Epic
The Epic of Hang Tuah
Hikayat Hang Tuah
Anonymous · 1700
Synopsis
The story of Hang Tuah, from his youth at Bintan with his companions, among them Hang Jebat, his adoptive brother, to the court of the sultan of Malacca, whom he serves as warrior, as laksamana and as envoy. His embassies take him to Majapahit, India, China and Siam, where he faces the enemies of the kingdom and even a Portuguese fleet. But royal favour turns against him, and Hang Jebat rebels against the sovereign.
Context
The author is unknown, and the date and manner of composition remain disputed: Vladimir Braginsky has it composed in one go in Johor, between 1688 and the 1710s, and reads in it an allegory of the conflict between Johor and Jambi. François Valentijn mentions it as early as 1726, and the oldest known manuscript, edited by Muhammad Haji Salleh, dates from 1758; more than twenty copies are known. Kassim Ahmad produced the standard edition.
Who it is for
A long prose epic, in classical Malay; it exists in English, not in French.
Prizes and reception
Inscribed in 2001 on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register; Malay cinema drew from it, in 1956 and 1961, two opposing readings of Hang Jebat's revolt.
Sources for this page 5
The pages consulted to check this page.