The Malay Tale of the Pig King (2015): An Adaptation of Hikayat Raja Babi (1775)

Nur Yuhanis Mohd Nasir; Eizah Mat Hussain; Nurhamizah Hashim; Abdul Mutalib Embong

doi:10.37052/ml36(2)no2

Nur Yuhanis Mohd Nasir Akademi Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya
Eizah Mat Hussain Akademi Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya
Nurhamizah Hashim Akademi Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya
Abdul Mutalib Embong Centre for Foundation and Continuing Education, Unviersiti Malaysia Terengganu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37052/ml36(2)no2

Abstract

Hikayat Raja Babi is an old Malay manuscript written in 1775 by a Semarang merchant named Usup bin Abdul Kadir while sailing to Palembang. It was handwritten in Jawi script and is in the collections of The British Library where it has been digitised, making it freely accessible by all. In 2015, Buku Fixi, a Malaysian publishing company, transliterated the manuscript and published a Romanised version of Hikayat Raja Babi. In 2020, the story was reproduced and published by Matahari Books as an illustrated storybook. This article discusses the adaptation of Hikayat Raja Babi into the version of The Malay Tale of the Pig King. The two texts are analysed based on Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation. Findings show that The Malay Tale of the Pig King has been adapted and simplified through appropriation process, making it suitable for young readers. The latter version still maintains the main story structure by having the same key events as in the original storyline. In addition to this, beautiful illustrations on the cover of the book and throughout the entire book makes The Malay Tale of the Pig King visually appealing.

References

Gallop, A. (2021, October 18). Who reads digitised Malay manuscripts? - Asian and African studies blog. British Library. https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2021/10/who-reads-digitised-malay-manuscripts.html
Gallop, A. T., & Asia, S. (2013). The Malay story of the pig king. https://blogs. bl. uk/asian-and-african/2013/11/the-malay-story-of-the-pig-king. html.
Hiatt, A. (2022). The map of Britain in the British library, MS Harley 1808. Imago Mundi, 74(2), 173–188.
Hutcheon, L. (2006). A theory of adaptation. Routledge.
Ismail Hussein. (1974). The study of traditional Malay literature: With a selected bibliography. In Ding, C. M.. Access to Malay manuscripts. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land-en Volkenkunde, (4de Afl), 425–451.
Kaur, K. (2020, July 23). This 200 year-old Malay folklore that was almost lost is now retold in a beautiful picture book. The Rakyat Post. https://www.therakyatpost.com/living/2020/07/23/this-200-year-old-malay-folklore-that-was-almost-lost-is-now-retold-in-a-beautiful-picture-book/
Keji, F. F., Toluwalope, O. O., & Olusanya, P. S. (2022). Adaptation: A twin concept in literature and translation. Traduction et Langues, 21(1), 307–319.
Medieval Art Research (2018, April 25–27). [Conference] New light on old manuscripts; Recent advances in Palimpsest studies. Austrian Academy of Sciences Sitzungssaal. https://rb.gy/hooii7
Ming, D. C. (1987). Access to Malay manuscripts. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land-en Volkenkunde, (4de Afl), 425–451.
Mondal, K. (2017). Shakespeare for children: Adaptations of the Tempest by Leon Garfield and Bernard Miles. TLH Journal, 3(1), 877–883.
O’Connell, E. R. (2022, April). Shared histories: New Work in British museum and British library collections. [Proceedings]. The 29th International Congress of Papyrology, Lecce. (pp. 774–790).
Nadiatul Shakinah Abdul Rahman & Salmah Jan Noor Muhammad. (2021, Nov 9–10). Ekspresi dan komunikasi emosi dalam Hikayat Raja Babi [Paper presentation]. Persidangan Antarabangsa Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan ke-6 (PASAK6 2021) – Online. http://conference.kuis.edu.my/pasak/images/pasak6/eprosiding2021/e-proceeding_pasak2021_032.pdf
Norhasnira Ibrahim & Faisal Ahmad Shah (2020). The Islamic influences in Malay manuscripts writing: An overview of some selected manuscripts. Sains Insani, 5(1), 57–66.
Ricklefs, M. C., Voorhoeve, P., & Gallop, A. T. (2014). Indonesian manuscripts in Great Britain: A Catalogue of manuscripts in Indonesian languages in British public collections (New Editions with Addenda et Corrigenda), (Vol. 33). Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Sanders, J. (2016). Adaptation and Appropriation. Routledge.
Syed Najihuddin Syed Hassani, Abdulloh Salaeh, Nidzamuddin Zakaria, Nurul Syakirah Muhamad Sukri, Muhamad Syafiq Sahrol & Puteri Nurul Afiqah Mohd Hamdan, (2021). Statistical analysis of Malay manuscripts in the British library’s online collection from the 17th to the 19th centuries. USIM Research Repository System.
The British Library Digitised Manuscripts. (n.d.). Add MS 12393. Hikayat Raja Babi.http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_12393
Heidi Shamsuddin. (2020) The Malay tale of the pig king. Matahari Books.
Siti Mualim Wahyuni. (2022). Simbolisasi haram dalam Hikayat Raja Babi karya Usup Abdul Kadir. ALINEA: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra dan Pengajarannya, 2(1), 22–27.