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| Saturday, 29 March 2003 |
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The legend of Mahsuri in Langkawi by Jayampathy Jayasinghe
The cluster of islands known as Langkawi is located on the north -western shores of the Malaysian peninsula where the Indian ocean merges with the straits of Malacca close to the equator. It had been a haven for pirates in bygone times but has turned into a paradise for tourists today. Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands lying in the north western coast of the Malaysian peninsula about 30 km from Kuala Perlis and 51 km from Kuala kedah on the main land bordering Thailand. The main island is known as Pulau Langkawi. It takes an hour by plane from Kuala Lampur, the capital of Malaysia or five hours drive by road to reach Langkawi. The 500 million year old island contains unique rock formations with caves. It is steeped in myths about gigantic birds, warriors and fairy princesses. The fascinating thread of history of the island has been traced. The Eagles Square in Langkawi in Dataran Lang is a fascinating place to visit. According to folklore Langkawi derives its name from an eagle. In old Malay "Kawi " means a reddish brown eagle. A model of a reddish brown giant eagle, perched on a cement block about 20 feet from the ground is the cynosure of all eyes of visitors to the square. It is an awesome sight. The main island of Langkawi is steeped in myths especially with the tale of Mahsuri and the curse of the seven generations. The legend of Mahsuri is unique because the inhabitants still talk about it and venerate Mahsuri. She is immortalised and her tomb is now found at the Mahsuri Square in Langkawi. The authentic story of Mahsuri has been researched by Malay scholars. Mahsuri was a ravishing beauty, the daughter of a Muslim Siamese couple known as Pak Ada and Ma Ada who came to Kedam, a tiny land locked village in Langkawi from Thailand during the 18th century. Langkawi wasn't a prosperous island during this time and was sparsely populated mostly with farmers and fishermen. The newly arrived couple from Thailand settled in the village as farmers. They were a childless couple and worried a lot being childless.
However they kept praying for a child. Legend has it that the childless woman, while tending to her chores in the rice field one day heard strange cries of a baby. To her astonishment she found that the cries came from the rice plants themselves and was baffled about it. Strange enough, on the same night she dreamt of an angel who told her to harvest the rice and to consume it so that she would be endowed with a child. The following year she gave birth to a baby girl. She was named Mahsuri. There was something unique about Mahsuri. While growing up she brought prosperity and luck to her family and the village to the envy of many villagers. Even the king was pleased to hear about Mahsuri's luck that he proposed his warrior brother Madaris to Mahsuri. They were soon married and led a happy life. Mahsuri became known for her kindness and generosity among villagers. The villagers in turn loved Mahsuri to the envy of the king's wife. The queen was jealous as Mahsuri was beautiful and popular than herself. With the idea of tarnishing Mahsuri's image, the queen was involved in intrigue and spread ugly stories about Mahsuri. She eventually poisoned the king's mind and alleged that Mahsuri was having passionate flings with men in the village. During this period the king summoned his warrior brother, Mahsuri's husband and told him to proceed to a far away island as it was about to be invaded by a Siamese army. After his departure Mahsuri, miserable and lonely, yearned for company. She befriended a man who arrived in Langkawi with a dance troop from Thailand. He was an entertainer and Mahsuri was thrilled and bewitched to listen to his stories. She was so captivated by his tales that she even invited him home. However when the queen heard about it, she was on a vilification campaign to discredit Mahsuri. The following year Mahsuri became pregnant and gave birth to a child. However tongues wagged in the village about her surreptitious love affair with the entertainer from Thailand. The king too was infuriated about Mahsuri's alleged clandestine affair, that she betrayed her husband. The queen too sagaciously poisoned the king's mind. Even the despatching of king's warrior brother looked a ruse, to arrest Mahsuri during his absence.
Finally the king issued a proclamation to arrest Mashuri for adultery and ordered her to be executed by the king's army. Soon after the edict, the king's army surrounded Mashuri's house and captured her. Later she was publicly killed by an executioner who stabbed her with a dagger known those days as "Keri". The public was aghast to see the lightening stab of the dagger penetrating her soft belly. Everyone who witnessed the execution was surprised to see a white kind of liquid sprouting out of her body instead of blood. Mahsuri then pleaded her innocence by showing the white blood that crystallised purity to the spectators that she never had a tryst with a secret love. While drawing her last breath she cursed Langkawi for seven generations to come for the heinous crime. Many in Langkawi acknowledge that the island started to prosper only after year 1987, after a lapse of seven generations. Mahsuri's husband who later learnt about her execution returned to Langkawi and having collected the infant, slipped over to Pukat and settled down. Mahsuri's tomb is found at the Mahsuri Square. Research by the History Association of Kedh and the Kedh State Museum Board in an epitaph says "in the compound lies the beautiful remains of Mahsuri who is regarded as a martyr and symbol of purity. This was the place where she lived until her wrongful execution in 1819." Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahuman had a tombstone made and placed over the grave of Mahsuri in the early 1940s. |
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