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Na Tuk Gong are local guardian spirits worshipped by
overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Terminology () or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, ref ...
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,
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and parts of
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, especially
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. An alternate more generic name for the cult is Datuk Gong, uniting Dato or Datuk from the local Malay word for 'grandfather', which is also used as an honorific title, and ''Kong'' or ''Gong'' from Chinese, also an honorific title. According to
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
tradition, a Na Tuk Kong's could hold the official title 拿督尊王 (
Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...
:nádū zūnwáng, "Revered/Respectable/Noble King Datuk). It is important to note that Datuk Keramat, Datuk Gong and Na Tuk Kong all refer to the same deity. For the sake of clarity, the term Datuk, which is universally used to describe the spirit in Malaysia, will be used.


Origins

According to local legends, all Datuks were once humans who had a standing in society either for their position or special attributes. They could have been an important leader, a renowned healer, a ''
silat is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Phil ...
'' warrior, a pious man or even a shaman. Upon their death, locals and their followers would sometimes offer prayers at their gravestones, in line with the concept of ''
keramat In Sunni Islam, ''karamat'' ( ar, کرامات ''karāmāt'', pl. of ''karāmah'', lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the si ...
''. Local Malay culture prior to the arrival of a more conservative brand of Islam practised the paying of respects to guardian spirits or ''penunggu'' which is believed to reside in seemingly 'unusual' natural formations; a unique shaped rock, an anthill, a snake's nest, an extraordinarily large tree etc. With the arrival of Chinese immigrants who carried along with them the Confucianist belief of ancestor worship, both practices converged and formed a new micro-culture as observed today. Datuks, referred to in Chinese as Na Tuk Kong (earth spirits), is considered a localised form in the worship of the spirit of the land, along with Tu Di Gong. The worship of Datuks among Malays Muslim and Indian Muslims declined steadily after Islamic authorities started clamping down on such activities. By that time, Datuk worship have taken root in the local Chinese spiritual beliefs.


Malaysian Chinese definition

To most Malaysian Chinese, Datuk Gong is a local guardian spirit that resides in trees, ant hills, caves, riverbanks and in strange stone formations. A Datuk worship usually begins after a person is granted a vision of the Datuk's spiritual form. Some common forms are a white tiger and the form of an old man dressed in white. A Datuk can also be "invited" to reside outside (never indoors) a family home for spiritual protection and luck. The Datuk Gong is presented in many forms; an idol bearing his likeness, a
tablet Tablet may refer to: Medicine * Tablet (pharmacy), a mixture of pharmacological substances pressed into a small cake or bar, colloquially called a "pill" Computing * Tablet computer, a mobile computer that is primarily operated by touching the ...
with an inscription of his title, a rock, a ''
songkok The songkok or peci or kopiah is a cap widely worn in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand, most commonly among Muslim males. It has the shape of a truncated cone, usually made of black or emb ...
'', a stack incense and flags are all used to denote the presence of the spirit. Shrines are usually decorated with items related to the Datuk and his position as a Malay guardian; a Malay
sarong A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid ...
, songkok,
keris The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its dist ...
,
rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed- canopy old-growth tropical fores ...
cane, baju Melayu are among the items one can find placed right next to the idol. In more urban areas, the Datuk is usually represented with a central tablet bearing his title as the Datuk Gong of the area, written in Chinese. A common misconception held by most Malaysians is that the Datuk Gong is just another regular Chinese deity. In fact, most Datuks are Malay-Muslim spirits. There are also Chinese, Indian, Siamese and even
Orang Asli Orang Asli (''lit''. "first people", "native people", "original people", "aborigines people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay) are a heterogeneous indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants ...
Datuks present and they are all considered independent from the Chinese pantheon of gods. The function and position of the Datuk varies across communities but his position as the spirit of the land remains the backbone of the belief. In most Chinese temples, the Datuk is almost always outside of the main building, either on a small altar of his own or a small shrine on the ground. Only in temples dedicated solely to the spirit will the idol or tablet be placed at the main altar.


Variants

The structure of Datuk worship is diversified according to localities. For example, in the old quarters of Georgetown, the presence of The Seven Brothers or ''Tujuh Beradik'' is common while in the royal town of Klang in Selangor, most of the spirits worshipped are believed to be members of the royal court (Sultans, officers, warriors etc.), each with their own unique identity. Some Datuks even have their own personal names, which are revealed to worshippers during a trance session conducted by a medium. Around the Malaysian countryside some small, red-coloured painted shrines by the roadside or under a tree can be found, and these shrines are usually worshipped by the residents living around the neighbourhood. Older shrines are often seen incorporating Islamic elements such as the crescent moon and inscriptions in Jawi. Inside the simple room, a small, decorated statue depicting the Datuk is venerated. Offerings are presented on a small altar in front of the spirit. In some places it is possible to find large temples dedicated to the Datuk, all of which started out as much smaller shrines.


