Temuan people
The Temuans are one of indigenous peoples of Malaysia.
They speak Temuan, an Austronesian language. Like other indigenous tribes in Malaysia, most Temuans live in poverty.
Flood Legend
Many thousand years ago, a lot of Temuan people died because they had committed "Celau" (the sins that angered god and their ancestors). Their god has sent a "Celau" punishment in a form of a Great Flood which had drowned all the Temuan sinners that day. Only two of the Temuans, named Mamak and Inak Bungsuk survived that day by climbing at Eagwood tree at Gunung Raja (Royal Mountain) located at the border of Selangor and Pahang state. There was a Temuan village over there named Kampung Orang Asli Pertak. Mamak and Inak Bungsuk survived because they had an enchanting mantra or spell to ease down the "Celau" storm. Gunung Raja (Royal Mountain) became the birth places and ancestral home of the Temuan tribe. Mamak Bungsuk (Adam) and Inak Bungsuk (Eve) are the Temuan analogues of Adam and Eve in the myth of the birth of humanity.
Religion
A basic traditional Temuan belief is that their God and ancestors are always present with them, guarding their safety.
At the end of every year, the Temuans celebrate Aik Gayak Muyang (Ancestor Day in English). This celebration is to thank their God and ancestors for the crops they grow and for the peaceful life they have had.
The Temuans believe they were placed on the earth (Tanah Tujuh) by Muyang (God) to be guardians of the rain forest and that if they fail in their sacred duty, the whole world will turn upside down and humanity will perish. Each river, hill, stream, rock, tree and shrub is animated by a guardian spirit. Rivers are guarded by dragons (naga) and snakes (ular) which often cause mayhem if their homes are desecrated.
The Temuan’s culture reflects their belief in these nature spirits. Their animism takes the form of taboos, herbal remedies, ritual ceremonies and magic. They have dukun (healers) and a village bomoh (shaman) who, when in a trance state, communicates with the nature spirits. It is the shaman who leads the tribe in the annual sawai - an ancient earth healing ritual to honour their ancestors and appease the guardian spirits.
Customs
Some traditional superstitions still held by Temuans:
1. Respect for their elders & mdash; bad luck is said to strike those who fail in this.
2. They do not praise a baby, in the belief that it would make the child sick and die.
3. If a Temuan is travelling and a little rain falls, he must slip a leaf into his ear to protect himself on his journey.
4. If a Temuan desires something he cannot get, he must say pinah hunan and put their saliva on his neck, in the belief that failure to do so would result in an accident.
5. A Temuan who must leave a meal in a hurry without eating food must tempot (touch the food to his skin) before leaving, in the belief that failure to do so would result in an accident or death.
6. A Temuan must stay quiet during thunderstorm. If he makes noise, the Thunder god will mistake him for a devil and strike him. Temuans believe that a thunder strike occurs when the Thunder god is hunting devils. That is why they must stay quiet & mdash; to prevent the Thunder god from striking at them.
7. A murderer will be haunted by his victim's ghost.
8. Stay away from a place that was haunted, to avoid being disturbed by an evil spirit.
External links
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