Background
Raja Ong Maha Perita Deria was a historical personage from 12th Century Kedah, who could have been the world’s first vampire. His story first appeared in the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, also known as the Kedah Annals. This is a Malay literary work recounting the founding, history and fantastical tales of Kedah, a state in north of the Malay Peninsula. The work thought to have been written in the late 18th century or early 19th century, contained details of the Kedah royal geneology. Interestingly, it mentioned that Raja Perita Deria was also known as Raja Bersiong.
The story is based on the Bujang Valley civilisation, which recent studies indicate could be the oldest archeological site in Southeast Asia. The setting is the Kingdom of Langkasuka, which was under the suzerainty of the Sri Vijayan Empire. Historians speculated on the existence of Sri Vijaya for a long time, but could not pin down its exact location. This was because Sri Vijaya was a thalassocracy - an empire at sea, and it was difficult to ascertain where its capital was.
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| A Sri Vijayan perahu depicted on the walls of Borobudur. Source: Wikipedia |
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| Map showing location of Sri Vijaya and Langkasuka. Source: Wikipedia |
The Rational:
The Blood Prince of Langkasuka is Young Adult fiction. It is a dark fantasy/folklore coming of age story, featuring a protagonist who is a vampire, wrapped in a murder mystery.
This book would make an interesting addition to books written as part of the diverse storytelling movement and the right of young people to see themselves (and their culture) in books. Being a folklore-based fantasy, with cultural and supernatural elements from Malay, Orang Asli, Chinese and Indian sources, The Blood Prince is also in line with current YA trends. There is interest in this part of the world and Malaysian folklore is seen as new/unexplored territory as opposed to so many books which have been written, based on Western folklore. I also incorporate elements from the local folklore of flowers and plants, in the story.
As the story is based on a historical personage, Raja Bersiong, widely known in Malay folklore, the book should generate interest in Malaysia and Singapore, especially among readers who favour dark tales. The fact that it incorporates ancient Langkasuka myths and fierce supernatural entities from Indian and Orang Asli folklore, including a Queen who is half Yakshi (faerie-like being from Indian folklore,) should also generate interest in other English-speaking countries - India, the UK, US, Canada and Australia. I have also researched the subject of vampires in folklore and literature in some detail, so there are many fascinating things to write and talk about.
The two Beta Readers (one is a young adult in her twenties, while the other is an anonymous Editor) who read the manuscript have described it as 'quite chilling,' but 'well paced and plotted, with well developed characters... and written with near native speaker fluency;' and 'the writer has breathed life into the story and given it an original twist.'
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| Dancers from the period could have dressed like this. Illustration from Pinterest. |
The Synopsis:
Raja Perita Deria, is a carefree and arrogant seventeen-year-old; and his story begins with a seemingly ordinary night out with his close friends - Chula, Yala and Satra - three highborn young noblemen, a close knit group of friends who were fiercely loyal to the prince. That night they dined at an elegant Chinese tea house on the outskirts of Kota Aur, the royal city of Langkasuka. However, later in the night, a chance encounter with a dark beauty in an abandoned temple, almost ends Raja Perita's life and changes him irrevocably. |
| Ruins of temples such as this, are found all over the Bujang Valley and also in Sumatra. Source: Wikipedia |
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As heir to the throne of Langkasuka, the prince is also caught in the larger political struggle surrounding the kingdom which is being watched by the two powers of 12th Century Southeast Asia – the Sri Vijayan Empire and the Khmer Kingdom. To show its loyalty, Langkasuka sends Sri Vijaya a fabulous flowering plant made of beaten gold. And in a surprising turn of event, Sri Vijaya courts Langkasuka by offering the prince the hand of a Sri Vijayan princess, while the Khmer Empire seems curiously aloof. To everyone’s surprise, Raja Perita, who previously had not seem particularly interested in women, is drawn to Princess Chaya of Sri Vijaya. However, a spate of violent deaths in the palace of Langkasuka implicated the prince and his close friends,who watched helplessly as Raja Perita is slowly driven over the edge.
Despite the fact that the cook and Raja Perita's friends have been sworn to secrecy by his mother, news of the prince's strange appetite slowly leaks into the countryside and create mistrust among the people towards the palace. Could the killer be one of the prince’s beloved friends or perhaps Raja Perita himself?
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| A Sri Vijayan Princess could have dressed like this. Pin from Pinterest. |
Despite the fact that the cook and Raja Perita's friends have been sworn to secrecy by his mother, news of the prince's strange appetite slowly leaks into the countryside and create mistrust among the people towards the palace. Could the killer be one of the prince’s beloved friends or perhaps Raja Perita himself?
