The Real Hang Tuah, Hang Tiew Too Ah
Hang Tuah, the legend of a 'Malay' hero
"The tomb of Hang Tuah is said to be located about 15 km north of Melaka town via the costal road at a place called Tanjung Keling. Hang Tuah was a local hero who lived during the twilight era of the Melaka Sultanate. His legend tells he was a man of great cunning, absolute loyalty to the Sultan, an expert in the Malay martial arts of 'Silat' and he is said to posses great powers derived from his magical balde or 'kris'. His mystical 'kris' was named the 'Tamingsari' and is said to be crafted from the metals found from a meteor. Legend has it that any person in possession of his 'kris', will be like him, unpenetrable and immune to the cut of any blade. Hence, Hang Tuah was invincible. He was the greatest of the legends of local heroes."
A beautiful story, very popular with the Malays in South East Asia.
He really existed, but the real story is very different from the one described above........
With the fall of Melaka to the Portuguese in 1511, the Sultan traveled about the surrounding territories which was once under the control of Melaka trying to gather forces to recapture his state from the Portuguese. His main point of many of his attacks came from Pahang Sumatra and the Rhio Islands and many campaigns were made by him for the attack of Portuguese control Melaka, but to no avail. He finally died a fugitive in Sumatra around the year 1528.
Continued below.....
Hang Tuah, the legend of a 'Malay' hero
"The tomb of Hang Tuah is said to be located about 15 km north of Melaka town via the costal road at a place called Tanjung Keling. Hang Tuah was a local hero who lived during the twilight era of the Melaka Sultanate. His legend tells he was a man of great cunning, absolute loyalty to the Sultan, an expert in the Malay martial arts of 'Silat' and he is said to posses great powers derived from his magical balde or 'kris'. His mystical 'kris' was named the 'Tamingsari' and is said to be crafted from the metals found from a meteor. Legend has it that any person in possession of his 'kris', will be like him, unpenetrable and immune to the cut of any blade. Hence, Hang Tuah was invincible. He was the greatest of the legends of local heroes."
A beautiful story, very popular with the Malays in South East Asia.
He really existed, but the real story is very different from the one described above........
With the fall of Melaka to the Portuguese in 1511, the Sultan traveled about the surrounding territories which was once under the control of Melaka trying to gather forces to recapture his state from the Portuguese. His main point of many of his attacks came from Pahang Sumatra and the Rhio Islands and many campaigns were made by him for the attack of Portuguese control Melaka, but to no avail. He finally died a fugitive in Sumatra around the year 1528.
Continued below.....
How the real Hang Tuah must have looked. Wearing Ming dynasty clothing and carrying a Chinese 'Liuye dao', 'willow leaf saber' from the same Ming period.
It is unlikely that the tomb of Hang Tuah would be located at Tanjung Keling in Melaka. He would have died somewhere else as he, the Sultan and members of the Melaka government lived in exile after the fall of the State. It is also the consensus of many of the locals who lives in Tanjung Keling (which is also their ancestral homes there). that the tomb that was hastily labeled as Hang Tuah's tomb is actually the tomb of an ancient Indian sea captain. 'Keling' is derived from 'Kalinga', the name of a place in India where the early Indian trader to Melaka came from. Now the word is considered as a very crude way of referring to a person of the Indian race. And this is why the place is known as Tanjung Keling meaning Indian Cape.
More myths about him are told, like the following:
"He was fully decorated admiral of Melaka's naval forces who defended successfully, countless attacks against Malacca sovereignty from Siamese and Achenese fleets, Hang Tuah's outstanding performance as a military officer made him a legend that has graced many a court and the history of Melaka.
Hang Tuah's bravery was discovered during his adolescence when he single handedly arrested a man who had ran amuk in the village called Kampong Duyong. His valiant act caught the Sultan's attention and he was called to the palace and conferred a knighthoods the youngest ever to be knighted."
Another myth:
"There is a well In Kampong Duyong where Hang Tuah was born and spent his childhood among four of his good friends who would later become the famous knights of Melaka.
The well is said to be the abode of his soul which takes the apparition of a white crocodile. For a commoner to catch a glimpse of Hang Tuah is hardly likely. It is said that only the holy among us can ever hope to see the apparition."
The real Hang Tuah, Hang Tiew Too Ah
Hang Tuah came to Melaka as one of the body guards of a Chinese princes who was sent there by the Chinese emperor. He was born in China and his adolescence was spent in China. His real name was Hang Tiew Too Ah, a Chinese name. He was not the only bodyguard, more came with him: Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu.
