Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/428

 in the life of the child. The things vowed have always some connection with religion, or else are such as have been shown by tradition or personal experience to act as charms against evil spirits. Where a parent in desperation promises to perform an act which has never before formed the subject of a vow, and the wished-for recovery supervenes, the means that has proved so successful is resorted to by many others, and one more is added to the list of vows.

In addition to the Rapaʾi, the following are some of the vows which are regarded as of a religious nature.

"If you recover, I will take you to seven mosques." The fulfilment consists in taking the child round to seven different mosques and washing its head with water from the reservoir (kulam) of each.

"I shall have the whole Qurān recited". A couple of dollars are given to a leubè, who then performs this pious task.

"I shall take you to 44 saints." This visiting of holy tombs is again coupled with the washing of the head (srah ulèë) of the convalescent child.

"I shall give a kanduri of seven head of buffalo." These are then purchased at the great slaughter preceding the commencement of the fasting month (maʾmeugang) and given as a present to the teungku of the village.

"I shall bathe you with water that has washed the feet of His Majesty." To fulfil this vow, it was customary to beg of the Sultan's servants 'a little of the water that had washed the feet of their royal master', and the latter would generally oblige the suppliants by putting his hand into a jar of water presented for the purpose.

Either in fulfilment of a vow, or simply to avert evil influences, a child's head is often washed near the pulpit of a great mosque, or else some flowers and perhaps a little copper money are laid on the pulpit at the Friday service. Sometimes the child is given to drink some water, in which a congregation of not less than 44 persons all have dipped their hands at the commencement of the Friday service.

Besides the geundrang music, the following are some of the purely superstitious vows classified as puja or efficacious against evil spirits:

"If you recover, I shall go and beg in seven shops ." Thereupon