The (taken from ) is a commonly used name for a system of

geomancy Geomancy, a compound of Greek roots denoting "earth divination", was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rock (geology), rocks, or sand. Its d ...

, comprising

metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of h ...

and

geomantic Geomancy, a compound of Greek roots denoting "earth divination", was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rocks, or sand. Its definition has ex ...

principles considered when siting or designing buildings to improve and maintain well-being in

Maritime Southeast Asia Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. The terms Island Southeast Asia and Insular Southeast Asia are sometimes given the same meaning as ...

. It was traditionally practiced by

shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

s and architects from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. The term actually alludes to a book entitled which covered a number of other topics including herbal medicine, astrology and dream interpretation along with geomancy. While all these subjects may be categorised under the term , it usually refers to the otherwise unnamed set of rites and rules for constructing buildings in Acehnese and Malay culture.

Terminology

*tiang seri / tiang ibu ("shining pillar" / "mother pillar"): The main pillar in traditional Malay buildings *depa (armspan): A unit of measurement drawn from the armspan of the matriarch of the house *rumah ibu ("mother house"): The main part of a house *baris Laksmana: A symbol drawn onto a beam to protect the house from evil. Named after the magic line drawn by

Laksmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and is ...

to protect Sita Dewi

Origins

The history of Malay geomancy has never been documented, but the system contains cultural symbolism of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n origin, indicating that it has existed as far back as the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

period of

Southeast Asian history The history of Southeast Asia covers the people of Southeast Asia from prehistory to the present in two distinct sub-regions: Mainland Southeast Asia (or Indochina) and Maritime Southeast Asia (or Insular Southeast Asia). Mainland Southeast Asi ...

. Some conjecture that it may have been influenced by Indian vastu sastra or Chinese

feng shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

, both of which have traditionally been practiced in the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...

. The earliest account of the art comes from the book ''Taj al-Mulk'' (meaning "Royal Crown of Sovereignty" in Arabic) written for

Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...

nese royalty. The title was pronounced "Tajul Muluk" in Malay so the information it contained was referred to as ''ilmu tajul muluk'' or just ''ilmu tajul'', meaning "knowledge of Tajul Muluk". According to British civil servant Walter William Skeat in his book ''Malay Magic'', originally published in 1900, the rituals of tajul muluk were once commonplace.

Even in the making of roads through the forest it would appear that sacrificial ceremonies are not invariably neglected. On one occasion I came upon a party of Malays in the Labu jungle who were engaged in making a bridle-track for the
Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
Government. A small bamboo censer, on which
incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...
had been burning, had been erected in the middle of the trace ; and I was informed that the necessary rites (for exorcising the demons from the trace) had just been successfully concluded.

With the rise of the Islamization movement of Southeast Asia during the 1980s, animistic and

aspects of Malay culture were condemned and banned. Today tajul muluk is considered a superstitious relic of the past and books written on the subject are sometimes banned in Malaysia.

Rules and theories

Soil and location

The auspiciousness of a location is determined by the colour, taste and smell of the soil, as well as the formation of its surface. In general, the colours of the soil from best to worst are white, red, yellow, grey and black (the

Malay language Malay ( , ; , Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language spoken primarily by Malays (ethnic group), Malays in several islands of Maritime Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula on the mainland Asia. The lang ...

also categorizes brown as a shade of yellow). Soil which is greenish-yellow, fragrant and tart-tasting will ensure an abundance of gold and silver unto the third generation. If the soil is red and sour, the dweller will be loved by their family. White soil with a sweet smell and taste is said to bring wealth and happiness. Foul-smelling earth of the wrong colour and texture will bring sickness and poverty. Soil that is full of holes will cause the occupants to die poor. Aside from the soil, the lay of the land must also be taken into consideration. The best site for a house, city or orchard is level. The best aspect of the land's surface is that which is low on the north and high in the south, thought to bring the occupants absolute peacefulness. Land which is low on the west and high in the east is also auspicious. The reverse of these directions (i.e. high in the north and low to the south, or high to the west and low to the east) will bring poverty and death. The worst land is hilly or full of holes. A house that inclines from the southwest causes one to lose their livelihood or source of income. A house that inclines from the south brings death to its owner. If the house inclines from the west, the occupant will waste away all their money.

Siting ritual

Once the ground has been cleared, the

dukun Dukun is an Indonesian language, Indonesian term for shaman. Their societal role is that of a traditional healer, spirit medium, custom and tradition experts and on occasion Magician (paranormal), sorcerers and masters of black magic. In comm ...

bomoh A ''bomoh'' ( Jawi: توء بوموه) is a Malay shaman and traditional medicine practitioner. The term is used mainly in Malaysia and parts of Sumatra, whereas most Indonesians use the word ''dukun''. It is often mistranslated into English as ...

begins smoking the area with

incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

(''kemenyan''). He then measures one depa of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

and sticks it in the ground together with a container of water.

Incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

is burnt again as the

recites incantations. At dawn the next morning, the stick and water are checked. If the pail of water has spilled or the

has shortened, the plot is bad luck. If the water has overflowed or the stick has lengthened, it is very auspicious. Once the site has been chosen, a hole is dug in the ground for the house's main pillar. The shaman places seven grains of

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

into the hole and recites mantera before inserting the pillar. If any of the rice grains are missing the next day, the site has negative energy. It is important to note however that an area which is bad for one family may be good for another since the ritual is based on the matriarch's armspan. Another, perhaps older, method involves

dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...

. After clearing the area, the

lays four sticks in its centre and calls the name of the presiding local deities or spirits. Taking a handful of soil, he recites the following chant:

:Hai anak Menteri Guru :Yang duduk empat penjuru alam :Aku memohonkan tanah ini :Jikalau baik, tunjukkan alamat baik :Jikalau jahat, tunjukkan alamat jahat :Ho, children of Mentri Guru :Who dwell in the four corners of the world :I crave this plot as a boon :If it is good, show me a good omen :If it is bad, show me a bad omen

The soil is then wrapped in white cloth, fumigated with incense and placed under the occupant's pillow at night. Before sleeping, the last two lines of the aforementioned charm are repeated. If the occupant has a nightmare, the house cannot be built. If the dream is good, the four corners of the site are pegged with sticks. A dead branch is then taken and heaped with earth before being set on fire. When it has been reduced to ashes, it is swept up and covered. A similar incantation is then spoken:

:Hai, segala orang yang memegang tanah ini empat penjuru alam :Kama aku hendak berbuat rumah :Jikalau baik, tunjukkan alamat baik :Jikalau jahat, tunjukkan alamat jahat :Ho, holders of this land who dwell in the four corners of the world :I wish to build a house on this site :If it is good, show me a good omen :If it is bad, show me a bad omen

The next morning, the ashes are uncovered and God will show a sign of the plot's good and bad potential. This method is no longer practiced today because of its pre-Islamic origin. The name ''Menteri Guru'', which translates literally as "minister teacher", may be an alternate form of ''Betara Guru'' (from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

term ''Bhattara Guru'' meaning "teacher-lord"), an epithet for the Hindu god Siwa or ''Shiva''. The

four corners Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. Most of the Four Corners regio ...

mentioned in the incantation is found in Malay,

n and

Chinese spiritual world concepts Chinese spiritual world concepts are cultural practices or methods found in Chinese culture. Some fit in the realms of a particular religion, others do not. In general these concepts were uniquely evolved from the Chinese values of filial piet ...

. In

Hindu cosmology Hindu cosmology is the description of the universe and its states of matter, cycles within time, physical structure, and effects on living entities according to Hindu texts. Hindu cosmology is also intertwined with the idea of a creator who allo ...

the surface of the earth is represented as a square in reference to the horizon's relationship with sunrise and sunset.

Erecting the main pillar

Traditional Malay buildings have at their centre a main pillar called the ''tiang seri'' where the spirit of the house (''semangat rumah'') is said to dwell. Sometimes it may decorated with the family

kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...

wrapped in yellow cloth. The construction of any building begins by digging a hole for this central post, accompanied by the recitation of a charm. The best time of day for this is 7 a.m. The workers must ensure that their shadows do not fall on the hole or on the post itself, or illness will follow. Certain materials are then deposited into the hole such as brazilwood (''kayu sepang''), ebony (''kayu arang''), scrap metal, tin-ore, a copper coin, a broken hatchet-head, or a candle-nut (''buah gorek''). To appease the local earth-spirit or demon (''jembalang tanah'' or ''puaka''), the head, feet and blood of an animal are also deposited in the hole. Depending on the malignity of the earth-spirit, the animal may be either a

fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl ( Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; toget ...

(''ayam''), a

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

(''kambing'') or a

buffalo Buffalo most commonly refers to: * True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo * Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo * Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...

