CARVING

MASK

MOYANG PONGKOL

Moyang: a great-grandparent or ancestors, who takes pleasure in making people get lost in the jungle, thus the dark look with the unsmiling features.

TOK NANING

Tok: grandparent, who likes to eat and pick things up whilst walking around. The reason why it has a basket (called gaye) on its back, a nice round belly and a happy face.

MOYANG BOJOS (OGRE BOJOS SPIRIT)

Moyang Bojos is an ogre that lives in the jungle. His body is abnormal, such as the feet facing backward, and his nose placed upside down. Thus, Moyang Bojos dislikes rain, as he is unable to breathe when the water runs into his nostrils. Moyang Bojos hunts humans for food. At night, he uses red ants to light on fire. Masks of Moyang Bojos are often used to perform cultural dances by the Mah Meri people.

MOYANG LEMBU (COW SPIRIT)

The cow spirit was sitting by the seaside, watching a man sailing a boat through the power of wind, instead of using oars. The Cow Spirit knows how smart and intelligent human beings are. He believes that in the near future, human beings would threaten animal lives on the earth. So, he met with some other animal representatives and all agreed that earth is not a safe place to stay, and they planned to move to another world. The Cow Spirit packed some rice upon her neck and a mosquito net under her neck, and they started to "migrate". Unfortunately, human beings discovered this, and stopped them on their migratory journey. The cow spirit was caught and his nose was pierced with rattan rings by the man. Since then he lost his ability to talk. The hump on the cow's neck is said to be the pack of rice and the flabby flesh below his neck is said to be the mosquito net he brought for the migration journey.

SCULPTURE

HARIMAU BERANTAI

Tiger in Chains made with ‘Nyireh Batu” wood. Carved by Pion anak Bumbong. This sculpture has 7 interlocking rings which mean “the sequence of events” and a moving sphere in the mouth means the “stone of power”. The story of it: a tiger killed a mouse deer and left it by the track as bait. A hunter noticed the blood trail and followed it till he found the mouse deer. The hunter was happy and decided to bring back the deer carcass but unfortunately, the tiger appeared and the hunter became the second victim.

TENUNG JERAT HARIMAU

Made with Nyireh Batu wood by Atan bin Seman. The story of it: Long ago a man was wandering in the jungle and came across some drops of blood. He followed the blood trail and came across a dead tiger which had been caught in a trap. The tiger's body had been eaten up and all that was left was half a thigh. The man saw that it was fatal to eat the meat since he would be avenged by Moyang Tenong Jerat. He quickly prepared the potion for the chinchang moyang bantut curse and uttered the following words, 'If a tiger, be a tiger; if a human, be a human; but not both.'

KATAK KALA (FROG SPIRIT)

Carved with “Nyireh Batu” wood by Razali. The story of this sculpture: There are different stories regarding this spirit. One of the stories tells about 2 frogs and 2 scorpions which transformed into 2 young men and 2 young ladies. One pair of the couple spent the night together but the young man screamed out loud for help, and his friend came but found his manhood was seriously injured by the lady. He tried to kill her, but was not successful as she had immediately transformed into a frog.

BELANGKAS (HORSESHOE CRAB SPIRIT)

Carved with “Nyireh Batu” wood by Hasan. The myth tells about two children who always stick and play together. One day, they decided to swim across a distant island. Unfortunately, they were drowned half way through the journey. When they died, their bodies somehow joined together from the waist up, resembling a horseshoe crab, and they became inseparable forever.

PUTING BELIONG (WHIRLWIND SPIRIT)

Carved with “Nyireh Batu” wood by Nohiman bin Belon. Spirit Puting Beliong brings rain-bearing wind in times of drought. Spirit Puting Beliong might punish the Mah Meri people for breaking a taboo.

TUPAI BELALANG (SQUIRREL AND GRASSHOPPER SPIRIT)

Carved with “Nyireh Batu” wood by Ghazaly. It is well represented in the sculpture, a body of the squirrel, and the wings of a grasshopper. The myth tells about a man who was rejected by a woman. He was so depressed and cursed himself to become a squirrel. When he showed his love to another female squirrel, he was again rejected. Out of disappointment, the squirrel retreated into a hole in a tree and died. His body is then transformed into a grasshopper.

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