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Recontextualizing Indigenous Semai Original Folktales of Bah Lud for

Malaysian Children

Conference Paper · November 2013

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 Recontextualizing Indigenous Semai Original Folktales
of Bah Lud for Malaysian Children
Clare Chan Suet Ching
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
clare@fmsp.upsi.edu.my

Loy Chee Luen

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
loycl@fmsp.upsi.edu.my

Mohd Nasir Ibrahim

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
nasir.ibrahim@gmail.com

Mohd Azam Sulong

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
azamdungun@fmsp.upsi.edu.my

Mohd Nizam Nasrifan

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
mohd.nizam@fmsp.upsi.edu.my

Abstract

The cultural values, worldviews and knowledge of indigenous peoples are often intricately
woven into their folktales. The philosophy of life and knowledge of the world that has facilitated
the survival of indigenous people around the world for thousands of years is evolving in the
phase of modernization and capitalistic values. This paper is based on pioneer findings from
ongoing research that aims to communicate Semai (a subgroup of the Orang Asli indigenous
minorities in Malaysia) culture, wisdom, world views and knowledge to Malaysian children.
The research is aimed at creating a model that includes scripts, music and graphics that will
support the construction of an animated series in future. During the course of ethnographic
interviews with well-known Semai shamans, village heads, and storytellers, some significant
stories were collected. One of the most frequently told stories was that of Bah Lud. Bah Lud is
the Semai heroic figure gifted with supernatural powers, wisdom and spirituality. Taking into
consideration various views, this paper analyses the choices made in the recontextualisation of
a story on Bah Lud, for Malaysian children.

Keywords digital media, indigenous folktales, indigenous worldviews, intercultural education,

Orang Asli.

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Background

The Orang Asli have many myths of origins, folktales and animal fables transmitted
through the oral tradition. Variations of similar stories are found in different geographical
locations as a result of migration and resettlement. Since the late 20th century,
anthropologists and researchers, such as Skeat and Blagden (1906) and Schesbesta
(1928) have documented some of the myths of origins and folktales of various Orang
Asli subgroups. Karim (1981), Nowak (1987) and Chan (2010) documented changing
versions of the Mah Meri’s myth of origins. Edo (1990) published a monograph on the
oral traditions of the Semai community.
This paper reports updated findings of ongoing research entitled “Constructing
a model for an Orang Asli animation series: Performing Arts, indigenous wisdom
and folktales communicated through new media.” This research is funded by the
Exploratory Research Grant Scheme (ERGS) awarded by the Ministry of Higher
Education from July 2012 to July 2014. The research aims to rejuvenate Orang Asli
indigenous knowledge, values, language, and subsistent skills inherent in their folk
tales. From the stories and knowledge collected through ethnographic fieldwork, this
research aims to create an Orang Asli animation series coalescing the worldviews,
moral values, wisdom, language, music, and dance. The series is two fold: 1) it serves
to rejuvenate and bring back the wisdom and values of the Orang Asli to their children
2) it communicates a better understanding of the Orang Asli way of life to those outside
the culture.

Current Fieldwork Findings

To date, the team has obtained six stories from two elderly Semai and one Temuan
storyeller. The first interview was conducted with Bah Serani of Kampung Rasau in
Ulu Slim, Perak, on 12 August 2012. He told tales about Semai myth of origins, known
as tales of Benbakoh. Our second interview was with Bah Kang son of Bah Mat of
Kampung Bukit Terang, Kampar, Perak, 2 December 2012, Bah Kang and his son,
Alang Bah Kang, who both originated from a Semai village in Tapah, on the route
to Cameron Highlands. They emphasized that Bah Lud stories were very popular
oral stories transmitted from generation to generation among the Orang Asli. They
both said that there are many, many stories about Bah Lud among the Semai in the
Perak region. Bah Lud, the youngest son of seven sons is known for his wisdom and
supernatural powers. Bah Kang shared with us two stories about Bah Lud: 1) Bah Lud
and his six brothers and 2) Bah Lud with Nenek Kebayan (Grandmother Kebayan). On
30 June 2013, we interviewed Harun bin Itam, the previous head of Kampung Serigala,
Ulu Selangor, a Temuan village. Harun told us two stories: 1) Bah Lud and the Seven
Bataks 2) Bah Lud and the Garuda (phoenix). Bah Kang’s stories focuses mainly on
the wisdom of Bah Lud, who overcomes each of his brothers’ attempts to destroy him
by using witty tactics on them. Harun addresses the Bah Lud character as “Mamak
Bongsu.” Mamak Bongsu is guided by his guniq, a spiritguide from the supernatural
world in his trials. In the first story, Bah Lud champions over his enemies, the seven
Bataks, cannibals who ate up his wife and child. In the second story, Bah Lud kills

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the garuda (phoenix) and saves a Malay aristocratic family and village from being
completely destroyed
Our fourth visit was to a Semang (Negrito) village known as Kampung Sungai
Tiang in Gerik, Perak on 24 August 2013 and Kampung Semelor in RPS Banun, near
the Royal Belum Forests Reserve in Perak on 25 August 2013. The first village sang
some traditional healing songs, known as sewang (Temiar language) but did not know
any tales of Bah Lud. The Batin (village head) of the second village, Batin Samad
bin Jerangong, also did not know any folktales or stories on Bah Lud. Although a
conclusion cannot be drawn at this point, there is a possibility that stories about Bah
Lud or Mamak Bongsu may only be prominent among the Orang Asli living around the
central Perak and Pahang districts, especially those in the Semai and Temuan vicinity
of east of the central and southern regions of Perak.

