Dear Friends,
Sutra recently held a very rare and insightful ‘Main ‘Teri’, a traditional healing performance, on 2 June, 2024. This traditional psychotherapy process involved dance/theatre/music conducted by traditional specialists on request by ZamZuriah, a leading traditional performing artist and, in her own right, a guru.
Zam specialises and performs in several traditional dance/theatre genres of Kelantan (Makyong and Tari Inai) and also, Kedah (Mek Mulung). She has appeared in many contemporary productions which presented traditional performing art genres in creative contemporary interpretations.
Zam is a dear friend of Sutra who needed to reconnect with her inner Angin (inherent artistic temperaments) and Semangat (vital force), to once again be strong in body, mind and spirit.
Zam recently experienced a depletion of her Semangat, which resulted in her not feeling and functioning her best. She also felt that her ‘Angin’ was weak and needed blandishing.
In a sense she needs a Main ‘Teri to effect ‘a release’ of her essential ‘angins’ so that she can strengthen and fortify her ‘semangat’, thus restoring her vital spirit.
At the same time, Zam wanted to also psychically connect to her Adi Guru/Original Knowledge and seek blessings of her Art.
To achieve this, she had to delve into the Myth of Origin of the dance-theatre that had given her so much. She would need the help of a Tok ‘Teri, the traditional shaman who can assist her in declaring her intention when journeying into the psychic realms.
The traditional (medieval) Malay psyche that involves therapeutic cure of ailment of the mind and spirit, finds its ingenious expression in the Main ‘Teri. Here, song, dance, music, literature and mythic stories serve as the metaphoric conduit where ordinary human and extraordinary spirits can simultaneously be evoked to share their stories and their psychic connections. A psychological ‘balance’ and liberation (lepas/moksha) is the desired objective.
The psychotherapy process involves understanding the personality archetypes (extroverted/introverted) that inhabit the artist’s inner landscapes where her angin and personality archetypes require regular ‘servicing’ (release or lepas)and a healthy flow.
The psychological therapy involves the ‘taming of these inner winds’ which, essentially, by their own nature, seek expression and release.
The shaman/Tok ‘Teri is the specialist who catalyses the point of resonance for the various angins to amplify and effect a release (lepas).
Main ‘Teri session commences with consecration of the space, enacting dramatic conversation, that once took place at the dawn of time between various archetypes. This involves the Tok Bomoh and Tok Mindok. With the help of incantations and rituals, they make the space safe, calling all beings with good intention, to participate in the drama which is about to be take place.
Tok ‘Teri, the Shaman of the evening eventually came forward, declared the intentions and took over the therapeutic proceedings of the evening.
Having paid homage to the 4 quarters of the stage, he called various important spirits to inhabit the space. These spirits would preside on the yellow ‘Langit’ cloth placed over the ceiling, where the performance space was.
When ready, ZamZuriah was called to the fore.
Regally dressed in royal yellow, ZamZuriah indicated her own royal status as a ‘princess’ by her robe and the yellow umbrellas placed at the four corners. The paraphernalia claim she is from the lineage of Cik Siti Wan Kembang, the mother of Putri Sa’adong, the spiritual matriarch of Kelantan.
The ingenious psychic process of extricating the problematic knots and releasing of toxic emotions is always a dramatic process.
An adept psychiatrist, the Tok ‘Teri journeys within both psychological and spirit realms.
ZamZuriah was reminded ‘Biar molek, kechek ; jangan sebarangan kecek ; Keramat baka keramat saka’ reminding her of the need to conduct herself in the proper royal manner reflecting her high lineage.
ZamZuriah seemed to be in semi-trance and showed to be a possessor of strong Angin, at times petulant and demanding. Clearly, the Tok ‘Teri was sometimes not quite able to manage this princess who wanted her way and who was not sufficiently challenged by the Tok ‘Teri’s pussy footing.
It was only after Pak Agil, who on sensing the initial dialectics was not getting anywhere, took over.
Instigated by someone of the same strong Angin, ZamZuriah began to break her ‘ice’ and became ‘a couldron of pent-up emotions’ waiting to spill over.
Frustrations, rage and cynicism surfaced wherefore, among others, Zam even demanded to be entertained.
At times, Zam conducted her own healing process when the Tok ‘Teri was not able to comply to her wishes. Afterall, she was a princess.
Zam demanded to be entertained with Silat and eventually showed her capability at Silat when her own Angin was stirred.
She then continued to dance in compelling group excerpt of Mek Mulung joined by the group from Rawang headed by Cek Nang.
The highlight was Zam’s rendition of the menghadap rebab in which she claimed her ground, singing and dancing with exquisite finesse together with some of her colleagues.
As Makyong, Zam demonstrated a light and even comical banter with ‘Awang’, her strong-willed theatrical servant. Zam wielded her rotan berai and her interaction with Awang satisfied her vitally important Angin Dewa Muda. This episode from the Makyong satisfied her strong Angin Dewa Muda that has a vital connection with Awang representative of her guardian spirit.
The healing process always has to be accompanied by the encouragement and support of the collective community.
The ‘sambut Semangat’ is a delicate affair.
Next, Zam claimed another important ground where she entered the sacred realm of the powerful Tari Inai, taught by the late Pak Hassan. The Tari Inai required her to be supple and strong, bending backwards to retrieve an object placed on the floor, with her mouth.
Once Zam’s Angin was stirred, there was no stopping.
Lepas – biar pulih,
Titeh baik baka baik
The amplification of one angin stirred others in a chain reaction. Her bottled-up emotions were brought out in a display of dance and music carthasis, expelling all forms of toxicity.
_Kalau saka, saka mana, kalau baka, baka mana?
Panjang royak Panjang cerita – declared the Tok ‘Teri, encouraging her to ‘burp’ out the good, the bad and the ugly.
Eventually, all forms of toxicity, mentally and man-made, hopefully, were expelled.
Pulih semangat
Pulut kuning
Bunga sekuntum roh kita
Healing metaphors emerged in the exhortations of Tok ‘Teri.
Held at Sutra House where Zam had a safe space, the Main ‘Teri allowed her to fully express and regain her confidence.
In the present era of worrisome mental health brought by the stress of our toxic lifestyle, alternative healings increasingly find their relevance and explanation in our lives.
Within the three and a half hours of intense emotional and psychical cleansing, ZamZuriah came out exhausted, physically and psychologically. She had fast-forwarded her life journey, aligning her emotions back into their rightful pathways, arriving at another understanding of who her friends and foes were. She came to terms and embraced her new role and position in life. Zam forgave those who had meant her harm.
In an emotional plead she requested her audience to pray for her well being and to believe in her resolve to live in harmony and contribute to her talent for the good of the nation.
A string loop was passed three times physically around her to symbolise her ‘release’ or ‘lepas’ from all knots which had plagued her life.
We wish ZamZuriah a harmonious future and may her Semangat be strong once again to let her soar to newer heights to claim her position as one of the nation’s major talents and artists.
Ramli