The Living Legend: The Story of Mahsuri

The theme of this paper is the Langkawi legend of Mahsuri, well known in its many versions. This legend portrays a young Malay lady who was wrongfully accused of adultery and executed in the latter part of the 18th century. As she was stabbed to death, she uttered a seven-generation curse over the islands, which was followed by consecutive wars and crop failures. The colourless blood that flowed from her body was taken as further proof of her innocence. In the 20th century a monument was built on what was assumed to be her gravesite, and a heritage-village was built nearby at a later stage. When Langkawi was targeted for big-scale tourist development in the early 1980s, tourist brochures appeared rendering the legend, but adding sentences like: …seven generations have now lapsed, and - myth or fact - the curse seems lifted as Development is now coming to the islands…. Today the legend is as alive as ever, and finds expression in various types of media, as museums, booklets, dance- and theatre-performances. The portrayal of Mahsuri in these representations deserves some attention, as she is often interpreted and depicted through archetypical images that are commonly known as Madonna or princess. This is however done after first presenting her as wrongfully being perceived by her contemporaries as a whore, another archetype, before she is elevated to her present images. It has also been attempted to research the historical roots of the story. There have been several efforts to show that the lifting of the curse happened exactly seven generations after the execution. The genealogical link to the present-day descendants living in Southern Thailand has also been sought established. Some of them were recently invited to Langkawi, and especially a young girl was given much attention as she was likened with her famous ancestor. At the museum situated close to Mahsuri’s tomb, there are a number of objects on display which are claimed to have possible connections to her. Although I am not in a position to evaluate the result of these endeavours, they constitute interesting ventures in themselves. As we experience increasing processes of globalization in the world, there seem to be a parallel emphasis on the search for local identity. The legend is occasionally also referred to in connection with modern business ventures. The declaration of Langkawi as a tax free zone has been pointed out as a result of the curse now being lifted. In fact, the Chief Minister even warned against political behaviour that worked against the Prime Minister’s efforts to develop Langkawi into an internationally known tourist destination, and said that such behaviour may result in the curse of Mahsuri to reoccur. This paper will thus examine the present status of the legend. My contention is that it plays an important role today through the interpretations and use of it in new contexts. By connecting the present with the past, it provides material for personal and collective identity and acts to legitimise economic and regional development efforts.