Mahsuri
Malaysian Legend
Today’s legend takes us to the island of Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia. Although the island is currently a traveler’s paradise, it has a legend that has been carried on for generations. That legend is about a woman named Mahsuri, and it is also a true story.
During the late 18th century, Mahsuri Binti Pandak Mayah, a beautiful young woman, soon found herself the target of scandal and false accusations. Similar to many tales around the world, jealousy was at the heart of it all.
The second child of Phuket Malay Pandak Mayah, and Cik Alang who married around 1798, and born in 1810, Mahsuri was known as one of the most beautiful women on the island. She was also well-known for her kind heart.
During an annual festival, she caught the attention of the village chief, Datuk Seri Perkerma Jaya. Based on information he received about her, he married her to his brother, Wan Yahya, who was a very strong warrior. She was 17. They were to be blessed with a son, named Wan Muhammad Idrus (sometimes referred to as Wan Derus or Mat Derus). In 1830, Wan Yahya joined the war troops in Kedah.
Due to her solitude as her husband was away for so long, she asked her father-in-law if she could return to her hometown in Kampung Mawar. Little did Mahsuri know, but the fondness that Chief Datuk Seri Perkarma Jaya had for her would be the very reason for her death.
The Chief’s wife was quite jealous of the attention that Mahsuri constantly received from the villagers and her husband. Mahsuri’s husband was sent away to battle the Siamese, So Wan Mohra, the Chief’s wife, decided to start a rumor about Mahsuri to her husband. This rumor was that Mahsuri had been unfaithful to her husband while he was away. The villager Derambang was the man she was accused of having an affair with.
Mahsuri’s rhyme according to legend reads, “The fragrance is as fragrant as the cape flower, the heart wants to pluck a rose; longing and revenge are not fulfilled, a little kindness is the antidote.”
Adultery was a very serious crime. Although such a punishment is to be ordered by the Sultan, the Chief sentenced Mahsuri to death without a trial or questioning her guilt. The Chief ordered the villagers to tie Mahsuri to a tree where they stabbed her with a keris.
Miraculously, she continued to stay alive a few more weeks. Knowing she would die, she told the chief that the only way she would die was if they killed her with her family’s special keris. After obtaining the special keris, the Chief stabbed her with it. When he did so, white blood flowed out from within her and birds flocked to cover her body. The villagers took this as a sign that she was truly innocent.
As she drew her last breath, she cursed the land with seven generations of bad luck. After her death, Langkawi suffered many misfortunes for generations to come. They suffered famines and many invasions by the Siamese. It is believed that the curse has finally been lifted as Langkawi has finally begun to prosper again.
The lessons gained from this legend are that:
jealousy and envy cloud one’s judgment;
the white blood from Mahsuri demonstrates how truth will always be revealed, even in times of injustice;
the curse that befell Langkawi reminds us that actions have consequences.
Impact
Locals in the region believe the tale to be true as they have historical records of failed crops after Mahsuri’s death that lasted for decades. Langkawi was attacked by the Siamese many times, the final invasion took place in 1821. The farmers had actually torched their own crops to prevent them from being given to the Siamese after defeat. This field is still known today as Beras Terbakar, which means burnt rice.
"I understand that descendants of Datuk Pekerma Jaya's family go to Mahsuri's grave and hold tahlil majlis there almost every week because they feel regret for what Datuk Pekerma Jaya has done to Mahsuri," he said.
He said, Mahsuri was indeed buried at the location where his grave is now.
"I deny the accusation that Mahsuri was buried elsewhere because Mahsuri is indeed buried at the current location.
"The reconstruction of the tomb was carried out at the suggestion of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra when he was a Langkawi Regional Official around the 1930s," he said. BH Online
Mahsuri’s grave today
In Closing
What do you think of this legend? Do you believe it to be true? Do you find it similar to other legends you may have heard?
Mahsuri’s descendants currently live in Phuket, Thailand. One descendant named Sirintra Yayee ศิรินทรา ยายี, whose Malay name is Wan Aishah Wan Nawawi, still comes to Langkawi to visit Mahsuri’s grave.
References
Guri, C.J. (2014). Langkawi – the legend of Mahsuri. Asian Itinerary. https://asianitinerary.com/langkawi-the-legend-of-mahsuri/
Nor Farhani Che Ad (2020). Mahsuri bukan kisah dongeng (Mahsuri is not a fairy tale). https://www.bharian.com.my/rencana/sastera/2020/05/685659/mahsuri-bukan-kisah-dongeng
Raccuia, K. (2023). Malaysian Legends. Sand in my Curls. https://sandinmycurls.com/malaysian-legends/
Workman, V. (2019). Mahsuri of Langkawi- Truth or Legend? The Island Drum. https://www.theislanddrum.com/mahsuris-tomb-langkawi/