Abstract
Trickster tales are told not only for amusement but also to convey lessons or morals via their humorous characters and sequence of plots. The characters, the stories and the morals of the stories can be a reflection of the culture and the values of the people in the culture from which the tales originate. Every culture is believed to have its own trickster tales. In Malaysia, unlike the popular Malay trickster tale Sang Kancil, not much is said about Chinese trickster tales, such as The Rabbit and The Rat. This paper juxtaposes the characters and motifs of these trickster tales to negotiate the similarities and linkages between the Chinese and Malay cultures amid striking differences in cultural values and societal norms. The findings not only provide evidence of the heuristic value of the current study but also suggest several directions for future investigations in the study area.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONOrally passed down between generations, and preserved by the people within a specific culture
Folklores are anonymously created, orally passed down between generations, and preserved by the people within a specific culture
A motif can include the main character of a folklore, such as Sang Kancil himself, or other characters, such as a greedy or ungrateful person/animal being punished
Summary
Orally passed down between generations, and preserved by the people within a specific culture. One of the salient characteristics of a folklore is the varied versions of one tale, which many believe to be the result of the transmission process Despite such variation, the main structure of the folklore remains stable. Unlike Malay folklores such as the trickster tales of Sang Kancil, not much is said about the folklores of the Chinese and the other groups. Studies on folklores in this country have paid much attention to how folklores can be used to educate children in schools In their studies on Malay and Orang Asli (natives) folklores, Yusoff, Mutalib and Ali (2003) point out that oral traditions can be used as educational materials and function as a form of social control for children. The most popular indexes include the Anne-Thomson System (AT System), the Ting Nai
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