Statement of Problem

One of the issues pertaining to the construction of stories for 21st century children is
the accelerating concerns with its content. As children’s stories are globally accessible
through multi-media today, they are also vulnerable to criticism by diverse groups of
people holding on to different political and cultural values. Some children’s stories are
rendered as racist, colonialist, satirical, speciesist, sexist or encourage homosexuality.
Frater (2007) states that in modern times, the government and other parties have
intervened in the raising of children. Some children’s stories are scrutinized and
labelled as politically incorrect or offensive to specific groups, ethnicities and cultures.
The storybook, Little House on the Prairie (1935) by Laura Ingalls Wilder was deemed
offensive because of its condescending descriptions of the American Indians. Mark
Twain’s Huckleberry Finn (1884) has been banned for satirizing the Southern American
community, while Babar the Elephant (1931), a French children’s fictional character
created by Jean de Brunhoff has been described as politically and morally offensive
because of its justification of French colonalists’ ideas (ibid).
To avoid criticism and scrutiny, we practice caution and care in examining the
nature of the original stories told by the storyellers before recontextualizing it into
stories for 21st century children. We are aware that misintrepretation may emerge
when myths and folklores are transported from one cultural context or time period to
another. Consequently, we are challenged between maintaining the “authenticity” of
Orang Asli stories and masking descriptions to avoid misintepretations.

Bah Lud in Semai and Temuan Tales

Bah Lud is revered as a supernatural and heroic figure among the Orang Asli. He
is known with differing names among different Orang Asli subgroups, for example
Bah Lud (Northern Semai), Yok Lud (Southern Semai) and Mamak Bongsu (Temuan).
Bah Lud often masks his divine identity from his family and villagers. Bah Kang, an
elderly Semai shaman describes Bah Lud as such:

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Dia punya badan bukannya sihat, kurus-kurus, kudis-kudis …. Orang bertuah tu, saja
dia buat, tapi kita tengok, badan dia memang kuasa kuat. Lepas tu, saja dia buat-buat,
dia sangat nakal (Bah Kang Bah Mat, temubual 30 Jun 2013)

He is sickly, thin and scabby. Actually, he is only pretending, for indeed, he has divine
powers. He is just being cheeky and naughty (Bah Kang, personal communication, 30
June 2013).

The Temuans also believed that Mamak and Inak Bongsu are the only survivors of
a Great Flood also known as the Great Deluge. When the water subsided, Mamak and
Inak Bongsu, both brothers and sisters, were seen holding onto the tallest gaharu tree
and surviving on its soggy pulp in Gunung Raja (in the Central or Titiwangsa Range of
the Malay peninsula). When the waters dissipated and the land had dried up, Mamak
and Inak Bongsu procreated, bringing forth the first human beings of the Earth (ibid.
pp. 26-27).

Bah Lud and the Seven Bataks

In this section, we will discuss the story of Bah Lud and the Seven Bataks told by
Harun bin Itam of Kampung Serigala, Ulu Selangor. In this story, Bah Lud’s wife and
son had been eaten up by seven ugly and monsterlike Bataks. The Bataks hanged the
wife and child on a tree, killed them, sliced up their bodies, sprinkled salt onto their
corpse and ate them. After eating, they gathered up the bones and fell asleep under a
tree nearby. Bah Lud found them and attempted to kill the Bataks with his blow pipe.
He is stopped by his guniq (spirit guide) who advised Bah Lud to take full revenge on
the Bataks by making a fool of them first. Bah Lud invides the Bataks to a feast and
squeezes the juice of the buah perah onto the meat of the sikah (monkey) dish served.
After the feast, the Bataks became dizzy and Bah Lud quickly kills them with his knife.
Bah Lud takes the bones of his wife and child and says an incantation over it. His wife
and child’s life are restored. In the following section, we will provide the rational for
our decisions to include or leave out specific parts of the original story.

Rational for Inclusion

In Bah Lud and the Seven Bataks, the Bataks are illustrated as monster-like antagonists
that stimulate fear in the story. The descriptive act of killing, dramatized by the storyteller
through gestures and movements, are important sections in the story that evoke tension
and excitement. The act of “cutting, slicing of humans, and sprinkling with salt” may
appear violent and gruesome, but it has basis on historical truth. A similar description
was documented by Marco Polo and Stamford Raffles among the Bataks of Sumatera.
This act known as “ritual cannibalism” was practiced to strengthen the eater’s “life-
soul” (Barley, 1992, p.112; Pole, Yule & Cordier, 1993). There are dilemmas whether
to include fear or violence in children’s stories. Some believe that fear and violence
in folktales may influence children to emulate it, thus bring harm to them. On the
other hand, there is also supportive evidence from sociologists and educators that

