Some folk stories are amusing, while others are gloomy, even frightening. On the other hand, Malaysian tales can be juicy and a little bit twisted. Here are two fascinating Malaysian folk stories:
The Malaysian Legend of Mahsuri -a woman wronged: The legend is set on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. The narrative begins with Mahsuri, a beautiful maiden who lived almost 400 years ago. She was the most beautiful woman in Langkawi. Mahsuri won the love of Mat Deris, the son of Langkawi's monarch, and they wedded. Later, he was forced to go to war with Siam. He left his lovely wife to toil; she wondered whether she would ever see her husband again.
Soon she became friends with Deramang, a wandering entertainer. The village didn't take well to her hanging out with the stranger, and suspicions began to circulate. Out of envy, Mahsuri's mother-in-law started the rumors. When Mat Deris' father learned about Mahsuri's supposed"infidelity", he had her executed. No one believed Mahsuri when she protested her innocence. She was chained to a tree and violently stabbed.
Despite all these stabbings, she escaped alive. She was fatigued from the incident, but she knew the locals would not let her leave. She decided to put herself out of her agony. She directed them to the location of the "appropriate killing sword". As a result, they drew the sword and stabbed her to death. Her blood streamed white, indicating her innocence. She cursed the island with her dying breath. Because Siam conquered Langkawi shortly after her death, the gods heeded her curse. The island's king, in an unwise decision, ordered the residents to destroy their rice paddies. It's preferable to trash the food than to let the Siamese consume it. But it didn't matter since he was murdered by the Siamese, and the islanders were soon starving.
Bidasari and the Goldfish: Agaruda, a mythological bird-like monster, narrowly evaded an attack on a king and a pregnant queen. They fled to the forest, and the Queen gave birth near the river not long after. The King noticed a goldfish in the water as his tiny daughter drew her first breath and screamed. He picked up the goldfish since it was so calm, and the baby stopped wailing. When he threw Goldi back into the sea, the princess began sobbing once again. This cycle repeated several times until the king recognized that his daughter, whom they called Bidasari, was-curiously- linked to Goldi.
Goldi was placed in a magnificent golden bowl by the king in order to connect with Bidasari. The royal couple, on the other hand, understood they couldn't keep Bidasari since they had no clue about the perils awaiting them. They threw Bidasari and her companion Goldi onto a float and sent them downstream. Fortunately, some wealthy merchants discovered Bidasari and took her and Goldi in. They moved Goldi out of the bowl to have a better look, and Bidasari stopped breathing. They re-immersed it in the water, and all was okay with the tiny bundle of joy. After 16 years, Bidasari becomes the most beautiful maiden in the kingdom. The queen was a jealous person, and she wanted her beautiful adversary to live in the palace so she could keep an eye on her.
Under the pretext of benevolence and company, she dispatched Bidasari. The queen made her her servant as soon as she came. She was forced to scrub the royal chamber pans while starving. The queen hoped that by forcing Bidasari to perform the lowliest tasks, she would turn ugly. But, of course, it did not occur. The queen made the decision to go in search of Goldi and retain it for herself. Bidasari collapsed on the ground as if dead the moment her spies took the fish. The Queen kept Goldi, but because Bidasari was no longer a threat, she returned her to her parents. Bidasari's parents knew better and built her a house in the heart of the forest in a secluded garden.
The king was out hunting one day when he came upon Bidasari. Goldi escaped at the same moment. Bidasari, who was only playing possum, awoke to see the king the moment Goldi was in the water. She had a lot to say, like anyone who had been sleeping for weeks, and she eagerly recounted to the king the entire story. The king was astounded that his queen would commit such a heinous act. He quickly exiled her and married Bidasari. The two lived happily ever after.