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Merdeka Day: The Old Tales

By 24.2



Have you heard of the ungrateful son Si Tanggang?

His mother waited so long for his return but

Driven by shame he denied his origin

Oh the pain he brought upon her

And so his mother prayed to God

He apologised but it was too late to repent

Upon him was a curse that turned him into a stone


Have you heard of the white blooded Mahsuri?

She was wrongly accused due to envy

Death was sentenced upon the innocents

No weapon pierced her body but the heirloom keris

Her blood was white proving her innocence

And her prayer to God before her last breath

Was a curse upon Langkawi for seven generations


Have you heard of the old lady called Nenek Kebayan?

She was an old lady with a hunched back

She walked around with a stick in her hand

Some say she was a child loving old lady

Some say she was a child-eating old lady

There’s a children’s game with a song about her

One that sounds innocent yet eerie at the same time



Author’s commentary: Si Tanggang, Mahsuri and Nenek Kebayan are some of the famous legends in traditional stories by the Malay culture in Malaysia. These tales were told verbally and in written texts like picture books, especially to teach the moral values to children. The tale of Si Tanggang taught one to always be grateful and filial to their parents. In Mahsuri's tale, one could learn that it is wrong to slander and that truth will always prevail. However, unlike the other two, the child-eating version of Nenek Kebayan was said to be told in order to scare children.

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1 Comment


Ki Lee
Ki Lee
Sep 01, 2023

wish there were like malay movies of retelling based on these tales. Its so interesting and would be such a great movie ideas

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