A Writer's Journey Through Folklore

 For those of you who missed my talk, I would like to share with you some of the slides taken from my presentation (the first few slides were mostly rants, which I'm going to omit, because rants can be boring!

I rekindled my interest in children's literature when my daughter was born...

But good quality children's books published in Malaysia (in English and even Malay,) seemed lacking...

Published writers also felt a lack of support from bookstores...

Since this was in the future, I decided bravely and optimistically to become a writer...

Bright Landscapes by Daphne Lee - A Commentary

 

(This is a commentary and not a review because I'm analysing the stories as a writer as well as a reader.)

Bright Landscapes by Daphne Lee. This is a collection of short stories by the celebrated former columnist for The Star. Lee is widely regarded as an authority on Children's Literature in English in the region; however this collection is adult fiction. Although Lee has published two other books as an Editor, this is her first book as an author. This slim volume of 150 pages contain 10 dark tales, most of which were entertaining but a few not quite fleshed out. What she succeeded in doing was to create contemporary stories with  the hybrid/fusion of culture and folklore which is Malaysia. 

I've noticed that Malaysian writers who write stories set in Malaysia tend to stick to their own cultural milieu, i.e. Chinese Malaysian writers tend to write stories set within Chinese community and culture, Malay Malaysians write about characters in their own community, Indian Malaysian writers write stories based on Indian culture, with Sri Lankans narrowing this down even further and so forth. When characters of different races appear in the stories, they tend to be token representations. Well Lee has actually broken this mold - her contemporary stories feature characters from the diverse communities which make up our country who take on the cultural tropes from different cultural traditions to produce their own unique hybrid culture.

Common threads which run through these stories include children and family, marriage, births and deaths, and oddly enough tigers.

My favourites were: After The Funeral, All Was Still and On Jugra Hill. After The Funeral is a chilling tale of abuse and abandonment perpetuated by the patriarch of a traditional Chinese family, told from the point of view of the teenaged granddaughter. The supernatural entity, created by the grandfather, who 'gave away' a severely  handicapped child, is from Malay folklore. After the death of the grandfather, the creature is set lose and starts to haunt the family. The granddaughter searches for a way to put the creature ton rest and finds it in her own Chinese traditions. It should be noted that the story is so indirect and subtle, one has to connect the dots. But this is a matter of style.

All Was Still is an evocative and haunting tale, again featuring a female protagonist from a Chinese family (I think;) however the story draws on Malay folklore. It features at least three tiger spirits, and I felt grief and outrage at the acts of human cruelty which created them.  It is beautifully written and I love the descriptions of the little girl in the story. As with After The Funeral, one has to connect the dots to piece the narrative together; the story also has an ambiguous ending which nevertheless will leave you feeling bereft. 

On Jugra Hill is a hair-raising black comedy which has the potential to be developed into a lock door murder mystery. Fans of detective fiction will recognise the setting - a group of people stranded in a posh house in the middle of nowhere with a storm brewing in the horizon - although there is no dead body in this story. The characters have oddly familiar names of people in real life; I only wish they were more likeable. As for the plot, for some reason, I completely missed the clues the writer dropped and had a 'what just happened here?' jaw dropping moment! Still the story will carry you along on a wild ride and was hair raising fun!

The stories which didn't work for me were: Orang Minyak - can a woman be more lacking in agency and commonsense? I would have expected her maternal or survival instinct to kick in if only to save herself. Perhaps She is another story which I failed to understand, it seemed to be about a woman who abandoned her family and life in general, and had nightmares of being buried or being reborn by the earth. The third story called The Dead, was a woman who presumably died during childbirth and could not accept her fate; which was understandable enough. 

The stories which could have done with a bit of tweaking were: The Pontianak, Princess, and The Tiger Bridegroom. In Pontianak, the narrator tells her two dinner guests the story of her uncle who married a pontianak. One gathers that the uncle had an affair with a bar maid, who may have died in childbirth.  Two things bothered me about the story - one is the fact that the dinner guests, a gay couple, were so unlikeable but more importantly did not seem to serve any real purpose in the story. In settings like this, usually one or both guests knew something the narrator wanted to unearth, or trap them into admitting.  

The second thing which bothered me were the errors in folklore. In the story, the uncle trapped the pontianak with a needle and red thread, in the purple heart of a banana tree. In traditional folklore, the pontianak is associated with the sundal harum malam (possibly the champaca or the pala tree) and not the banana grove; it is the orang minyak who haunts the banana grove. Also, traditionally, the pontianak does not feed on the body parts of men, she looks for the placenta of the newborn and also the fresh blood spilled during childbirth. The story would have been a lot more suspenseful, with more 'showing' and less 'telling.' 

Princess is told in the style of a folktale crossed with a steamy romance novel. Although I was shocked at the fate which befell Nakhoda Ragam, my favourite character in all of Malay folklore, the story was intriguing and seemed to be another piece of the puzzle in the story of the legendary Princess of Mount Ledang. If you are interested in following the journey of the Princess, The Principal Girl has two tales relating to her: Girl on a Mountain by Preeta Samarasan and The Princess of Mount Ledang by Leela Chakrabarty. You can follow the trials and tribulation of Nakhoda Ragam in these three books of mine: Eight Treasures of the Dragon, Eight Fortunes of the Qilin and Eight Jewels of the Phoenix.