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learning of fear and violence will educate children on issues of safety and ways to
manage themselves in society. The use of folktales or folklores in educating children
today is controversial because of the “disparities of societal difference between those
firmly entrenched in beliefs of righteousness and others who believe no harm is done
by frightening children with folklore” (Boudinot, 2005). In the case of Bah Lud and
the Seven Bataks, the gruesome description of killing and savouring raw human meat
instills fears of being captured and killed. During the 18th century, slave raiders believed
to be Bataks, Rawas and Mandailings from Sumatera did indeed capture many Orang
Asli (indigenous people) and sold them as slaves (Akiya, 2007; Dentan, 2008). Darwin
said that fear aided survival and was a response to dangers or threat in the environment,
such as predators (Kendrick, 1991, p. xii). These predators take the form of giants,
monsters, trolls, ogres, witches, and serve to frighten children away from dangerous
situations.

Oral tales concerning Icelandic elves and trolls no doubt served as warning fables.
They prevented many children from wandering away from human habitations, taught
Iceland’s topographical history, and instilled fear and respect for the harsh powers of
nature.” (Thorvaroardottir, 1999, p. 34)

The fear of the Bataks invoked during storytelling was indeed a measure of safety and
precaution for the villagers.
According to Bettelheim, the meaning and role of folktales on society “carry important
messages to the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious mind, on whatever
level each is functioning at the time,” as well as conveying universal human problems.
Violence or fear in folktales is eventually countered by forces of good. Good and
evil are both present and men have equal choices over which they may choose
(Bettelheims, 1989, pp. 8-9). This is true of Bah Lud and the Bataks in which Bah Lud,
the protagonist and hero, aided by his guniq, a supernatural spirit, is able to triumph
over his antagonists, the Bataks. This story sends out the message that practices of good
virtues will always triumph over evil ones. It serves as a guide for the young people
of today in terms of “living in a pluralistic world and having to adapt to different sets
of values, the ability to formulate one’s own judgment and evaluate critically one’s
environment is more important than ever.” (Daubert, 2004, p. 57)

Modified Version for Children

Taking into consideration the views posited above, we suggest that there are four scenes
in the story of Bah Lud and the Seven Bataks that may be subjected to the scrutiny
and criticism of modern society. First, they are the act of cannibalism—the hanging,
slicing and sprinkling of salt onto dead bodies before consuming them. Second, the
Bataks, are an ethnic group in Sumatera, whose ancestors are historically believed to
be cannibals. Highlighting an existing ethnic group’s history as cannibals may arouse
cultural sensitivity. One of the Batak sub-groups are the Rawas, who make up a small
population of the people in Malaysia today. Third, the resurrection of the dead and
the restoration of the life from the bones of the dead. Lastly, the existence of a guniq,

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 26 / Proceedings of the 2nd Music and Performing Arts (MusPA) Research Colloquium

a spirit guide that assists the Tok Halaq (shamans) in diagnosing cures for sicknesses
among the Orang Asli.
In making decisions on censorship, we are faced with many dilemmas. Many
stories for children have often been violent and cruel. They were aimed to instill fear as
safety and protective measures. If we eliminate features of violence and fear, we may
decontextualize them from the reality of the current media enviroment. They may need
this exposure to survive and contend with current reality and fit in with their peers.
Second, masking historical reality such as war atrocities to avoid intercultural conflicts
may not be the best solution to resolve conflict.
In adapting the story of Bah Lud and the Bataks, we have decided to maintain the
description of the Bataks as monster-like villains that capture and kill human beings.
The existence of antagonistic monsters is common in children’s stories in which
they add drama and intensity. However, we believe it is best to eliminate the act of
cutting, slicing and sprinking salt, due to its gruesome nature. Instead of maintaining
the term “Bataks,” we have decided to reference them as “monsters” to avoid cultural
sensitivity. The act of restoring life through the bones and the existence of the guniq are
maintained as they are both culturally synonymous with the Orang Asli. The existence
of wise spiritual figures which assist the hero or heroine in their quests, for example the
genie in Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, or the wise Maharisi (sage) in the Kelantanese
Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets), are common in children’s stories.

Conclusion

The paper shows the rational for modifying the Semai folktales of Bah Lud for
Malaysian children of the 21st century. It justifies what should potentially be included,
adapted or erased from the original version. It is hoped that these stories will trigger
questions among some children when they grow older. Most folktales read to children
often remain entrenched in their memories. Knowledge of different folktales from a
multicultural Malaysia provides a foundation of knowledge for Malaysians to relate to
each another. It is hoped that multiculturalism in education will enhance cultural ties
and understanding among Malaysians.
The next action in the research will be to lay out all out all scenes of the story
and create dialoques, narration, characters and figures for each scene. Since the aim
of this research is to sustain cultural heritage, we have engaged a Semai writer and
artist to write the dialogues and draw the characters and scenery based on the scenes
and storyline we have created. It is hoped that Semai expressions in verbal and visual
illustrations may be maintained in the dialogues and sceneries. The dialogues will be
translated into English and Bahasa Melayu.

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