Tuesday, February 6, 2007

HANTU

This is a follow up of Clark Gable's piece in his blog( see at my link) about Hantu and the hantu exhibition in Shah Alam.

The Hantus are not only deeply rooted in Malay culture but in most cultures in this world. Most cultures have had Animisme influences before they got hold of religion. When these people starts to embrace religion be it Islam ,Christianity and others the animisme mentality still hung to them like a second skin. So what we witness now is the propagation of hantu despite believing in religion. And some existing religions actually co-exist with the hantus.
(foto taken from PHSM2 website)

Hantu is a powerful "weapon" used to scare off people especially children.We've heard how adults threatened kids with hantus if they don't behave.Or if they refuse to eat or refuse to sleep early.Or if they were still playing at dusk.And hantus will be the reason for not allowing children to go certain location(unapproved playground). If you want to go an abandoned mining pool there will be the Hantu Air or Hantu Lombong waiting for you to drown you. If you want to go by the hillside to 'lastik burung' there will be the nenek kebayan or orang bunian to take you away with them.

And not to mention Hantu Raya ( never heard of Hantu Krismas or Hantu Divali or Hantu Gong Xi Fa Cai though),Hantu Galah,Pelesit,Toyol( will star in the next installation of Ocean 4),Pontianak(or Langsiaq). There's also hantu Kumkum or the famous Hantu Kopek( all yours Mr Clark Gable).

Not not well known one(to me that is) Hantu Kuali( is that what you called it Mr Bergen,sir?)

Hantu exhibit at Hantu Show in Jebatville
In other cultures these hantus have different names and titles( not Tan Sri or Datuk).
Hantus had all along lead a glamourous life.They were well known even not many had the privilage to meet them in person( for autugraph maybe). With advanced media technology there are becoming more famous and widely accepted. they are not confined to their respective nation and cultures anymore. They had become GLOCAL. Their vehicle is MOVIE. From Hollywood, Bollywood, Cantowood, Koreawood,Tokyowood, Siamwood to Malaywood and Indowood they go around the globe into cinemas and the idiot box in our houses.The hantus now have commodity value!

Another exhibit
The hantus had also opened job opportunities to a lot people. There are lots of instant bomohs,pawangs,dukun,tok batin and what ever you call them. I know several people who are bomoh professionally who earned between RM 1500- RM 2000 per day! I'm sure many GP will envy these bomohs.And their diagnosis is simple. "Kena buatan orang" or kena rasuk hantu" or "kena Saka". You don't have to go to Medical school for that.


Hantu had and most probably will always have a special place in our lives.
But I wouldn't mind if hantus are as pretty as MY in PHSM and dukun as pretty as Umie Aida in the up coming movie DUKUN.





3 comments:

Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong said...

hi

Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong said...

Dear Tokasid,

The commonest cause of disease in Malay society is buatan org.

That is an interesting diagnosis.The person or persons affliated are commonly average Joe or Jane with nothing of value to be envious of,be it beauty,property or anything of worth.Thus the question is why the person 'buat' him.

Once labelled as 'buatan org' ,the blame is no longer on genetic(eg madness which would render the rest of siblings unmarketable),his poor personal hygiene,his travel or any unhealthy habits eg smoking. etc.

Buatan org shall put the blame to those envious of him/her ,basically to say that the fault is not theirs.
The faceless person (the person who put the spell) become a guessing game and perpetuate the bad blood in the community.

Hantu Kopek ...was that her I saw in the pic?
The picture of the boy is not hantu right?...just pulling ur leg

tokasid said...

CG: you got that right.But actually sihir do exist.Its in the hadith shohih that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was also kena sihir by an old Jewish lady.

The problem with our society is that most prefers to go to bomoh first.When they had shopped around all the bomohs available and wasted tons of money they will finally go to see a doctor. Most of the time( unfortunately)what ever disease they had, had worsen.

On another note, Malays always believe in Air Penerang hati for their children before a major examination. even if the children are lazy to study, parents think Air Penerang Hati will transfrm their children into Einstein!
Why not we ask all these bomoh to unite and make air penerang hati and pour it into all the dams available in Malaysia. It will not only make our children bright and clever but us parents too!! What say you,sir.

That kid in the B&W foto used to be a hantu,once upon a time.