The Tiger Bridegroom is also told in the style of a folktale, and is quite an amusing and entertaining story. My only complaint is that the characters appeared to be caricatures, but that is a matter of personal preference. 

The last story, Endless Night, is a story I've read before. And it is still as powerful and evocative as ever, on rereading.   

The Blood Prince of Langkasuka - Background and Synopsis

I'm super excited to announce the publication of my 10th book The Blood Prince of Langkasuka, by Penguin RandomHouse SEA! This is a reimagining of the Raja Bersiong (the Fanged King) legend from Malaysia. Buy the book from

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Prince-Langkasuka-Tutu-Dutta/dp/9814882925

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. 

However, by 1993, historian, Pierre-Yves Manguin had proven that the epicentre of Sri Vijaya was along the banks of the Musi River, in what is now Palembang on the island of Sumatra. Between late 7th Century to early 11th Century, Sri Vijaya rose to become a hegemonic maritime power in Southeast Asia. They had a fleet of perahu, probably manned by the Orang Laut - Sea Gypsies who exist till today. In a sensational discovery by National Geographic, it has been proven that these people are able to stay under water for up to 15 minutes due to genetic mutation. 

Apart from the Wikipedia, The History Channel and National Geographic, my other source of information include eavesdropping on speculative posts among history buffs in groups such as the Malaysian Heritage and History Club on Facebook. The choice of Langkasuka for the setting of this story was based on their recommendation, although Tambralinga was also mentioned as a possibility. One of the tantalising information which emerged was the Vidyadhara Torana of Sri Vijaya (Faerie Gate of Sri Vijaya) - a legendary gateway to the city made of solid gold.

A Sri Vijayan perahu depicted on the walls of Borobudur. Source: Wikipedia

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.' 

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

The prince is carried back to the palace by his friends but remains close to death for a long time. After an incident involving the cook and a dish of bayam tainted with blood, which was served to the prince, his mother the Queen, discovered that he needed blood to heal and for sustenance. This is the most well known incident in the Raja Bersiong folklore, but it should be noted that the famous gulai bayam incident is only a single chapter in the book. If you are unfamiliar with the story, you can read it here: 

https://www.facebook.com/HISTORYasia/posts/10158141121693754

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 12^th 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. 

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?

B is for Bamboo Flute / PHOENIX SONG

Pre-order from www.lantanapublishing.com

The theme behind the story:

Phoenix Song is set in an imaginary town in Malaysia called Sighing Bamboo Hill; named after a mysterious hill which is believed to be haunted because of the sound of rustling bamboo leaves wafting from the hill. Although the setting is fictitious, not very long ago there were many villages and towns in Malaysia, with similar stories of haunted hills, rivers and lakes; wild places which were the domain of spirits, faeries or demons…

Magical elements play an important role in Phoenix Song, but the main theme is the importance of family as seen through the eyes of the main character, an eight-year old boy called Arohan. His mixed ethnicity - part Indian and part Chinese - reflects the cultural diversity of Malaysia; a country with at least a dozen ethnic groups. He also has a grandmother who is a Nyonya – a small community of Straits-born Chinese whose ancestors came to Malaysia in the Treasure Ships of the great Ming Dynasty explorer, Admiral Zheng He. The Nyonyas practice a culture which is a fusion of Malay and Chinese traditions.

Pheonix Song draws upon two separate folktales:

The first one is the Malay folktale of Buluh Perindu (literally yearning or sighing bamboo). The bamboo grove represents nature in the story. In traditional Malay culture, nature was so revered that a child is taught to ask for permission before even plucking a single flower. In the original story, three brothers were given the task of bringing back a bamboo cutting from a hill which was haunted or cursed. The two elder brothers ignored the advice of an old man they met on the way, and were turned to stone. The story was a fragment and also referred to the old belief not to respond or look back when one hears one's name being called in wild and lonely places... The youngest brother, who showed respect for the old man and followed his counsel, managed to obtain a piece of the magical buluh perindu. He fashioned a flute out of the bamboo and succeeded in reversing the curse on his brothers, just by playing the flute.

The story also draws upon the Chinese legend of the scholarly woodsman who was such a supernaturally gifted musician, he could tame wild animals and even summon the phoenix whenever he played the xiao (a Chinese bamboo flute). The phoenix in our story is Cendrawasih or Fenghuang, a symbol of Spring, longevity and the renewal of life.

I came across the story of Buluh Perindu some years ago but felt that there was something missing. Although the bamboo flute produced beautiful music, there were no other stories about its power to break curses; apart from Mozart’s The Magic Flute :)

I later came across the Chinese folktale of the wild musician and the two stories seemed to fit. If any magical creature could break a curse, it would be the phoenix. In addition, there were other East Asian folktales linking the music of the bamboo flute to the phoenix. In one, a phoenix appears to advise a pining Persian king to make a bamboo flute in order to win the heart of a Chinese princess…

When Alice Curry from Lantana Publishing (UK) contacted me about the possibility of writing a story for a children’s picture book, I immediately thought of Buluh Perindu. The story lent itself easily to a contemporary setting, with younger characters and the focus shifting to family and sibling rivalry. To make the story even more immediate, the narrative is told in a series of dialogues, between Arohan and his extended family and sometimes with himself :) The book also serves to remind us of  the deep reverence (and fear) for nature, we once had...