CHAPTER 3.0: Traditional Malay House Building Rituals

Welcome back! Under this chapter, what we'll discuss most will be the about the traditional Malay house itself and its surrounding features. This first part will be on the rituals carried out by people of the past according to a Malaysian architecture encyclopedia since the house we actually visited was build under much less traditional beliefs.

A bomoh doing his thing

Before a house is built, a bomoh or shaman, is often asked to carry out a ceremony know as 'searching for the base of the house' with ember burning incense in a burner to bless the site chosen for the house.

The ibu rumah measuring sticks

After blessing the site, the ibu rumah or the mother of the house, measures a piece of rattan and a stick to the length of her outstretched arms which is known as one depa.

Bomoh tying rattan to stick

Once the stick and rattan are measured, the bomoh takes over and ties the rattan to the stick.

More incense burning

The bomoh then continues to burn more incense and recites prayers to carry along the ceremony.

The bomoh continuing the ceremony

Subsequently, the stick that was tied with the rattan piece is then planted on the site with a bucket of water that comes with a bottom dish placed beside it.

Both bomoh and ibu rumah at work

When the bucket of water is placed beside the stick with the rattan, both the bomoh and ibu rumah will start to recite the prayers together.

The ibu rumah checking on the pail of water and stick

Following the next morning before the sun rises, the ibu rumah will untie the rattan from the stick and measure both of it. If either the rattan or stick has lengthen overnight or the bucket of water has overflowed into the bottom dish, the center of the site is decided. If neither happens, the process would repeat until one of the requirement is met.

The tiang seri

When the center is decided, the tiang seri or main post of the house will be put up and the tiang seri is believed to house the semangat rumah or the spirit of the house.

Having gone through the ceremony and deciding on an auspicious site to house the semangat rumah, the construction of the house will shortly follow in which we will cover in the next part of this chapter. Stay tuned!