The Making of the Medieval Malay Hero Hang Tuah: Stories Behind the Epic Scene
Abstract
The essay attempts to look at the scene behind the making of a hero in Malay medieval society. Such attempt is vital in order to understand not only the rise of a legendary hero, Hang Tuah, from his ordinary status in Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annal) to his supra-human figure in the epic Hikayat Hang Tuah but also to gauge the social, political and psychological milieu behind the epic composition. The premise of the argument in this essay is that a hero is built and not born. Pushing it from there, the essay endeavours to prove the point by extensively reading on the milieu and time behind the emergence of Hikayat Hang Tuah. While exploring these, the essay also looks at the process of inventing the epic, which include identifying sources and materials borrowed, distorted, inverted and appropriated by the author to bring forth this traditional but unique literary creation.
Keywords: epic, hero, heroism, heroic deeds, heroic age, ethnocentrism
References
Andaya, Leonard. Y., 1978. The Kingdom of Johor 1641-1728. Kuala Lumpur: OUP.
Bynan, David, E., 1976. "The Generic Nature of Oral Epic Poetry" in Dan Ben Amos(ed.), Folklore Genres. London: University of Texas Press.
Braginsky, V.I., 1990. "Hikayat Hang Tuah, Malay Epic and Muslim Mirror, some Considerations on its Date, Meaning and Structure" in BTLV 146.
Culler, Jonathan, 1975. Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism Lingusitics and the Study of Literature. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Dandekar, R.N., 1956."Indian Literature" in Encyplopedia of Literature. New York.
Errington, Shelly, 1979. "Some Comments on Style in the Meanings of the Past" in A. Reid & D. Marr (eds.), Perception of the Past in Southeast Asia. Hong Kong Singapore: Heinemann.
Farish A. Noor, 2001."Deconstructing Our National Hero" in Farish A. Noor, What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You. The Annexe Lectures. Vol.1, Petaling Jaya: Matahari Books.
Hooykass, C., 1953. Perintis Sastera. Groningen/Jakarta: Wolters.
Josselein de Jong, P.E., "The Rise and Decline of a National Hero" in JMBRAS 38 Pt II, 1965.
Kamaruddin A. Said, "The Signifier and Heroes in the Hikayat Hang Tuah: a Reinterpretation" in Malay Literature 5:2, 1992.
Imran Teuku Abdullah, 1991. Hikayat Meukuta Alam. Jakarta: Penerbit PT Intermasa.
Iskandar, T., "Some Historical Sources Used by the Author of Hikayat Hang Tuah" in JMBRAS 42, Pt II, 1970.
Kassim Ahmad, 1964. Characterisation in "Hikayat Hang Tuah". Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Koster, G.L., 1997. Roaming Through Seductive Gardens. Leiden: KLTV Press.
Lerner, Lawrence, 1990. "History and Fiction" in Dennis Walder (ed.), Literature in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Maier, H.M.J., 1985. Fragments of Reading: The Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. Albasserdam: Kanters.
Miksic, John, 2012. "Dunia Melayu dan Singapura: Dari sudut Arkeologi". Paper presented at the National Museum Singapore organized by Taman Warisan Melayu, 30 April, web page:http://cyberita.asia1.sg/msingapura, access on 1/5/2012.
Muhammad Hj Salleh, 1999. "Mendialog Wira: Hujah di Sebalik Kata" in Muhammad Hj Salleh (ed.), Menyeberang Sejarah. K. Lumpur: DBP.
The Epic Hang Tuah, 2010. Translated by Muhammad Hj Salleh. 2010. Kuala Lumpur: ITNM.
Noriah Taslim. "Genre Epik: Antara Kesukuan dan Kesejagatan" in Dewan Sastera, September, 1994.
Noriah Taslim, 1997. "To Vindicate a Claim to Greatness: Political Nationalism. and the Writing of the Malay Annals" in National Build-up and Literary/Cultural Process in Southeast Asia. Moscow: Institute of Asian and African Studies
Noriah Taslim, 2012. "Wira, Sejarah dan Sentimen Etnosentrisme dalamHikayat Meukuta Alam". Kertas utama untuk Seminar Antarabangsa ADIC 2012, Universiti Islam Antrabangsa, Gombak, 26-28 Mac.
Oinas, Felix, J. (ed.), 1978. Heroic Epic and Saga. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Ong, W.J., 1982. Orality and Literacy.The Technologizing of the Words.London, New York: Methuen.
Parnickel, B.B., "An Epic Hero and an Epic Traitor in the Hikayat Hang Tuah" dlm. BKI 132, 1976.
Said, Edward, 1979. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books.
Shipley, Joseph, T., 1970. Dictionary of World Literary Terms. London: George Allen & Unwinch.
Smith, Anthony. D., "Ethnocentrism, Nationalism and Social Change" in International Journal of Comparative Society, XIII, 1972.
Supomo, S., 1979. "Image of Majapahit in Later Javanese and Indonesian Writing" in A. Reid and D. Marr (eds.), in Perceptions of the Past in Southeast Asia. Hong Kong, Singapore: Heinemann.
Teeuw, A. "Tentang Penghargaan dan Pentafsiran Hikayat Hang Tuah" in Dewan Bahasa, 8, 1964.
