The Legend of the Giant Snake
The Myth of The Langkawi Python (Oular Besar)
You won’t find this myth in too many websites as it has its orogin from a Midshipman from England during the Kedah blockade in 1838 who in turn heard it from his Sumatran born boatswain Jadee. It describes the emergence of Islam in Kedah. It was during the life of the Prophet Mohammad that two Hajis (pilgrims) came to the king’of Kedah’s court.
At the time The King would sacrifice a virgin daughter to the giant python of Langkawi every time he went to war, or whenever a new king came to the throne. The pilgrims converted the king to Islam and persuaded the king to stop the tradition of sacrifice. The python became angry and went on the rampage eating all the cattle on Langkawi and most of the people. The pilgrims moved on to China, but another Arab Sheik stopped by the court and insisted that the king must be unwavering in his faith.
He went to Langkawi with some people from Kedah resolved to defeat the great snake, or die trying. He did his ablutions, prayed, put on his green turban and went out to meet the snake with his Koran balanced on his head. The snake promptly ate him.
Immediately it began to writhe around in agony and its eyes flashed lightning. It then slithered into the mountains and was never seen again. The conversion of the snake reaffirmed everybody’s belief in Islam and the court has been Muslim ever since.
This myth should not necessarily be taken at face value. The first administrator of Kedah state is known in the Kedah annals as Hikayat Marong Mahawangsa. Marong Mahawangsa literally means great snake, dragon dynasty in a combination of early Siamese, Sanskrit and Malay. The Naga or dragon represented the early god of fertility and overseer of the life cycle of agricultural fertility as well. It was also the source of mineral wealth, the longevity of a ruler’s reign’s and disher of diseases. The sacrifice of a virgin to a big snake is also of course glaringly symbolic. Naga worship is also found in parts of tantric Buddhist belief, so this would also represent a victory of the power of Islam over Buddhism as well as good over evil and restraint, over lust.
If we were to imagine a more literal interpretation, the kings of Kedah would pacify the Langkawi pirate sea lords by offering them one of his daughters and in return trade went unhindered. In times of war a daughter was married off to one as a means of ensuring their loyalty. Or perhaps there was just a whopping great snake that was eating people.
You won’t find this myth in too many websites as it has its orogin from a Midshipman from England during the Kedah blockade in 1838 who in turn heard it from his Sumatran born boatswain Jadee. It describes the emergence of Islam in Kedah. It was during the life of the Prophet Mohammad that two Hajis (pilgrims) came to the king’of Kedah’s court.
At the time The King would sacrifice a virgin daughter to the giant python of Langkawi every time he went to war, or whenever a new king came to the throne. The pilgrims converted the king to Islam and persuaded the king to stop the tradition of sacrifice. The python became angry and went on the rampage eating all the cattle on Langkawi and most of the people. The pilgrims moved on to China, but another Arab Sheik stopped by the court and insisted that the king must be unwavering in his faith.
He went to Langkawi with some people from Kedah resolved to defeat the great snake, or die trying. He did his ablutions, prayed, put on his green turban and went out to meet the snake with his Koran balanced on his head. The snake promptly ate him.
Immediately it began to writhe around in agony and its eyes flashed lightning. It then slithered into the mountains and was never seen again. The conversion of the snake reaffirmed everybody’s belief in Islam and the court has been Muslim ever since.
This myth should not necessarily be taken at face value. The first administrator of Kedah state is known in the Kedah annals as Hikayat Marong Mahawangsa. Marong Mahawangsa literally means great snake, dragon dynasty in a combination of early Siamese, Sanskrit and Malay. The Naga or dragon represented the early god of fertility and overseer of the life cycle of agricultural fertility as well. It was also the source of mineral wealth, the longevity of a ruler’s reign’s and disher of diseases. The sacrifice of a virgin to a big snake is also of course glaringly symbolic. Naga worship is also found in parts of tantric Buddhist belief, so this would also represent a victory of the power of Islam over Buddhism as well as good over evil and restraint, over lust.
If we were to imagine a more literal interpretation, the kings of Kedah would pacify the Langkawi pirate sea lords by offering them one of his daughters and in return trade went unhindered. In times of war a daughter was married off to one as a means of ensuring their loyalty. Or perhaps there was just a whopping great snake that was eating people.
