The Game Of A Princess (Main Puteri)

“Main Puteri” is sometimes called “Main Peteri”, “Main Teri” means “the princess’s game”. As Performance Theater, “Main Puteri” has the same status with Mak Yong, Menora, Dikir Barat and Wayang Kulit. Traditionally “Main Puteri” is performed as a shamanic ritual to cure the sick or in another words, it is used as a psychological therapeutic method.

Once upon a time, this ritual is also used to heel a village, padi field blessing and sea side blessing. Now-a-days however, people treat Main Puteri as a source of entertainment only.

The Origin

According to a verbal source, Main Puteri was originated from the era of Pincess Saadong reinged (1663-1667) in Kelantan. This performance was said to be created to revive the broken heart of Princess Saadong. Because of that, there is an incantation called “Gerak Jinjang Raja”

Is used to strengthen and revive the princess’s sorrowful mind. Of course, there are still many different views onto the source of this ritual.

The Ritual Outline (To make long story short)

1.      Things such as turmeric rice (cooked and raw), flower water, chicken egg, bertih and dadar must be prepared. On top of that, candles, bananas, benzoic incense and betel leaves must also be prepared.

2.      A food offering feast normally preceded the ritual. The purpose of this feast is to treat all the devas, jinns, ghost or any illness related spirits so that once they are happy, they will leave the patient alone.

3.      Due to Islamic influence, the opening ritual begins with a prayer to God, the four angels and the four friends: Ya Ali, Ya Umar, Ya Usman and Ya Abu Bakar. Added to that are another two angels: Kiraman and Katibin.

4.      Followed by an incantation to pay respect to the spiritual world:

a.       “Saydan alam, marilah bersama-sama aku. Akulah bomoh yang asal, bomoh yang usul, bomoh yang tidak tiru. Bomoh turun temurun. Marilah mu bersama-sama. Aku nak buat kenduri khidmat. Assalamualaikum! Aku kirim salam kepada Jin Tanah. Aku Tahu asalmu, keluar daripada air ketubang. Marilah kita jadi bomoh tabib berdua!”

b.      “Aku kirim salam kepada angkatan sebelah sinar naik; kepada angkatan Ajar lalu camping yang dating. Angkatan yang dating daripada Maharaja Bala, angkatan Dewa Nor, Arpah Nor, Hulubalang sapi, hulubalang napi, Hulubalang shaman Sang Priagana Sang Priagani, Hulubalang Maharaja Kadok Kaca, Wong Agong Perang Bahaya, Sang Siu Maharaja Mambang Pertama, raja pari kedua, raja hantu ketiga, Sahabat keempat, Nenek Bujang Jora, Awan satura honh-kong daun, dan angkatan Dewa Sinar Matahari, yang duduk bertapa di bawah baloh bulan di kandung matahari, angkatan Dewa Visnu, siapa ampunya tuan? Indera Dewa! Indera Dewa yang memegang teluk, dusun, maya, kampong, mu terimalah kenduri khidmat aku ini: nasi kunyit, dadar, bertih, sirih pinang sepiak dan air tawar kerana aku hendak bernain puteri bersukaderia. Dengan berkat la-ila…”

5.      Then this is followed by “buka panggung” or “opening of theater”. This portion of the ritual is also known as “bertabik” or “salutation”

a.       Accompanied by ritual music, additional prayer to elemental spirits: earth, water, fire and air. Assurance is given to the spirits that the ritual is for good only.

6.      Now the shaman will recite a mantra and gradually go into a trance. The spirits that are deemed to cause troubles are summoned to ask for the reasons of their trouble. And what are the conditions that the spirits will leave the patient. Somehow or rather, a deal is struck and the shaman came out from his trance.

7.      Normally, an additional offering of food is made to the spirits the following day with additional mantra recitations. After the ritual, the food stuffs are put into a small boat and the boat is then released into a river.

Some shaman uses a Wayang Kulit puppet to call upon his spirit helpers. In that case, I do believe that the Wayang Kulit ritual is close related to this Main Puteri. May be I will take a closer look at a later date.