Malay folklore

Last updated
A traditional Malay healer in Singapore, the Straits Settlements - circa 1890. KITLV - 6538 - Lambert & Co., G.R. - Singapore - Malay witch doctor in the Straits Settlements - circa 1890.tif
A traditional Malay healer in Singapore, the Straits Settlements – circa 1890.

Malay folklore refers to a series of knowledge, traditions and taboos that have been passed down through many generations in oral, written and symbolic forms among the indigenous populations of Maritime Southeast Asia (Nusantara). They include among others, themes and subject matter related to the indigenous knowledge of the ethnic Malays and related ethnic groups within the region.

Contents

The stories within this system of lore often incorporate supernatural entities and magical creatures which form parts of the Malay mythology. Others relate to creation myths and place naming legends that are often inter-twined with historical figures and events. Ancient rituals for healing and traditional medicine as well as complex philosophies regarding health and disease can also be found.

Oral tradition

The oral forms of this lore are transmitted primarily through nursery rhymes, folksongs, theatrical exhibitions, and stories that are commonly told from parent to child. Nomadic storytellers that would roam the temples, marketplaces and palace courts also play a large part in the insemination of the oral traditions throughout the populace, often accompanied by music as well through forms of composed poetry and prose. The oral traditions are often integrated with moral values and some may also include stories of talking animals.

Folk music (lagu rakyat)

Of all the types of oral transmission, those in the form of music appear to be most prevalent in Malay society. Songs and melodies from times of old are sung and resung on a regular basis during festivities such as weddings, celebrations of motherhood and childbirth, rites of passage, and at cultural or religious celebrations. They are also utilized in the occasional ceremonial functions in royal weddings, in rites of ascension (or coronation) and royal birthday celebrations; in the form of the more refined court music.

Every region or each of the states may employ different versions of oral transmission but the most popular is in the form of folk-singing or lagu rakyat. The Middle Eastern-influenced ghazal can be heard in the southern Malaysian state of Johor especially in the district of Muar. Poets and singers consisting of often females and sometimes males vocalize popular love poems and riddles in the form of pantun to the accompaniment of composition and of music made for a six-stringed Arabian lute (see oud), Indian tablas, Western violins, accordion and marracas. [1]

Forms of nursery rhymes and lullabies are also sung at weddings and cultural festivals in the state of Melaka by Malays and the Malay-speaking Peranakan communities. The contents of the songs are mostly to do with advice on love, life, and marriage and are affectionately known in Malay as dondang sayang meaning "song of love".

Within each of these folk-songs, messages and stories are told, a kind of informal handing down of wisdom from the old to the young in the form of poetry which may include any of these:

Folksongs

The Malay oral tradition includes a large collection of folksongs. Many of these songs are in the form of stories weaved into poetry or simple rhyme. These folksongs continue to be sung and a sizable number of them are included in the albums of modern-day singers, often with improvisations in terms of melody and more complex musical arrangements to suit a larger accompaniment of musicians as well as singers.

A dancer performing the Ulek Mayang. Manifested in a dance and healing ceremony, it narrates a mystical tale about the sea spirits in forbidden love with a fisherman. UlekMayangdance.jpg
A dancer performing the Ulek Mayang. Manifested in a dance and healing ceremony, it narrates a mystical tale about the sea spirits in forbidden love with a fisherman.

Among the more well known Malay folksongs include:

A number of these folksongs originally belong to a certain region within Southeast Asia and are sung by the populations within the area. However, due to the nature of inter-mingling and mutual co-migrations within these areas, the folksongs may also be heard in places far from their original geographic origins.

Bardic tales (cerita penglipur lara)

A view of Tasik Chini in Pahang, where a dragon known as Naga Seri Gumum is believed to dwell. Malaysia 250.jpg
A view of Tasik Chini in Pahang, where a dragon known as Naga Seri Gumum is believed to dwell.

Stories of love and romance of princes and princesses, kings and queens, and heroes and their damsels in distress (and often, damsels and their heroes in distress) have long filled the imaginations of ethnic Malays. The fact that numerous royal courts existed and still exist in Southeast Asia supplied the basis of the stories. Although many of these tales are replete with additions (or reductions) and may contain a certain measure of exaggeration as well as the expected variations that existed from one story teller to another, the value and the wisdom behind each story cannot be ignored.

These stories are often told by professional story tellers called penglipur lara, which roughly translates to reliever of sorrows. The few penglipur lara that exist today are often farmers or at least rural villagers. In the past, travelling penglipur lara would carry the stories from one kampung (village) to another, making the occasional stops at marketplaces, village squares as well as royal courts. The essence of the stories remain the same but sometimes, adjustments are made according to the individual story-teller's preference. For example, the penglipur lara version of the Ramayana changes many of the names and settings and casts Laksmana as a pawang or Malay shaman, as opposed to the literary Hikayat Seri Rama or the theatrical Hikayat Maharaja Wana which remained closer to the original Indian epic.

