The Fairy Princess of Mount Ophir
The Fairy Princess of Mount Ophir, known as Puteri Gunung Ledang in Malay, is a prominent folktale from Malaysia centered around Sultan Mahmud Shah, the historical ruler of Malacca from 1488 to 1511. Following the death of his wife, the sultan expresses a desire to marry the legendary Princess Gunung Ledang, a figure shrouded in myth and magic. His courtiers send messengers, including notable figures like Tun Mamed and possibly the legendary warrior Hang Tuah, to deliver his proposal. The princess, communicating through her attendant, presents a series of demanding conditions that include the construction of golden and silver bridges, the collection of gnat and moth hearts, a vat of human tears, and a flask of blood. Ultimately, the sultan refuses to fulfill the blood-related demands, leading him to abandon his pursuit.
The tale embodies themes of love, sacrifice, and the supernatural, with various adaptations over time, including films and stage productions. Puteri Gunung Ledang remains a significant cultural story in Malaysia, reflecting historical narratives and local traditions. This folktale is also noted for its connection to the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), a foundational text in Malaysian literature, which has gained international recognition. The enduring appeal of this story highlights its importance in Malaysian cultural heritage and its adaptability in modern storytelling.
The Fairy Princess of Mount Ophir
Author: Traditional
Time Period: 1001 CE–1500 CE
Country or Culture: Malaysia
Genre: Folktale
PLOT SUMMARY
The wife of Sultan Mahmud Shah, who ruled Malacca in contemporary Malaysia from 1488 to 1511, died, and his courtiers, noblemen, and officers implore him to marry again. They propose he choose a new wife from the daughters of local rulers, but Sultan Mahmud exclaims that he will not marry any ordinary princess: “I want to marry one to whom no other Prince can aspire. . . . I want to ask the Princess Gunung Ledang” (Leyden 276).
Sultan Mahmud prepares to send messengers to carry his marriage proposal to the fairy princess. Among the messengers are Admiral Sang Satia and Tun Mamed (Mamat). In some versions, the messengers include the legendary Malay warrior Hang Tuah.
The messengers climb the mountain Gunung Ledang, called Mount Ophir by Westerners. The ascent is difficult, and at “about the middle of the mountain,” Tun Mamed decides to proceed alone with the help of some local men (277). They reach a forest of singing bamboos located so high up in the clouds “that one may touch them” (277). Enchanted, Tun Mamed stops for a while to enjoy his surroundings. Next, he comes upon a magical garden of singing birds and plants. At the center, in a hall made of bones, he encounters an elegant old woman attended by four young women.
Tun Mamed states his mission. The old woman replies that she is Dang Raya Rani, the head attendant of Princess Gunung Ledang. She promises to relay the sultan’s marriage request to the princess. Dang Raya Rani and the four younger women then suddenly vanish.
Next, a very old, bent-down woman appears to state the demands of Princess Gunung Ledang, which are that the sultan has to build two bridges, one of gold and one of silver, from Malacca to Gunung Ledang. He must also provide enough gnat and moth hearts to fill seven platters, “a vat of human tears,” and a vat of betel juice (280). In addition, the sultan must provide one flask of his own blood (this demand is omitted in some versions) and a vial of his son’s blood.
The folktale states that the old woman disappears after stating the demands, and many versions of the tale suggest that the old woman was the princess in disguise.
When Tun Mamed returns and relates the demands to the sultan, the ruler gives up on his marriage quest. He states, “All these requests may be complied with, but the taking of blood is an unpleasant business, and I have no inclination for it at all” (281).
Some versions of the tale continue to tell a background story of the princess. She once married the heroic Malay seafarer Nakhoda Ragam. One day, Ragam tickles his wife, and she stabs him—either accidentally or in anger, depending on the version—with her sewing needle. Ragam dies. His empty boat crashes and its parts form the six islands of Malacca. The princess retires to Mount Ophir, vowing never to marry again, and it is in this state that she receives the sultan’s messengers.
SIGNIFICANCE
Many different versions of the tale of the fairy princess of Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang in Malay) exist in Malaysia, where it is still very popular and is known “Puteri Gunung Ledang.” The tale ties a legendary princess from a local creation myth to the unfortunate marriage quest of the historical sultan of Malacca, Mahmud Shah, and is believed to have been originally commissioned as part of a work titled Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals), which was edited and compiled by the Malaysian grand vizier Tun Sri Lanang in 1612 CE. In 2001, the Sejarah Melayu was accepted in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Memory of the World Program International Register.
The story of the fairy princess of Mount Ophir, as part of the Malay Annals, was published first in English in 1821. In 2013, Malay scholar Sabri Zain compiled a survey of the different traditions and elements of the folktale. Unfortunately, Zain ascribes the wooing of Princess Gunung Ledang to Mahmud Shah’s grandfather, Sultan Mansur Shah, which contradicts the original account.
Historically, it is interesting that the folktale credits Mahmud Shah with such great love for his son, Prince Raja Ahmed, that he will not draw his son’s blood. In reality, Sultan Mahmud Shah lost Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511 CE and killed his son Ahmed in 1513 for failing to recapture Malacca. The folktale seeks to exonerate Mahmud Shah, who would not harm his son for personal reasons, only to kill him for military failure.
In Malaysia, “Puteri Gunung Ledang” has enjoyed enduring popularity and been adapted for film and stage. The 1961 box-office hit Puteri Gunong Ledang stars Elaine Edley as the fairy princess, and Director S. Roomai Noor follows the folktale with some telling differences. The princess appears as her young and beautiful self, and the sultan fulfills the first six conditions; there is no demand for his own blood. He is ready to kill his son in order to obtain his blood, but the sultan gives up on his third attempt. The princess appears to him and scolds him for his cruelty. In the end, the sultan repents and is welcomed by his people.
Malaysian director Saw Teong Hin’s 2004 movie Puteri Gunung Ledang takes further creative liberties. In this film, Tiara Jacquelina as the princess is in love with heroic warrior Hang Tuah. She puts her conditions to the sultan to convince him to leave her alone, but he refuses to give in until the princess appears to him as he is about to kill his son. The sultan curses the princess and Hang Tuah, and the film leaves open the ending of their love affair.
The film served as the basis of Zahim Albakri’s 2006 musical Puteri Gunung Ledang, which starred Tiara Jacquelina in three productions from 2006 to 2009. In the musical, the sultan condemns the princess to live alone on Gunung Ledang forever.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, C. C. Sejarah Melayu; or, Malay Annals. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1970. Print.
Hooker, Virginia Matheson. A Short History of Malaysia. Crow’s Nest, Australia: Allen, 2003. Print.
Leyden, John, trans. Malay Annals. Introd. Thomas S. Raffles. London, 1821. 276–81. Print.
“Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Fairy Princess of Mount Ophir.” Sabrizain.org. Sabri Zain, n.d. Web. 18 June 2013.
Winstedt, Richard. The Malay Magician. London: Routledge, 1951. Print.