the malay tale of the pig king

Translated by Heidi Shamsuddin Illustrated by Evi Shelvia

The Malay Tale of the Pig King is an intriguing fairytale set along the lines of Beauty and the Beast. The Malay Tale of the Pig King also resonates with a Chinese ring and tales of ‘Pigsy’ (Zhu Bajie also named Zhu Wuneng) from Wu Cheng’en’s ‘Journey to the West’.

Like many such tales, it is hailed as a story for children, or tales we now consider that are for children, yet adults too can learn a lot from fairystories, especially this cautionary tale about love and appearances.

The British Library has mentioned that “Hikayat Raja Babi, ‘The Story of the Pig King’, is highly unusual in a Malay Muslim milieu, where pigs are regarded as unclean animals staunchly avoided and best ignored. What’s more, this Pig King is described as a paragon of courage and nobility.”

The Malaysian publisher FIXI Retro, in 2015, had renewed interest in the original story by Usup Abdul Kadir which was first published in 1775, and has now lent its support for an English language retelling by Heidi Shamsuddin, Illustrated by Evi Shelvia.

Heidi Shamsuddin has mentioned that ‘The Malay Tale of the Pig King’ was originally written by a merchant from Semarang (now Indonesia) in 1775 as Hikayat Raja Babi. The story begins when a royal couple is cursed to have a child who resembles a pig. Aside from his unusual appearance, The Pig King is a cheeky but brave, strong and kind-hearted person. He goes on several thrilling adventures in order to prove himself -- and also to win the heart of his lady love. Will he succeed?