Among the well known stories that may fall into this category includes the following:

Many of these stories are also condensed and made into poetic songs. A fixed melody is set for each story to the extent that if a melody is played or sung in the absence of its wordings, a Malay would be able to instantly recall the title of the story or at least the name of the characters in the story.

Animal fables (cerita binatang)

Animal fables are often used to explain certain natural phenomena. Other times, they are simple moral tales. In almost all instances, the animals in these stories possess the ability to speak, reason and think like humans, similar to Aesop's Fables.

The kancil or mouse-deer serves as the main character in a number of the stories. The Malays regard this humble animal in the highest esteem due to its ability to overcome obstacles and defeat adversaries despite of its rather small and benign appearance. The mouse-deer appears in the state herald of Melaka and even plays a part in the legend of Malacca's founding.

Below are listed some of the common fables as well as their approximate title translations. (Note that the word sang, an Old Malay honorific meaning "revered", appears in all instances preceding the name kancil to indicate respect)

Ghost stories (cerita hantu)

Malays, as with other Southeast Asians, have always taken great interest in stories of ghosts and spirits. It must be stressed that due to the animistic root of Malay folklore, these ghosts are seen as sharing the plane of existence with humans and are not always considered evil. However, when the delicate line that separates the boundaries of existence is crossed, or a transgression of living spaces occurs, a conflict ensues that may result in disturbances such as possessions.

The Malay word for ghost is hantu. However, this word also covers all sorts of demons, goblins and undead creatures and are thought to have real physical bodies, instead of just apparitions or spectres. The most famous of these is the pontianak or matianak, the ghost of a female stillborn child which lures men in the form of a beautiful woman.

Below are listed other popular supernatural beings and ghosts as well as their descriptions.

Written forms

Malay folklore that appear as written traditions are often called hikayat , kisah or dongeng. The oldest of them were written in Old Malay using the prevailing scripts of the time, such as Sanskrit, Pallava or Kawi. From around the 14th century onward, they were written in Classical Malay using Jawi script which prevailed ever since the arrival of Islam until the colonial era. During this time, the Malay royal courts became the centre for learning where scribes record the genealogy of kings and queens as well as historical events. [3]

Epics (hikayat)

The hikayat or epics are collections of stories and legends of heroism that often involve mythological and historical figures in a setting usually engaging the role of protagonists and antagonists. The Hikayat Hang Tuah and the story of Hang Jebat are among the most well known hikayat which are often told and retold in various forms such children's books, films, theatre plays and musical productions. The choice of who were to be portrayed as the protagonists and who were to be portrayed as the antagonists usually lies with the alignment of the storyteller, although most commonly, bards tend to maintain a stance of neutrality and dispassion in their story telling. In the stories of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat for example, the lawful Hang Tuah may be portrayed as the hero, while sometimes, the non-lawful Hang Jebat may assume that role.

A page from the first edition of Hikayat Abdullah in the Jawi script. Published in 1849, it is a personal autobiography of Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, a Malacca-born munshi of Singapore. AbdullahbinAbdulKadir-HikayatAbdullah-1849.jpg
A page from the first edition of Hikayat Abdullah in the Jawi script. Published in 1849, it is a personal autobiography of Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, a Malacca-born munshi of Singapore.

Other notable hikayat include:

Fairy tales (kisah dongeng)

Kisah dongeng are a loose collection of bedtime stories, fables and myths that involves human or non-human characters, often with superhuman powers along with talking animals, and an unearthly setting.

In this category, the story of Puteri Gunung Ledang , Bawang Putih Bawang Merah and Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup is well known by the Malays. All three have been made into movies, albeit with differing interpretations and settings.

Humanoid beings

Characters with human-likeness abound in these stories. They are collectively referred to as orang halus meaning the "refined folk" or "soft folk" (often erroneously translated as "elves"). Most are invisible to the average human.

