though it is written in pencil . The author , Aliakbar ,
is a former primary school head teacher who was employed
as an assistant by Dr. P. Voorhoeve , the distinguished
Dutch linguist , for several months before the Japanese
invasion in 1942 . In this text there is less evidence of
Redjang influence than in any of the others , the language
being pure South Sumatran Malay . Aliakbar's knowledge
a
of modern Indonesian syntax and punctuation is evident
for , in addition to his use of the sole Redjang punct
uation mark which signifies either the beginning or the
end of a sentence or paragraph , he employs commas , colons ,
dashes , the Indonesian sign for doubling a word ( 2 , as in
:N W 702 ) ,1 and his paragraphs commence with an inset space .
The punctuation in the original text from which the commas ,

colons and hyphens are here excluded in the KA - GA - NGA

transcription is here retained in the transliteration .
Line
1 Gusti is a form of honorific address rarely used
by Redjang except in mythology and spirit invocation .
It stands in marked contrast to the predominantly
Muslim notions and associations in the body of the
text .
 89

Line

( tijap2 ) . The author might have written N

2 'N W 102 °

( tiap2 ) as in modern Malay and Indonesian , but

this is the common and preferred form , as in the
case of the character N ( wa ) where Ñ N (a) is the
usual Malay / Indonesian form . See also Lines 17
( dunija ) . 25 ( bertepijan ) ,. 36 ( pijawai ) and 80
( senantijasa ) . utu is an error for itu .

7
In its retrospective eclecticism , Redjang religion
includes Adam in its galaxy of Muslim prophets .
8-15 This reference to Jahiliya and Salamiya adat is
exceptional in Redjang literature , whether
KA -GA - NGA , Jawi or Romanised , and I have not
heard any allusion to these two terms from any
other Redjang . Their inclusion here probably
reflects Aliakbar's own religious study and
predilections .

26-27 sambai and gandai ( R. sambeui gandeui ) describe

traditional pre - Islamic Redjang song and dance .
,

The pre - Islamic religion is sometimes described

as igamo sambeui - gandeui . The author describes
these as mundane activities , not those of ' God's
way ' .

29 pirman ( A. and M. firman ) : there is no ' f ' in the

KA - GA - NGA . Similarly ( see Line 153.5 ) farai d is
rendered vw po parét .

33-34 A tjupak is a standard measure of dry solids ,

particularly rice , coffee , sugar and salt . It
has an equivalent cubic capacity as half a coconut
sheil or a quarter of a gantang which measures
3.125 kilograms . cf. Rantjak Dilabueh , Part IV ,
Line 110 and footnote 33 .

41-47 Cf. Rantjak Dilabueh , Part VIII , Lines 29-33 .

90

Line

48-86 This is tract in political science , describing

a
the qualifications and qualities of rulers and
those ineligible for chieftainship . Cf. the six
pangulus in Rantjak Dilabueh , Part VII , Lines 273
392 .

87 on
ward describes customary precepts relating to law ,
circumspect behaviour , the ideal socialisation of
individual members of the society , and differences
in occupational roles .
94 memeritah : see note on pitu , Text E , Line 2 .

111 A ( hungga ) is an error for im A ( hingga ) .

116 cf. Rantjak Dilabueh , Part II , Line 215 .

119 maksut - M. maksud . Redjang words never terminate

in h ' -d ' .

123-124 This is a well known Minangkabau proverb .

125-126 Cf. Rantjak Dilabueh , Part II , Line 242 .

132 melumpankan is an unusual term not found in the

dictionaries of Wilkinson , Winstedt , Poerwadarminta ,
Zain or Echols and Shadily . Only Marsden has it ,

as an alternative for lampau .

135 berilang is an error for berulang .

148 dipantu is an error for dipintu , as correctly

spelled in the succeeding lines .
 91

Bibliography

Marsden , W.
1783 The History of Sumatra . London .

Tuuk , H. N. van der

1860 Bataksch Leesboek . Amsterdam . Three vols .

Rees , W. A. van
1860 De Annexatie der Redjang . Rotterdam ,

H. Nijgh .

Tuuk , H. N. van der

1868 Les Manuscrits Lampongs ( en possession de
M. le Baron sloet van de Beele ) . Leiden .

van Hasselt , A. L.
1881 De talen en letterkunde van Midden Sumatra .
Leiden .

Matthes , B. F.
1883 Makassaarsche Chrestomathie . The Hague ,
M. Nijhoff .

Joustra , M.
1907 Karo - Bataksche Vertellingen . Verh . Bat .
Gen. 56 .

Ronkel , P. S. van
1918 Drawidische volksnamen op Sumatra . Bijdr .
74 : 263-66 .

Westenenk , L. C.
1921 Memorie van Overgave van den aftredenden
Resident van Benkoelen . Semarang .

