Abu Nawas Sabah Folk Version: Intertextuality and Creativity
(Abu Nawas Versi Rakyat Sabah: Intertekstualiti dan Kreativiti)
Abstract
The tales of Abu Nawas, which originated in Arab-Persia are popular humorous stories told in the Malay world. Several written sources reveal that these tales spread to the Malay world between the 13th and 15th centuries, through the books One Thousand and One Nights and Hikayat Abu Nawas. Drawing from field trips conducted in a number of places in Sabah, a total of 13 tales, that had been transmitted orally among Sabah indigenous informants, have been collected. Upon comparison with Hikayat Abu Nawas, it was found that some of the Sabah folk version of Abu Nawas tales are similar to those published in Hikayat Abu Nawas while some are very different. This study attempts to compare the motifs of the original Abu Nawas tales with those of the Sabah folk version based on the principles of intertextuality. The intertextual comparison shows that early on, the indigenous people of Sabah had been exposed to the Abu Nawas stories. Later however, the stories were retold based on local elements. In the end, the indigenous storytellers of Sabah began to create their own version with motifs different from that of the original tales. These retold stories are rich in local color and motifs, highlighting the genius and creativity of local Sabah storytellers.
Keywords: Abu Nawas, humorous tale, intertextuality, motif comparison, local genius, creativity
References
Aripin Said, 1996. Prosa Warisan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Braginsky, V. , "Between the Broad Daylight and the Shadow Metamorphoses of the Bakhtiar Tale in Persian and Malay" in Malay Literature 27:2, pp. 205-28, 2014.
Chong, B., 1993. Tales of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu: Sanmin.
Datu Mohd. Mazudah Indal Jaya, 2015. "Cerita Jenaka Bajau di Pulau Bum-Bum, Semporna, Sabah: Analisis Unsur Kejanggalan dan Kesan Positif Humor Terhadap Emosi Pendengar". MA Thesis. Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Emeis, M.G., 1973. Bunga Rampai Melayu Kuno. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Harun Mat Piah, 2003. Sastera Rakyat Malaysia, Indonesia, Negara Brunei Darussalam: Satu Perbandingan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Harun Mat Piah, Ismail Hamid, Siti Hawa Salleh, Abu Hassan Sham, Abdul Rahman Kaeh and Jamilah Hj. Ahmad, 2000. Kesusasteraan Melayu Tradisional. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Inon Shaharuddin Abd. Rahman, 1991. "Unsur-unsur Kejenakaan dalam Cerita Awang" in Mohd Taib Osman (comp.). Pengkajian Sastera Rakyat Bercorak Cerita. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Kuehnel, R. and Lencek, R. What is a Folklore Motif? in http://aktuellum.com/slavic/folklore-motif/ (Acsessed 1 March 2014).
Low Kok On, "Superioriti Rakyat dalam Lelucon Cerita Abu Nawas Asal dan Cerita Abu Nawas Versi Sabah" in Melayu: Jurnal Antarabangsa Dunia Melayu, 7: 2 pp. 152-71, 2014.
Low Kok On, Saidtul Nornis Haji Mahali, Rosliah Kiting, Sim Chee Cheang, Awang Asri Awang Ibrahim and Esterlina Moo Chin Len, 2013. Dokumentasi Teka-teki, Peribahasa dan Cerita Jenaka Lisan Orang Kadazandusun, Murut, Bajau dan Melayu Brunei. Kota Kinabalu: Ministry of Torism and Culture Malaysia & Borneo Heritage Research Unit.
Mohd Taib Osman, Hikayat Abu Nawas: MSS 1652 (Malay Manuscript Centre) I 39: Jurnal Filologi Melayu 14, pp. 1-63, 2006
Mohd Taib Osman, 2007. "Sastera Rakyat/Lisan Melayu: Antara Pernyataan "Local Genius" dengan Ciri-ciri Kesejagatan" in Rogayah A. Hamid and Wardati Md. Sheriff (comp.). Tradisi Lisan:Manifestasi Cendekiawan Melayu. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Noriah Mohamed. 2007. "Si Paloi/Palui dan Si Luncai: Pukul Anak Sindir Menantu" in Rogayah A. Hamid and Wardati Md. Sheriff (comp.). Tradisi Lisan:Manifestasi Cendekiawan Melayu. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Noriah Taslim, 1993. Teori dan Kritikan Sastera Melayu Tradisional. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Nurdiyana Zaki, 2014. Cerita Jenaka Orang Melayu Brunei: Dokumentasi dan Analisis Unsur Humor. MA Thesis. Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Shaiful Bahri Md. Radzi, 2000. "Malay Humourous Tales: Performance, Corpus of Oral Text and Its Study". PhD Thesis. University of London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
Sweeney, A., "The Pak Pandir Cycle of Tales" in JMBRAS 49:1, pp. 15-88, 1976.
The British Columbia Folklore Society. The Motif Index: What it is, and what it does? in http://www.folklore.bc.ca/Motifindex.htm (Accessed 28 February 2014.
Thompson, S. ,1955-1958. Motif-Index of Folk Literature. A Classification of Narrative Elements in Folktales, Ballads, Myths, Fables, Mediaeval Romances, Exempla, Fabliaux, Jest- Books and Local Legends. Rev. & enlarged ed. 6 Vols. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Wan Shamsuddin, 1966. Hikayat Abu Nawas. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbitan Pustaka Antara.
Winstedt, R.O., "Hikayat Abu Nawas" in JSBRAS 81: 15-21, 1920a.
Winstedt, R.O., "Indian Origin of Malay Folktales" in JSBRAS 82, pp. 119-26, 1920b.
Winstedt, R.O., 1996 [1939]. A History of Malay Classical Literature. Yusof A. Talib. (ed.). Petaling Jaya: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