Teeuw, A., 1983. Membaca dan Menilai Sastera. K. Lumpur: DBP.
White, Hayden, 1978. Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism. Baltimore: John Hopkins University.
Winstedt, R.O., 1961. A History of Classical Malay Literature. K. Lumpur: OUP.
Bynan, David, E., 1976. "The Generic Nature of Oral Epic Poetry" in Dan Ben Amos(ed.), Folklore Genres. London: University of Texas Press.
Braginsky, V.I., 1990. "Hikayat Hang Tuah, Malay Epic and Muslim Mirror, some Considerations on its Date, Meaning and Structure" in BTLV 146.
Culler, Jonathan, 1975. Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism Lingusitics and the Study of Literature. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Dandekar, R.N., 1956."Indian Literature" in Encyplopedia of Literature. New York.
Errington, Shelly, 1979. "Some Comments on Style in the Meanings of the Past" in A. Reid & D. Marr (eds.), Perception of the Past in Southeast Asia. Hong Kong Singapore: Heinemann.
Farish A. Noor, 2001."Deconstructing Our National Hero" in Farish A. Noor, What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You. The Annexe Lectures. Vol.1, Petaling Jaya: Matahari Books.
Hooykass, C., 1953. Perintis Sastera. Groningen/Jakarta: Wolters.
Josselein de Jong, P.E., "The Rise and Decline of a National Hero" in JMBRAS 38 Pt II, 1965.
Kamaruddin A. Said, "The Signifier and Heroes in the Hikayat Hang Tuah: a Reinterpretation" in Malay Literature 5:2, 1992.
Imran Teuku Abdullah, 1991. Hikayat Meukuta Alam. Jakarta: Penerbit PT Intermasa.
Iskandar, T., "Some Historical Sources Used by the Author of Hikayat Hang Tuah" in JMBRAS 42, Pt II, 1970.
Kassim Ahmad, 1964. Characterisation in "Hikayat Hang Tuah". Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Koster, G.L., 1997. Roaming Through Seductive Gardens. Leiden: KLTV Press.
Lerner, Lawrence, 1990. "History and Fiction" in Dennis Walder (ed.), Literature in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Maier, H.M.J., 1985. Fragments of Reading: The Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. Albasserdam: Kanters.
Miksic, John, 2012. "Dunia Melayu dan Singapura: Dari sudut Arkeologi". Paper presented at the National Museum Singapore organized by Taman Warisan Melayu, 30 April, web page:http://cyberita.asia1.sg/msingapura, access on 1/5/2012.
Muhammad Hj Salleh, 1999. "Mendialog Wira: Hujah di Sebalik Kata" in Muhammad Hj Salleh (ed.), Menyeberang Sejarah. K. Lumpur: DBP.
The Epic Hang Tuah, 2010. Translated by Muhammad Hj Salleh. 2010. Kuala Lumpur: ITNM.
Noriah Taslim. "Genre Epik: Antara Kesukuan dan Kesejagatan" in Dewan Sastera, September, 1994.
Noriah Taslim, 1997. "To Vindicate a Claim to Greatness: Political Nationalism. and the Writing of the Malay Annals" in National Build-up and Literary/Cultural Process in Southeast Asia. Moscow: Institute of Asian and African Studies
Noriah Taslim, 2012. "Wira, Sejarah dan Sentimen Etnosentrisme dalamHikayat Meukuta Alam". Kertas utama untuk Seminar Antarabangsa ADIC 2012, Universiti Islam Antrabangsa, Gombak, 26-28 Mac.
Oinas, Felix, J. (ed.), 1978. Heroic Epic and Saga. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Ong, W.J., 1982. Orality and Literacy.The Technologizing of the Words.London, New York: Methuen.
Parnickel, B.B., "An Epic Hero and an Epic Traitor in the Hikayat Hang Tuah" dlm. BKI 132, 1976.
Said, Edward, 1979. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books.
Shipley, Joseph, T., 1970. Dictionary of World Literary Terms. London: George Allen & Unwinch.
Smith, Anthony. D., "Ethnocentrism, Nationalism and Social Change" in International Journal of Comparative Society, XIII, 1972.
Supomo, S., 1979. "Image of Majapahit in Later Javanese and Indonesian Writing" in A. Reid and D. Marr (eds.), in Perceptions of the Past in Southeast Asia. Hong Kong, Singapore: Heinemann.
Teeuw, A. "Tentang Penghargaan dan Pentafsiran Hikayat Hang Tuah" in Dewan Bahasa, 8, 1964.
Teeuw, A., 1983. Membaca dan Menilai Sastera. K. Lumpur: DBP.
White, Hayden, 1978. Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism. Baltimore: John Hopkins University.
Winstedt, R.O., 1961. A History of Classical Malay Literature. K. Lumpur: OUP.
Published
2012-12-08
How to Cite
TASLIM, Noriah.
The Making of the Medieval Malay Hero Hang Tuah: Stories Behind the Epic Scene.
Malay Literature, [S.l.], v. 25, n. 2, p. 159-176, dec. 2012.
ISSN 2682-8030.
Available at: <https://jurnal.dbp.my/index.php/MalayLiterature/article/view/5345>. Date accessed: 25 dec. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.37052/ml.25(2)no2.
Section
Archive
