Ma' Betisek Concepts of Living Things

Dr Karim is Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Penang, Malaysia.

• I. INTRODUCTION 2. THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE MA' BETISEK 13 Name and classification 13 The spread and development of Ma' Betisek settlements I 7 Ma' Betisek village organization 23 Patterns of marriage 30 3. MA' BETISEK CONCEPTS OF TULAH AND KEMALIThe concept of tulah 32 The concept of kemali' 43 4. MA' BETISEK MYTHS 67 Myths of origin 67 Myths of plants and animals 84 5. THE ECONOMY OF THE MA' BETISEK AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TULAH BELIEFS 102 Rice cultivation 104 Rice harvest ceremonies 107 jo-oh songs and dances of the rice harvest 13 The cultivation of root crops and vegetables 117 Fruit cultivation 118 Fishing and gathering 119 Game hunting and trapping 123 The extraction offorest products 130 6. KEMALI' BELIEFS IN THE CONTEXT OF ILLNESSES AND SHAMANISTIC CURES 136 The interpretation of illnesses and injuries 137 The treatment of illnesses and injuries by medicines and curative spells 155 Shamanism and spirit-possession the performance of the ritual offer sembuang and bale 7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION APPENDICES GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX