Hang Tuah in the Sea of Oral Malay Narratives

Muhammad Haji Salleh

doi:10.37052/ml.25(2)no1

Abstract

Hang Tuah is a culture hero who defines both himself and the Malays, along with their feudal and universal values. Three forms of existences have been bestowed on him by the peoples of the Malay Archipelago, i. e. the historical, the fictional and the oral. This paper attempts to trace the oral presence of Hang Tuah which is more varied, colourful, and in effect, more developed than the other two. At present, in Sungai Duyung, Singkep, Riau, Malacca and many places in the Archipelago, there is a wealth of stories about him, his origins, exploits, comrades and death. Many stories of the Sea Sekanaq of West Singkep, Riau claim that he originated from amongst their people. In Bintan, however, where his family found a home, some other famous stories are told of how he met his four friends, and his early relationship with the Bendahara and the Raja of Bintan. Hang Tuah and his family moved to Malacca when the new state became an important and wealthy port. Here, the stories refer to the village of Sungai Duyong in Malacca, its famous well, and his so-called mausoleum in Tanjong Keling. Stories of his life and contribution to the state were composed over time, and are quite different from addition to those of the Sulalat al-Salatin and the Hikayat Hang Tuah. The stories are still being composed and spread through the internet, an instrument of what I call the tertiary orality. Keywords: Â Hang Tuah, Malay identity, feudal values, origins, orang laut

Highlights

In insular Southeast Asia, in what has come to be known as the Malay World, there is a fertile presence of stories about Hang Tuah in the creative imagination of its peoples
These stories may have long been woven into the narratives of the people, as early as the 15th century—when Hang Tuah was the warrior par excellence in the Malacca court, and these narratives continued to be told after his death
Oral narratives seem to take on a life of their own, like a fertile young seedling growing fast, branching into the ready air of the humid tropical audience, nurtured by composers from outside the royal court and the imagination of others who chose to weave these tales

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In insular Southeast Asia (including the Peninsula), in what has come to be known as the Malay World, there is a fertile presence of stories about Hang Tuah in the creative imagination of its peoples. It is very likely that some of the episodes in the written version were sourced from these oral stories found across the insular and the peninsular ( in Malacca) Malay world These were the kernels of the tales that were duly recreated, combined and given a clear plot and development, i.e. retold in writing with the passion of a literary artist after Hang Tuah had died. According to Joseph Campbell (1948), a hero should journey through 11 steps in his life, which define his extraordinary character and abilities, from the point of his birth till his death These steps are useful in our search for the stories concerning Hang Tuah found in Malaysia and the Archipelago and Thailand, and in categorizing them.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

ETHNIC ORIGINS

QUALITIES OF SUPERHERO