  • Orang Bunian : "hidden people" or "whistling people"; a race of exceptional beauty and grace.
  • Orang ketot: humans with short stature, similar to dwarves
  • Orang kenit: small humans, often possessing magic powers
  • Gergasi: giants or ogres
  • Gedembai or Kelembai: an ogre who has the power to turn things to stone.
  • Duyong: mermaids, having the lower body of a fish and a woman's upper body
  • Bidadari: beautiful heavenly nymphs

Therianthropic beings

  • Harimau jadian or harimau akuan: were-tiger, were-leopard or were-panther
  • Ular tedung jadian: were-cobra
  • Lembu jadian: were-bull

Mythical birds

  • Geroda : a bird made of fire
  • Jentayu: a bird made of water
  • Cenderawasih: also known as the Bird of Paradise, considered to be king of the birds; Guardian of a sacred jewel in Kahyangan , lit. the Abode of the Gods.
  • Burung Petala : a bird in Kelantan-Pattani mythology

Beasts

  • Naga : a dragon said to inhabit caves and watery areas
  • Raja udanglit. King of Prawns: a very large prawn or lobster-like creature
  • Gajah mina: a monstrous hybrid elephant headed fish that develops in Malay society, especially in Natuna and Pulau Tujuh.
  • Hantu Belangkas: a gigantic king-crab that attacks people at sea.

Middle Eastern and Persian additions

Later folk stories adopted elements from the Islamic world, of Middle Eastern and Persian origin but having arrived by way of Muslims from India. They differ somewhat from their Arabian counterparts due to the fact that what Malays now refer to as angels or demons were originally animistic spirits and deities.

  • Jin: Djinn
  • Syaitan: Satan
  • Pari-pari or peri : Fairies
  • Malaikat: Angel (Religion-related)
  • Bidadari/Bidadara: Woman/Man Angel
  • Semberani: pegasus

Symbolic lore

Apart from the stories and songs, Malay folklore also includes traditions, rituals and taboos related to the physical as well as the more metaphysical realms of the Malay world view. Such knowledge are usually presented in the forms of symbols and signs inscribed or built into temple walls, palaces, houses and often appear on stone inscriptions as well as grave markers. Natural symbolism are also important such as flowers, trees, animals, the sea as well as celestial objects such as the moon and stars. Malays also have knowledge of a series of constellations that are markedly different from the Indian system upon which it is based. Object symbolism such as wood carvings of animals, ancestral images, mythical beings and masks are also common in Malay society.

Symbolic forms of folklore are usually the domains of the spirits and are therefore sometimes employed by the traditional healers and shamans. The Malays have been known to employ supernatural forces for healing as well as in the aiding of child-birth, the curing of poisons and in the warding off of spirits. Due to the Islamization movement of recent decades, these practices are not very well-documented in Malay, but have been recorded in some Western sources.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Puteri Gunung Ledang</i> (film) 2004 film

Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian Malay-language epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin. The film is based on the Malay legend of the Gunung Ledang princess, who is said to have lived on top of Gunung Ledang, and a Malaccan sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M. Nasir and Adlin Aman Ramlie.

<i>Bomoh</i>

A bomoh is a Malay shaman and traditional medicine practitioner. The term is used mainly in Malaysia and parts of Sumatra, whereas most Indonesians use the word dukun. It is often mistranslated into English as medicine man or witch doctor. In colloquial usage, the term bomoh is often interchangeable with another type of shaman or dukun, the pawang, but they generally serve different functions. The bomoh is primarily a healer, herbalist, geomancer, and sorcerer. The pawang on the other hand usually specialises in rituals involving weather, nature, animals, and a good harvest. Their roles do overlap however, and both claim to act as intermediaries for the spirits and gods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hantu (supernatural creature)</span> Malay and Indonesian word for spirit or ghost

Hantu is the Malay and Indonesian word for spirit or ghost. In modern usage it generally means spirits of the dead but has also come to refer to any legendary invisible being, such as demons. In its traditional context the term also referred to animistic nature spirits or ancestral souls. The word is derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qanitu and Proto-Austronesian *qaNiCu. Cognates in other Austronesian languages include the Micronesian aniti, Lio language nitu, Yami anito, Taivoan alid, Seediq and Atayal utux, Bunun hanitu or hanidu, Polynesian aitu or atua, and Tsou hicu among the Formosan languages. In terms of concept and place in traditional folklore, it is most similar to the Filipino anito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghosts in Malay culture</span>

There are many Malay ghost myths, remnants of old animist beliefs that have been shaped by Hindu-Buddhist cosmology and later Muslim influences, in the modern states of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore and among the Malay diaspora in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. The general word for ghost is hantu, of which there exist a wide variety. Some ghost concepts such as the female vampires pontianak and penanggal are shared throughout the region. While traditional belief does not consider all ghosts as necessarily evil, Malaysian popular culture tends to categorise them all as types of evil djinn.

Pelesit is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore. It is generally a cricket, or occasionally a grasshopper. The term literally means "buzzer" from the root word lesit meaning to buzz or whizz, as an insect does. They are also called Palasik.

The polong is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore. It has the appearance of a miniature woman, the size of the first joint of the finger.

