Myths and legends of Msia Spore

 

(pic from  net link )

This book as with other Malay legend books   have been  ordered  this year in the #3 batch  foa 30+22.5RM ie ca  11 Euro 

As far as i understood from the   writer's notices tey come from older stories as Sejarah Malaysia and possibly airings from radio . Notice  that  from Warna radio  station of Spore , from where is he , i have heard the  name of penglipur lara (storytellers )

This book  is even smaller than the Kadazan  tales book  referred  in the previous article. Thinner  paper with ca 120 pages and abt 10 picas Times font  and includes also drawings and photos

This  book   separates  the stories by region. Here is a  listing of all stories with a little  info

1. Sarawak 
Bird nest soup (something that  Chinese  adore to eat as it gives longevity  )   
Garai Harvest festival , 
An Iban legend of rice
Monsopiad,   the warrior
Si Pelawak (my top story  wit the comedian who fought a dragon without  even fighting him !!!) , 
The buffalo with the only one teeth ,
Huminodiums sacrifice  (also  noticed on the 366   tales )
and the story of kalimanjuk kanju with his wife (impressive on how a man flowed his wife in the underworld and came back , the title of the  story is 'truelove never dies' )

2.  3  rather R-rated  children minded   stories from Sabah 
The mystery stones ,
vengenance of gods , 
the slay of Kinoringan monster

3. Malaysian  (too many with  some comments of me ): 
- Princess of G Lendang , and Hang tuah   reaching her with the letter from  the shah . What i did nt understand after  watching also the movie ,is if Tuah  was really loving the princess or it  was just the movie's plot.
- Assasination of the sultan Mhd shah II . This story for me  is rather awkward. can someone be so stupid to kill a person who cut a flower? But  i think that the  result was  loyal 
- The dragon of Pahang's Lake Chini (love between  a princess and a  commoner )
- Spears of death  a story of two men and a woman who cant decide whom to marry !
- Melaca's magic well (rather a  real story involving Hang Li Poh )
- Miracle of the lost Crucifix (how  this crucifix lost and again found by the same person )
- Raja bersiong (the  'Dracula'  raja!!  this story is for me  the most entertaining  )
- Mahsuri  (as far  as i know  this is the corect name huh? this is he most afficting story from Msia )
- Big foot (ie rather mentioning to giants ) mostly facts than a  tale or  legend and whats also happening in the other  world


4. Singapore 
The naming of the lion city
MIracles saved Singapore from Invasions
Badang  ie the Malay Samson  or Hercules
Singapora Dilangar todak , with Hang  Nadim (though noticed  there as Si Awang Jambul )saving Spore from the swordfish (or garfish as noticed on the books ) as noticed on the end of the article
Radin mas  the woman killed the day she was married 
a tale : the ungrateful crocodile 
Kusu island 
Inseparable sisters
ghost islands 
The evil of wealth and greed 
and two famous keramat (sacred places)  with pictures 


From this book   there is the epxression  of Nenek Kebayan  having  two different meanings : the one is as honored person and the other  is as fairy princess . to add to this pzzle i found also other meanings : person between  lovers (in sunda ) and old witch . I now am very  puzzled with this term .... 

Discussing with a malaysian frind  he told me that posbly some of these stories are haavily biased  towards a more  'western' filtering that  possibly hides some  of the 'truth'
These are the stories , most of them quite interesting with nearly the half suitable  to my child. Except it , this book  is my favorite