(''kerbau''). For a small demon, an egg will suffice. Among the natives of ancient

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

the victim of this sacrifice would have been human, and the Malay custom of killing an animal for the purpose arose from what was once human sacrifice. As recently as the beginning of the 20th century, the Malaysian government would bury human skulls under the foundation of any large structure. A number of methods are used to ascertain whether the hole is in a propitious location. In one example a white cup is filled with water, fumigated with

, and left in the hole overnight. If the cup is still full the next day or has live insects inside, it is a good sign. If the insects are dead or the water has lessened, it is a bad omen. Alternatively, one could wait until everyone has left the area before picking up three clods of soil, holding them over incense, and reciting a certain mantera or mantra. The soil must be taken home without ever turning to look back. Upon arrival, the earth is placed under the occupant's pillow before sleeping. If they have a bad dream, one of the clods is thrown away. This process continues until it results in a good dream, when the clod of earth which induced the dream is placed in the hole and serves as the tiang seri pole's foundation. An example of a charm recited when erecting the tiang seri runs as follows:

Hai Raja Guru, Maharaja Guru, daripada tajar menyenseng Engkaulah anak Betara Guru Hai hantu tanah, benah tanah Aku tahu asal kau jadi: Jembalang tanah Daripada kilat sabung-menyabung Undur kau dari sini ke laut yang dalam Aku tahu asal kau jadi: Ke rimba yang sunyi Daripada embun setitik Antara aku dengan engkau, aku tahu asal kau jadi Ho Raja Guru, Maharaja Guru Thou art sons of Bhattara Guru Ho, ghost of the earth, blight of the earth I know the origin from which you sprang: Demon of the earth From the flashing lightning Retire ye hence to the depths of the sea I know the origin from which you sprang: To the peace of the forest From a single drop of dew Betwixt you and me, I know the origin from which you came into being

Length of the threshold

As with the Chinese

bagua The ''bagua'' ( zh, c=八卦, p=bāguà, l=eight trigrams) is a set of symbols from China intended to illustrate the nature of reality as being composed of mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another. ''Bagua'' is a group of trigrams—co ...

and the guardians of Jambudvipa in Indian culture, Malay astrology and geomancy also uses eight points of divination. Known as the "eight beasts", each one corresponds to an animal possessing its own characteristics. The eight beasts regulate the length of a house's threshold. This is measured in a unit called ''depa'', the length of the house-mistress's armspan. After measuring off a depa on a piece of string, the string is folded into three before one-third of its length is cut off. The remainder is folded into eight and reduced to one-seventh. The remaining seventh is checked against the threshold's length, and the number of times it is contained therein determines which animal it corresponds to. If the measurement is unlucky, the threshold would be cut shorter. The ominous significance of the eight beasts is often illustrated in rhyme. An example, recorded by Walter William Skeat, reads as follows: ;1.

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

:"A dragon of bulk, a monster dragon :Is this dragon that turns round month by month :Wherever you go you will be safe from stumbling-blocks :And all who meet you will be your friends" ;2. Dairy cow :"There is the smoke of a fire in the forest :Where Che Ali is burning lime :They were milking the young dairy-cow :And in the midst of the milking it sprawled and dropped dead" ;3.

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

:"Lion of courage, lion of valour :Is the lion gambolling at the end of the Point :The luck of this house will be lasting :Bringing prosperity from year to year" ;4.

Dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

:"The wild dog, the jackal :Barks at the deer from night to night :Whatever you do will be a stumbling-block :In this house men will stab one another" ;5.

Cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...

:"The big cow from the middle of the clearing :Has gone to the deep forest to calve there :Great luck will be your portion :Never will you cease to be prosperous" ;6.

Donkey The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...

:"The ass within the fort :Carries grass from morn to eve :Whatever you pray for will not be granted :Though big your capital, the half will be lost" ;7.

Elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

:"The king's big riding-elephant :Has its tusks covered with amalgam :Good luck is your portion :No harm or blemish will you suffer" ;8.

Crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...

:"A black crow soaring by night :Has perched on the house of the great Magic Prince :Great indeed is the calamity which has happened :Within the house its master lies dead"

House height

The rules of a house's height are also determined by the matriarch's armspan. Ideally the main pillar should be a round number (e.g. 5 depa) but the actual measurement usually contains a fraction (e.g. five and two-tenths depa). Depending on the amount of extra length, there would be a different result. Malay village houses were built so that they could be disassembled and rebuilt when the situation demanded it such as war, floods or famine. Some have noted that these rules consider the number four unlucky, just as in

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

superstition.

Direction of the door

The direction that the house's door faces is also said to play a part in determining the occupants' well-being. The worst direction for the door to face is south, which brings bad career luck. A door which faces the west is said to bring knowledge or encourages the coming of someone well-learned, especially in matters of religion. This is probably a reference to the fact that foreigners, particularly the Indian Muslims who introduced Islam in the region, sailed to the

from the west. A door that faces east ensures many grandchildren and a life of tranquility. A north-facing door brings wealth.

References

{{reflist Environmental design Culture of Malaysia Architecture in Malaysia