Malaysian folklore Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

, the Bisaan (meaning "woman") is a female

nature spirit Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

widely venerated among the

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

and Jakun natives. It is believed that every species of tree has a unique spirit presiding over it, and the Bisan is said to be the specific guardian of the camphor-bearing tree. She can appear in the form of a

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...

, and even makes cicada-like sounds at night when she sings—a sure indication that camphor will be found nearby. However, the Bisan is a very jealous spirit, and will drive away anyone looking for camphor unless she is correctly propitiated. Offerings of food may be given to her, and she may also accept the sacrifice of a white

cockerel The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domestication, domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey junglefowl, grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster ...

. To prevent the Bisan even further, a person must speak to her only in ''bahasa kapor'' or ''patang kapor'' ("camphor language", a mixture of

and Jakun), an artificial language specifically made to completely confuse the Bisan long enough for the person to look for camphor unhindered.Rose, Carol. ''Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia''. New York. W. W. Norton & Co., 1998. p. 41. "Bisan".

References

{{Mythology of Malaysia Religion in Malaysia Malaysian legends Austronesian spirituality