THE
SOUL
By
this time the corpse has lost all importance, and from this
time on, the family is concerned entirely with the soul
of the dead person. A most important accessory for the ensuing
ceremonies, and the object around which the rites revolve,
is the adegan, the effigy in which the soul is embodied
to be purified. The adegan consists of two images, one silhouetted
out of palmleaf in the traditional tjili shape, and a more
realistic one drawn on a thin tablet of sandalwood, bound
together and placed on a silver vase that rests on a silver
platter.
Betel-nut,
sirih leaves and flowers for praying are placed inside the
vase to make the soul comfortable and, nothing being too
good for it, the well to-do add a third image made of beaten
gold, bracelets, anklets, and a comb of silver or gold.
The person's name is written on a small label of palm-leaf
attached to each adegan. There is an effigy for each corpse,
but only the adegan is used should no remains be available;
for instance, if no bones should be found on opening the
grave, if its location has been forgotten, or if the person
died at sea or in a foreign land.
The souls are provided daily with " drinks," holy
water from sacred springs. Processions go regularly to distant
mountain springs to fill the new clay pots inscribed with
a lotus and the
sacred syllable ong, while someone casts coins into the
waters and recites prayers for the spirit of the spring.
Rolls of ancient " black " coppers are tied to
the neck of each pot with the special white yarn used in
ritual, and each pot is provided with a label bearing the
name of the dead. The pots of holy water are then deposited
on the pavilions where the bodies lie.
The
elusive souls are next " awakened " and captured
in the effigies. They are taken to the burial ground, and
the company kneels in front of the open graves, strewing
offerings on the ground and singing songs. The men dig the
earth a little, knocking upon it, and call the souls to
awaken, while someone scatters pennies to distract the devils
that wait ready to pounce upon the effigies and pollute
them.
The
procession returns home, each effigy, now incorporating
a soul, carried on the head of a girl, to be blessed in
the shrine of each household. Each effigy is then "
cured " as if it were a corpse: it is sprinkled with
holy water, the various ingredients (banten sutji) to attain
physical perfection (shreds of mirror, flowers, a gold ring,
nails, etc.) are placed over it, the egg rolled along its
length, and it is decorated with gold and silver objects.
The cured effigies are placed near the corpses, wayang music
is played, and the little egg-shell lamps of the angenans
are lit for the night.
The
ceremonies acquire greater significance as the date for
the cremation approaches. A great procession is held on
the eve of the cremation day to take the effigies to the
house of the high priest for their final blessing. It is
important that this procession be grand and luxurious, and
all the relatives of the dead parade in it dressed in the
finest clothes obtainable, with brocades, gold flowers,
jewellery, and jewelled krisses much in evidence.
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