Hey guys, some stuff I had on my mind. Couple of months back, a friend lent me a copy of this Manga called "Vagabond" by Inoue Takehiko which recounts the romanticized exploits of Samurai Saint Miyamoto Musashi in awesome fashion. I read up to about volume 7 of the series but my bud took a break from the series. The story, the pace and the setting left quite a bit on my mind. I also read up the AWESOME story of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" which is truly the GREATEST piece of military/political/social Asian literature ever written, also romanticizing some of the key figures of China's Three Kingdoms period.
So after some time I decided to do some digging into my own culture. I'm half Malay by the by, from Southeast Asia. As far as wars and Empires go, ours weren't as epic and brutal as the Crusades or the Sengoku-Jidai period of Japan but the Malay kingdom which reached the height of its power was quite possibly the Malaccan Sultanate which often were at loggerheads with the true regional powerhouse which was Siam (modern Thailand). I'm not a deeply dedicated student of my region's history but I do know that Siam, Malacca and some of the Indonesian kingdoms were often at ends with each other over control of the Malay Archipelogo which would eventually fall under Dutch/Portuguse colonialism centuries later.
Anyway, I wanted to do a story about one the Malaccan Sultanate's supposed 5 Champions. The 5 Champions of Malacca were Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu and Hang Lekir. "Hang" (not pronounced as hang as in hanging but rather like "Han" Solo with a "g" at the end) was the title given to them by the Chancellor of the Sultanate.
By all accounts, Tuah is the most famous and apparently the most talented of the 5. He was the Sultan's right hand man and was the wielder of the mighty Keris (Malay Dagger) "Taming Sari" which is the Malay equivalent of Excalibur. In most stories, he is the most upright person of the group, and totally, utterly loyal to the Sultan. However, because of a falling out between the Sultan and Tuah (a woman), the Sultan ordered him killed which caused a rebellion by his best friend Jebat.
Kasturi is the soft-spoken one in the group. Smart and tactful by most accounts. Little is written about him as compared to Tuah and Jebat.
Lekiu and Lekir were twins. Like Kasturi, despite their fame in the olden days, more modern accounts places them sadly, as background characters.
Which leads me to the character of my interest: Jebat. In most stories, Jebat and Tuah were friends but with distinctively different attitudes. Tuah was stoic and serious while Jebat was wild and unruly. Tuah had the ability to command while Jebat preferred leading the charge without a plan. Jebat was a bit of a playboy till his wife tamed him but Tuah (according to some accounts) was a bit of the Philanderer. One thing which is consistant: Tuah was loyal to his Sultan but Jebat, for all his faults was utterly loyal to his friends.
Now, with the background info all done, here's my idea:
Anjing
Anjing (Malay for "Dog") is a ficticious story of the life of one of the Malay World's most well-known Anti-heroes: Hang Jebat, romanticizing his origins, his life from a child to a warrior fighting for his Kingdom against the ever present threat of the Siamese and the Khmer to a rebel fighting for his friend, till his ultimate demise at the hands of his best friend. Since his origins are ridiculously hazy, much creative liberties have been made.
Jebat was born to a poor widow in a desolate fishing village. His father, a unnamed small-time thief had left the boy with the unforgiving scorn of the local people whom had taken to calling him "Anjing" or "Dog" for stealing scraps of fish and chickens for his mother and himself which led to many beatings by the villagers. A tough upbringing also led to him growing up tough, with a great amount of disdain for what Jebat perceived as the "fortunate" ones who had the benefit of three meals a day and sandals on their feet. Growing up, Jebat only had one "friend" which was the bookish Kasturi who's gentle ways made him easy pickings for the local bullies. Despite his attempts to teach Jebat how to read, the other boy would grow up illiterate, seeing no merit in books. His mother would soon pass, leaving him with no connection to his birthplace save his friend Kasturi.
As time passed, Jebat had taught himself how to hunt and fight with a stolen "Parang" (Machete) while watching over his only companion Kasturi. Guru Adi Putra, a Silat Master would come by the village along with his entourage of 3 young students: the twins Lekir and Lekiu, and the strangely quiet yet intense young man called Tuah. Conversing with the Village Chief, Adi Putra agreed to the idea of adopting one of the village's boys to be one of his students. Despite the line-up of burly, tall prospects presented to Adi Putra by hopeful parents, the Master singled out the small, shy Kasturi to be his student after noticing the boy's ability to calculate and read. While happy for his friend, some resentment began to creep into Jebat's mind. On the day Adi Putra prepared to continue his journey with his students, he was rudely called out by Jebat who demanded that he received a chance to "prove himself worthy", much to the disgust of the other villagers who whispered his name scornfully. With his machete, Jebat demanded to face Adi Putra's best student in combat. If he were to win, Adi Putra would accept him as a student. If he were to lose, he would exile himself from the village forever.
Amused, Adi Putra sends out his finest student, Tuah, unarmed. The seemingly emotionless young boy, dressed in fine clothes, unscarred cheeks and a pair of sandals on his feet irks Jebat like nothing else, seeing the complete opposite of him with "everything" handed to him. When the villagers ask the boy if he needs a weapon, Tuah politely declines and states he needs no weapon sending Jebat into an uncontrollable furor. Moments later, Jebat's face is covered in dirt, his body wracked in pain but his mind aware of one crucial thing: he had completely utterly lost. Moved to tears by his failure, Jebat runs off into the Wilderness where he intends to live up to his end of the bargain. Days later, some distance away from home, Jebat encounters Adi Putra, sitting by himself under a tree simplys asks the boy: "What took you so long?"