Labberton , D. van Hinloopen

1932 in Aanwinsten op ethnographisch gebied van
de afdeeling Volkenkunde van het Koloniaal
Instituut over 1931 . Amsterdam , Koninklijk
Koloniaal Instituut . XXIV ,1 4 : 108-114 .
92

Dempwolff , 0.
1937 Vergleichende Lautlehre des austronesischen
Wortschatzes . Berlin . Vol . 2 .

Winstedt , R. O.
1940 A History of Malay Literature . JMBRAS . 17,3

Dyen , I.
1953 The Proto - Malayo - Polynesian Laryngeals .
Baltimore , Linguistic Society of America .

Voorhoeve , P.
1955 Critical Survey of Studies on the Languages
of Sumatra . The Hague .

Johns , A. H.
1958 Rantjak Dilabueh : a Minangkabau Kaba . Ithaca ,
Cornell University Press .

Teeuw , A.
1959 The History of the Malay Language .
Bijdr .
115 : 138-56 .

Pantjarona
1962 [Monthly Journal of the Inspectorate of Culture ,

South Sumatra ) . Palembang , Inspeksi Daerah

Kebudajaan Sumatra Selatan .

Jaspan , M. A.
1962 Masjarakat dan kebudajaan di Sumatera Selatan ;
beberapa masalah dan pemandangan untuk penjel
idikannja jang ilmiah . Seriwidjaja I , i .
Palembang , Seriwidjaja University Press .

Johns , A. H.
1963 Genesis of a Modern Literature . In Indonesia
( McVey . R. T. ed . ) New Haven , Yale University
and HRAF .

Jaspan , M. A.
1964 The sialang apiarian cult of Southwest Sumatra .
Address to the 2nd National Oriental Faculties
Conference , Sydney University .
 102
15'E
REDJANG COUNTRY

°
LOCATION OF KA GA NGA TEXTS

-
1962

15
10

M
0

5
TUNGGANG
TABAH DARAT ROADS
MAIN
Muara Aman LEBONG DONOK
MAJOR TOWNS
PAJAEMBIK KA GA NGA TEXT LOCATION

-
-
R
Lembak OTHER TRIBES
EMBONG PANDJANG

E
TAPUS
TALANG BARU
°

15's 3'15's
3

3
Tjurup
DUSUN SAWAH

Lembok
у

KOTA LEKAT PADANG BENDAR

Sindang
Lubuk Durian
Lais
N

G Kepahiang

INDIAN
OCEAN
Lembak
Ampat
Bencoolen

Lawang
Saw
15

102
°

:
FOLK LITERATURE OF SOUTH SUMATRA

The Redjang Ka -Ga - Nga Texts

--

for
The South Sumatran texts in this collection here published the first
pre Islamic syllabic script

of
time are South Indian derivation The

in
a

.
-

on
of
language the texts which are inscribed bamboo rattan and buffalo

,
,

for
on
Malay

on
horn and written barkcloth and more recently paper

is
,

,
which the Ka Ga -
Nga characters and their attendant diacritical signs are

-
admirably suited The buffalo horn and barkcloth texts this collection

in
.

the earliest known Malay literature

of

of
are examples some

in by
The texts now rare and some cases almost illegible were discovered
in

,
,

twenty months anthropological field work

the author the course of
in

'

of
1961-63 among the Redjang
of
Southwest Sumatra The content the
,

.
texts covers wide canvas from the Bermani clan history
Aliakbar's

to
-
a

shrewd political

of
treatise and precepts which are reminiscent
Polonius

'
Laertes other texts contain spells incantations and lyrical love
to

address
;

,
on

poetry They shed new light Sumatran history before European conquest

,
.
on

on
Old Malay literature
of

the character talismans and spells and certain

,

,
Old Malay phonology
of

aspects
.

Ka

This book presents parallel texts romanized Malay Ga Nga and

in
,

,
-

-
by

followed English translations together with textual and analytical notes

,

and extensive illustrations

.

on

Three further volumes are preparation South Sumatran

in

in

this series
folk literature
:

Volume Part Further Ka Ga Nga Texts

2
I,

-
:

Volume Mythology and Legends andeui andeui and geritan

)
(
II,

-
III

Volume Poetry berdjung sambeui and mandak

,
,

)
,
M.

Jaspan has held teaching and research posts

A.

of

the Universities
at

Manchester Exeter Gadjah Mada and Padjadjaran Since 1960

he

has been
,

.
,

The Australian National University Fellow Depart

in
at

as

Research the
a

Anthropology and Sociology His

of

South
to to

ment research has related

.

and Central African anthropology English rural sociology and Indo

,

nesian ethnology and comparative sociology The collection and analysis

of
.

part
of

of

this volume wider study South Sumatran society

in

the texts
is

and culture
.

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CANBERRA

 3 9000 005 918 532

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SLIP FROM POCKET

DEMCO

JAN 83
,
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