Worship

Offerings are usually placed at the altar or shrine once in the evening, at sunrise and later at sundown. The basic offerings are a pair of white candles, three
joss sticks Incense is 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 ceremony. It may also be ...
and burning gum Benjamin ''(kemenyan)''. Datuk worshippers prepare special offerings for the Na Tuk on Thursday evenings. A set of
betel nut The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel pla ...
leaves complete with lime ''(kapur)'', sliced betel nut ''(pinang)'', Javanese tobacco ''(tembakau Jawa),'' and palm cigarette leaves ''(rokok daun)'', are offered together with fruits and the basic offerings. Every Datuk is an individual and therefore his birthday is celebrated by worshippers with a grand feast. In the Northern States (Perlis, Kedah and Penang), worshippers usually slaughter chickens, and sometimes goats as the main dish of the ''
kenduri Kenduri or selametan or kenduren ( Jawa call for kenduri) is a Javanese ritual. Kenduri is a banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the pres ...
''. It is extremely important for all the dishes prepared to be ''
halal ''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...
'', including the slaughtering of animals. Pork is considered unclean and therefore is totally forbidden in a shrine. The meat is later cooked into a curry and offered to the Datuk together with turmeric rice''(nasi kunyit)'', which is traditionally served at feasts in Malay culture. As the majority of worshippers are from the Chinese community,
kenduri Kenduri or selametan or kenduren ( Jawa call for kenduri) is a Javanese ritual. Kenduri is a banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the pres ...
s today also incorporate Chinese dishes and offerings usually presented to deities within the
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
Pantheon of gods. Worshippers usually offer fresh flowers, ''sirih'' (betel nut leaves), ''rokok daun'' (local hand-rolled cigarettes), sliced ''pinang'' (
areca nut ''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name ...
s) and local fruits. An important part of the praying ritual is also to burn some ''kemenyan'', the gum Benjamin. If their prayers are answered, the worshippers usually return to the shrine to make offerings or hold a ''kenduri'' (feast) in thanksgiving. Another common practise is for individuals to renovate the shrines to create a better-looking or grander shrine for the Datuk. In most places where there is a heavy presence of Datuk spirits, it is common to see shrines becoming larger over time, especially if individuals consider the Datuk to be "powerful". The ''kenduri'' items usually consist of yellow (
saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...
) rice, lamb or chicken curries, vegetables, ''pisang rastali'' (bananas), young coconuts, rose syrup, cheroots (local cigars) and local fruits. Visitors are also asked to show respect when inside or around a shrine. Datuks and ''keramats'' are seen as an alternative power to help in
spiritual healing Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. Practitioners use a number of names including various synonyms for ...
and granting protection. Mediums (''bomohs'') are engaged to enable communication between worshippers with the spirits. With the arrival of the spirits, the mediums go into trance and assume the personality of the spirit, giving instructions for further rituals and announcing the start of the consultation session. During this period, the locals would make a line to ask the spirit for blessings, cure for physical and "inexplicable" illness, predictions and sometimes guidance in overcoming certain obstacles in life. Such consultations are usually conducted on the first or 15th day of the month according to the
lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...
.


Significant datuk in history


Panglima Ah Chong

One Datuk was originally a man of
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...
Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
family, his name was So Ah Chong (蘇亞松). He was the leader of the
Ghee Hin The Ghee Hin Kongsi () was a secret society in Singapore and Malaya, formed in 1820. Ghee Hin literally means "the rise of righteousness" in Chinese and was part of the Hongmen overseas network. The Ghee Hin often fought against the Hakka-domina ...
secret society that founded more than 16
tin mine Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age, as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm. History Tin extraction and use can ...
settlements. The municipal government of Taiping in Perak named a road after him for his contribution to the economy. In June 1865 he was captured and sentenced to death by the local Malay chief of Matang during the
Larut War The Larut Wars were a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The conflict was fought among local Chinese secret societies over the control of mining areas in Perak which later involved ...
among
secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ...
, yet the Malay chief honoured him by calling him "Panglima" Ah Chong (Commander Ah Chong). After his heroic death, it was said his spiritual powers was very effective for his worshippers and so peoples of Matang and coastal dwellers built shrines to worship him.


Dato Haji Keramat

The local Malay term '' Datuk Keramat'' means deity of the shrine, translated to Chinese is ''Na Tuk Kong'', where "Kong" is a term of respect. Dato Haji Keramat is a very powerful local earth deity that helps many people who sincerely pray to him. He detests alcohol.