I really like the setup here, your imagery is flawless, very nice indeed!
Main Characters:
Hang Jebat
Jebat is the best friend to Malacca's greatest warrior, Hang Tuah, whom he also shares a long-time rivalry. Unlike his best friend, Jebat is a crude and somewhat difficult person but his skills as a warrior are legendary and could only be rivalled by Hang Tuah himself. Despite his abilities as a warrior, Jebat's attitude makes him unpopular amongst the Sultanate whom the 5 Champions would later serve. He makes his feelings known about his dislike of royalty and never fears speaking his mind in their presence. In fact, the only "royal" Jebat respects and trust is the Chancellor, Tun Perak. In truth, the Sultanate feared Jebat, the Sultan in particular was never comfortable whenever Jebat was around and sought to be rid of him. Instead of simply dismissing him however, the Sultan would send Jebat to fight his most dangerous wars against the Siamese and the Majapahit in hopes that Jebat would die fighting. Instead, Jebat would return from his exploits, more able than ever. Despite his fiery personality, Jebat would be "tamed" by his wife who was the only person other than Tun Perak and Adi Putra who could talk sense to him. He indulges smoking a pipe bought from the numerous traders that would dock in Malacca's shipyards. Remembering his less than humble beginnings, Jebat would continue to wield a Machete (a commoner's tool) rather than a Keris or a sword.
Very awesome, I can see this as a movie so far. Tony JA!
Hang Kasturi
Jebat's oldest friend and quite possibly, his wisest. Kasturi was the most wll-read of the 5, indulging in books brought to Malacca from China, the Middle-East and as far as Europe. Soft-spoken and cautious, Kasturi followed Jebat on many of his missions against the Siamese and Malacca's other enemies, knowing full well that his friend's temper would be the death of him and that was essentially what his Sultan sought. Serving as Jebat's Strategist and Advisor, Kasturi helped Jebat in many difficult positions and eventually was recommended to the Chancellor as an apprentice by Jebat himself, whom Tun Perak had taken a liking to for his frankness and honesty. Their friendship would be tested however during Jebat's rebellion against the Sultan in which Kasturi chose to be no part of.
Hang Lekiu and Hang Lekir
Identical Twins, a rare sight in most lands, was equally rare in the lands of the Sultanate. As such, Lekiu and Lekir were seen as Omens of either good or bad, depending on who you asked. Growing up, the boys utterly detested each other, each striving to outdo the other in order to be different. When Adi Putra began his quest to find students, Lekiu and Lekir sought to gain his attention by showcasing their proficiencies, Lekiu showing much skill with a bow and Lekir with a spear. Adi Putra decided to teach the both of them, developing individual styles for the both of them. As they grew older, the twins' personalities were as contrasting as ever: Lekiu had grown up to be the talkative skirt chaser while Lekir had become the silent Journeyman Warrior, Lekiu being more partial to Tuah while Lekir firmly behind all-action Jebat. Lekiu, along with Tuah would form the core of the Sultan's Royal Guard whilst Lekir would accompany Jebat and Kasturi on their missions against Siam. This would eventually lead to their face off during Jebat's Rebellion.
Hang Tuah
By nearly all accounts, the romantic hero who could do no wrong, here, Tuah is the most loyal son of Malacca but his loyalty would cost him much. A handsome man, Tuah was admired by many women in the domain and beyond. Many Princesses had long dreamed of the handsome Hang Tuah coming to their courts to wed them. Their fantasies couldn't have been further from the truth. Behind his youthful, calm exterior, Tuah is a hardened warrior who lives for the service of his Sultan. Under his lord's command, Tuah has committed atrocities and spilled blood without hesitation all by his liege's command. And as the greatest warrior of his land, few, close to none could stand against him.With the legendary Keris, "Taming Sari" at his side, Hang Tuah was unbeatable. But his only weakness was one not unfamiliar to men: Women. His desires would eventually drive him to the side of one of the Sultan's favored concubines. Their secret discovered, the Sultan ordered his most loyal Warrior put to death but the men who had long fought under Tuah could not force it upon themselves to commit the deed, thus convincing their beloved commander to hide, imploring him to give up the "Taming Sari". THe men reported Tuah dead, presenting him with the legendary weapon. Jebat, fresh off a campaign against the Sultan's enemies would return to Malacca, ignorant of what had transpired. With the top position of his army now vacant, the Sultan hoped to tame Jebat by giving him Tuah former position, presenting the warrior with Tuah's "Taming Sari" after which Jebat would learn of his friend's supposed death and betrayal by the Sultan he served. This would serve as his rallying call in his Rebellion. Ironically enough, the Sultan, barely escaping the rebels' clutches would seek out the aid of Hang Tuah to stop his old friend. This would lead to their climatic battle. Loyalty to one's lord Vs. Loyalty to one's friends. Jebat would meet his end in Tuah's arms, leaving the Warrior to his shame.