The Hantu Raya is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore that acts as a double for black magic practitioners. Roughly meaning "great ghost", it is supposed to bestow great power onto its master. Its true form according to folktale is humanoid form with black hairy body except the facial area, rough grey skin, long sharp teeth and with red eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folklore of Indonesia</span>

Folklore of Indonesia is known in Indonesian as dongeng, cerita rakyat or folklor, refer to any folklore found in Indonesia. Its origins are probably an oral culture, with a range of stories of heroes associated with wayang and other forms of theatre, transmitted outside of a written culture. Folklore in Indonesia are closely connected with mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian literature</span> Literature of Indonesia

Indonesian literature is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser mouse-deer</span> Species of mammal

The lesser mouse-deer, lesser Malay chevrotain, or kanchil is a species of even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae.

Anwar Hadi Ramli is a playwright and actor who has appeared in several TV films and theatre productions since 2000. He appeared in the 2008 Kallang Roar the Movie as Gelek King Dollah Kassim in Singapore national football team of the 1970s. He is currently working in theatre. In 2017, his play, The (Assumed) Vicious Cycle of a (Melayu) Youth, won the Best Theatre Script at the Anugerah Persuratan by the Malay Language Council of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian literature</span> Literature in Malaysia

Malaysian literature is the collection of literary works produced in the Malay peninsula until 1963 and in Malaysia thereafter. Malaysian literature is typically written in any of the country's four main languages: Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil. It portrays various aspects of Malaysian life and comprises an important part of the culture of Malaysia.

Khadijah Hashim is a Malaysian writer, teacher and journalist. She has worked as a teacher and also as a journalist with local newspapers Utusan Melayu (1974–1976) and Berita Harian (1976–1985). She is better known as a novelist, and has produced 19 novels. She also expanded her creativity in the field of short stories, radio drama scripts, children's books, rhymes and poetry. The children's rhyme book "Sayang Sayang" has been selected to be on Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in Basel, Switzerland (2002) and "Semerbak Poetry" in Macau, China (2006). Khadijah continues her interests in writing rhymes, which led to her latest creation of "Putera-puteri Malaysia".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mythology of Indonesia</span>

The mythology of Indonesia is very diverse, the Indonesian people consisting of hundreds of ethnic groups, each with their own myths and legends that explain the origin of their people, the tales of their ancestors and the demons or deities in their belief systems. The tendency to syncretize by overlying older traditions with newer foreign ideas has occurred. For example, the older ancestral mythology might be merged with foreign mythology, such as Hindu, Islam, or Christian biblical mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langsuyar</span>

The langsuyar, also lang suir or langsuir, is a female revenant in Malay and other mythologies in the Malay archipelago. The word is derived from the Malay word for eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pahang Malays</span>

Pahang Malays are a sub-group of Malay people native to the state of Pahang, in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With population of approximately 1.08 million people, they constitutes 70% of Pahang state's population, making them the dominant ethnic group in the state. Their language, Pahang Malay is one of many Malayan languages spoken in the region that belong to the Malayo-Polynesian group of Austronesian family.

Pada Zaman Dahulu, is a Malaysian animated series first broadcast in 2011 on TV Alhijrah and later on Astro Ceria. The series revolves around Ara and Aris and their grandfather Aki, who tells his grandchildren tales that feature kancil, a mouse-deer popular in Malaysian folklore, and various other animal characters such as crocodile, buffalo and monkey. Produced by Les' Copaque Production, Pada Zamam Dahulu is part of the Upin & Ipin franchise and the first series consists of 12 episodes of 6–7 minutes each, with each story covering 3 episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folklore of Malaysia</span> Local tales and legends from Malaysia

Malaysian folklore is the folk culture of Malaysia and other indigenous people of the Malay archipelago as expressed in its oral traditions, written manuscripts and local wisdoms. Malaysian folklores were traditionally transmitted orally in the absence of writing systems. Oral tradition thrived among the Malays, but continues to survive among Orang Asli and numerous Bornean ethnic groups in Sarawak and Sabah. Nevertheless, Malaysian folklores are closely connected with classical Malay folklore of the region. Even though, Malay folklore tends to have a regional background, with the passing of time, and through the influence of the modern media, large parts of regional Malay folklore have become interwoven with the wider popular Malaysian folklore.

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Wendy. 1995. This is Malaysia. New Holland Publishers.
  2. ↑ Saint Martin, Michael (1999). "Running Amok: A Modern Perspective on a Culture-Bound Syndrome". Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1 (3): 66–70. doi:10.4088/pcc.v01n0302. ISSN   0160-6689. PMC   181064 . PMID   15014687.
  3. ↑ Moore, Wendy. 1995. This is Malaysia. New Holland Publishers.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.