Datuk Zhang

In the
Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han pe ...
chronicle, during the reign of Emperor Wan Li 1573–1620 (萬曆皇帝), a man known as Zhang who lived in
Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...
, originally from
Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...
in Fujian province, was appointed "Datuk" of Brunei. For certain reasons of injustice done to him, Datuk Zhang committed suicide, and so his countrymen wanted justice for him.


See also

*
Chinese ancestor veneration Chinese ancestor veneration, also called Chinese ancestor worship, is an aspect of the Chinese traditional religion which revolves around the ritual celebration of the deified ancestors and tutelary deities of people with the same surname org ...
*
Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
*
Chinese ritual mastery traditions Chinese ritual mastery traditions, also referred to as ritual teachings (, sometimes rendered as "Faism"),Yu-chi Tsao, 2012. or Folk Taoism (), or also Red Taoism (mostly in east China and Taiwan), constitute a large group of Chinese orders of r ...
*
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 piety ...
* Datuk Keramat * Kusu Island, Singapore * Malaysian Chinese Religion *
Malaysian folk religion Malaysian folk religion refers to the animistic and polytheistic beliefs and practices that are still held by many in the Islamic-majority country of Malaysia. Malaysian folk faith is practiced either openly or covertly depending on the type of ...
*
Shen (Chinese religion) ''Shen'' (神) is the Chinese word for "deity", "spirit", heart, inclusive and community mind, or future mind. The Japanese equivalent is '' shin''. This single Chinese term expresses a range of similar, yet differing, meanings. The first meani ...
* Shigandang (石敢當) * Taoism in Malaysia *
Tua Pek Kong Tua may refer to: * Tua River, a river in Portugal * Tua (Papua New Guinea), a river in Papua New Guinea * Tuʻa, also known as Alo, a chiefdom in Wallis and Futuna in Oceania * Tua line, a railway line in Portugal * Tua railway station, in P ...
(大伯公) *
Tudigong Tudigong ( "Lord of the Soil and the Ground") or Tudishen ( "God of the Soil and the Ground"), also known simply as Tudi ( "Soil-Ground") is a tutelary deity of a locality and the human communities who inhabit it in Chinese folk religion and ...
(土地公)


References

* ''The Encyclopedia of Malaysia'', vol. "Religions & Beliefs", edited by Prof. Dr M. Kamal Hassan & Dr. Ghazali bin Basri

* Abdul Wahab Bin Hussein Abdullah. "A Sociological Study of Keramat Beliefs in Singapore". B.A Honours Academic Exercise, Department of Sociology,
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in th ...
, 2000. * Cheu, Hock Tong. "The Datuk Gong Spirit Cult Movement in Penang: Being and Belonging in Multi-ethnic Malaysia". ''Journal of Southeast Asian Studies'', vol. 23, no. 1 (September), 381–404. * Cheu, Hock Tong. "Malay Keramat, Chinese Worshippers: The
Sinicization Sinicization, sinofication, sinification, or sinonization (from the prefix , 'Chinese, relating to China') is the process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture, particularly the language, societal norms, cul ...
of Malay Keramats in Malaysia". Seminar paper, Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore, 1994. Cheo, Kim Ban and Muriel Speeden, ''Baba Folk Beliefs and Superstitions''. Singapore: Landmark Books, 1998. * Clammer, John ed. "Studies in Chinese Folk Religion in Singapore and Malaysia". Singapore: ''Contributions to Southeast Asian Ethnography'', 1983. Elliott, Alan J.A. ''Chinese Spirit-medium Cult in Singapore''. Singapore: Donald Moore, 1964. * Lessa, William A. et al., ''Reader in Comparative Religion: An Anthropological Approach''. New York, Harper and Row, 1965. Mohd Taib Osman, ''Malay Folk Beliefs: An integration of disparate elements''. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Language and Library Board), 1989. * Ng, Siew Hua, "The Sam Poh Neo Neo Keramat: A Study of a Baba Chinese Temple". ''Contributions to Southeast Asian Ethnography'', vol. 25, pt. 1, 1983, 175–177. Skeat, W.W. ''Malay Magic''. London: MacMillan, 1900. * Tan, Chee Beng. ''The Baba of Melaka''. Selangor, Pelanduk Publications, 1988. Tjandra, Lukas. ''Folk Religion Among the Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia'' (Ann Arbour, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1990), 48. * ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was establish ...
'', "Johor Committee submits report on Houses of Worship," 29 Dec 1989. ''The Straits Times'', "Stop Use of Muslim Signs, Chinese Temples Told," 25 June 1987.


External links

* http://www.xiao-en.org/cultural/magazine.asp?cat=33&loc=zh-cn&id=534 * http://my.hibiscusrealm.net/print-27846.html
Datuk Gong: The god of the Chinese, Indians and Malays
{{Mythology of Malaysia Religion in Malaysia Malaysian legends Chinese gods Tutelary deities