Location: The Semang live in the Malaysian peninsula in Indonesia.
Climate: The climate where the Semang live is hot and humid all year long. The region has a monsoonal climate. The temperatures of the region are usually between 65-90 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is usually very high at about 90%.
History: Until recently, the Semang have been traditional nomadic hunters, moving from place to place with the seasons in search of food, water, and grazing land. They use blowguns to hunt small game, and gather wild roots and fruits. The Semang still possess some aspects of a nomadic life, even though they are beginning to settle in more permanent dwellings. Most Semang people live in small Malay-style bamboo and thatch houses. The Semang are the descendants of one of Indonesia's original ethnic groups who lived on the Malaysian peninsula.
Language: Their language is Semang, a Mon-Khmer language. The word semang is thought to be derived from the Khmer term meaning “debt slave”. In the 1800’s, the Malaysian population increased and the Malays made slave raids on all the native peoples, including the Semang. The Malays and Semang continued to struggle. Eventually, The Semang migrated southeast of Singapore to Bintan Island. Today, they inhabit the lowlands and forested foothills.
Religion: The religious beliefs of the Semang are complex. They include many different gods. Most of the Semang tribes are animistic. They believe that non-human objects have spirits. Many important events in their lives such as birth, illness, death and agricultural rituals have much animistic symbolism. Their priests practice magic, foresee the future, and cure illness. Their priests are said to be “shaman” in that they are someone who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on Semang culture.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Semang, your feedback is much appreciated.
“The Lowland Semang.” Prayer Profile; Bethany World Prayer
Center (1997) http://www.bethany.com/profiles/p_code6/1525.html
06-22-2000.
“Semang.” Encyclopedia Britannica (2000)
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9066701
06-22-2000.
Written by: Ben Ahlman