Back to Table of Contents 8
To next Page
Annon: Hikayat Amir Hamzah (15th)
------------------------------------
Taken from: Asian Mythologies by Yves Bonnefoy
Hikayat Amir Hamzah by A. Samad Ahmad
The story of Amir Hamzah (uncle of the Prophet) is very long (one version has 1845 pages) recounts the entire life of the hero, from his birth in Mecca to his apotheosis in the paradise of Allah. Amir Hamzah is presented as a champion of Islam who converts his enemies to the true religion, a second theme in the epic is that he tries to win the hand of the beautiful Mihrnigar. This quest serves as a framework for a series of episodes, of war and gallantry, for while he is waiting the hero has other amorous adventures.
We are concerned with the following episode which also appears in the Arabic 1001 nights and many other epics.
Amir Hamzah was already firmly tied. Then he took a stick struck Amir Hamzah. He was satisfied after one blow, and then the genie went away; and grabbed a young camel, killed and skinned it. Amir Hamzah was then put in the camel's skin, then the skin was sown closed and was carried up the hill and placed in situ. And with destiny Allah Almighty, a Geroda (=Garuda) came flying in the air, it saw the camel skin, and thought it was still alive, then grabbed it and flew away, bringing it to the Pusat Tasik Pauh Janggi (1) to feed its children. The Geroda had a place in the tree, in the center of the sea in a whirlpool the Pusat Tasik Pauh Janggi (1), where he had the nest. Then the camel was brought in it, then she flew back into the air to go in search of prey…..
In the book also appear: Janggi Ishak =horse of Amir Hamzah; Janggi Adi and Janggi Syah Kertas =other horses. Janggi here stands for black.
On the Pao Jengki – Pau Janggi see: Note on Pao Jengki – Pauh Janggi.
(1) Pusat Tasik Pauh Janggi: According to Malay folklore, in the ocean deep, there is a great whirlpool known as the 'Pusat Tasek' or the 'navel of the seas'. At the centre of this whirlpool, there is an enormous tree known as the Pokok Pauh Janggi.