The Temiar Ritual Belief System

The information in this discourse was compiled over a six year period (2018-2023) in the Temiar villages of hinterland Kelantan, Malaysia. Geoffrey Benjamin’s ‘Temiar Religion 1964-2012’ (2014) served as a guide to help uncover many aspects of Temiar belief and ritual practice that I had not as yet discovered (having begun conversing with the Temiars back in 2010). As it stands, however, the book does not portray their beliefs in an accurate manner, and it contains many assumptions that are built on a) misunderstandings of Temiar language and concepts, and b) the half-stories given by Benjamin’s respondents which were not proven thoroughly over a longer time period immersed in the culture. (See my Comments on Temiar Religion paper for full details of the issues I found with Benjamin's book, which basically make his work good for rolling tobacco, in the mind of the Temiars!).

With this record I hope to paint a clearer and more accurate picture of the beliefs of the Temiars which have stood largely unchanged through perhaps a few thousand years. This discourse may be found in full in my book, The Temiars of the Puyan River, in Chapters 1 & 2. Here, I do away with the images and provide it condensed, so that scholars of the Aslian or other indigenous people groups may be able to obtain it easily for study.

This is also not a static paper - I will update it when concepts are explained in greater detail and new traditions come to light, as I converse with the Temiars. Updates to this version are listed at the front of the document.

Please note that my book is now available, through Amazon or Ingram Content Group (for retailers, libraries and universities).

THE TEMIARS OF THE PUYAN RIVER VOL. 1
978-1-7391344-1-9
THE TEMIARS OF THE PUYAN RIVER VOL. 2
978-1-7391344-2-6