The reason why this princess was sent to Melaka can be read in the book 'Sejarah Melayu', 'The Malay Annals', which describes the history of the Malay peninsula, Melakan empire, Sultans and Kings.
Hang Tuah's keris 'Taming Sari'
The legend continues:
"His legendary weapon is said to have been a keris. The keris made him invincible and carried the name 'Taming Sari'."
Myths about the keris 'Taming Sari':
1. Taming Sari, classified as keris kuasa or bawar, is made of an alloy of 20 metal composites, some said to come from bolts holding Mecca's Holy Kaabah gates.
2. It was said that Taming Sari could do Hang Tuah's fighting for him - if Hang Tuah was endangered, the keris would leap out of its sheath all by itself, fly through the air and attack the assailant, moving in the air whichever way the assailant dodged or turned, until it hit its mark.
3. The whole of the sampir and batang are covered in gold leaf, making it a keris gabus or keris terapang.
The legendary Taming Sari was said to be thrown by Hang Tuah into the river and was never been found again. It is said that it was found by Tun Mamat for the safekeeping for the sultan.
The Sultan of Perak, Silat Gayong and the keris 'Taming Sari'
Silat Gayong claims to have the keris of Hang Tuah.
In the picture you can see Cikgu Ariffin Mahidin with the legendary keris "Taming Sari ". It is kept by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Perak
So how was the keris found? Where has it been al this time?
Legend has it that the Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mansur Shah, travelled to Java to ask for the hand of Majapahit princess Raden Galoh Chandra Kirana. Hang Tuah, the Sultan's favourite warrior, was part of the entourage of palace officials. But the officials, envious of Hang Tuah, had murder on their minds. They engaged a Javanese warrior, Taming Sari, to do the job but Hang Tuah won the fight. Not only did he kill Taming Sari, but he was also "awarded" with the dead man's kris.
Back in Malacca, Hang Tuah handed the kris to Tun Mamat, with instructions that it was to be given to Sultan Mahmud if he (Hang Tuah) failed to persuade Puteri Gunung Ledang to marry the Sultan.
When the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511, Sultan Mahmud took the kris with him when he fled to Johor-Riau and later to Kampar in Sumatera.
He then gave the kris and other State regalia to his son, Muzaffar, who was later proclaimed the first Sultan of Perak, taking on the name of Sultan Muzaffar Shah in 1528.
This was how apparently Taming Sari ended up in Perak and it was passed on to the Sultan's successors till present day.
It is now kept at the Istana Iskandariah Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar, and can only be handled by the Sultan and the keeper of the palace regalia,
Is there proof that this is indeed Hang Tuah's Taming Sari? It is said that a manuscript dating back more than 300 years, has been found in Terengganu. It describes the weapon in detail. The manuscript has a diagram of a kris, labelled the Taming Sari, which resembles that in the possession of the Perak royal family. Written in Jawi it states: Keris Hang Jebat, sebelah negeri harganya, cerita pengkarang namanya (the kris of Hang Jebat, half a state is the price, author's story is the name). Wan Ahmad Arshad, a collector of artifacts found the manuscript in Terengganu and believes it could prove that the kris was once owned by the legendary Hang Tuah. "Going by a visual comparison, there are similarities between the Taming Sari in Perak and the keris shown in the diagram. This could prove that the keris in Perak is the actual Taming Sari."
Weapons of a Ming dynasty Chinese bodyguard
It is of course possible that Hang Tuah at one point was given a Keris. But compared to the weapons he was trained with in China, a keris would have been a much inferior weapon and not his choice for battle or duel.
During the Ming Dynasty, the sword type known as the pei dao began to become more widespread and used in more popular fashion amongst military units than other Chinese sword types, most notably the jian (generic term for a double-edged Chinese sword, most often used by Chinese nobility). The pei dao had evolved from the ancient Chinese dao, which could refer to any number of swords (or even domestic knives) in the style of a single-edged blade meant for slashing and chopping. Although the jian and some types of daos are more straight in appearance (like a European broadsword), the single-edged blade of the pei dao was more saber-like, used first by the Central Asian Turks who used the saber-style sword since at least the 8th century AD, adopted by the Mongols of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty (1279 -1368 AD), and then continued in practice towards the Chinese reestablishment of control during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The style of the curved, single-edged blade for swords spread to other peoples as well, only with different names, for example, the Persian Shamshir, the Indian tulwar, the Afghani pulwar, the Turkish kilij, the Arabian saif, the Mameluke scimitar, and of course the European saber and cutlass.
The four types of pei dao swords are as follows:
Yanmao dao, or "goose-quill saber." This weapon, similar to the earlier zhibei dao, is largely straight, with a curve appearing at the center of percussion near the blade's tip. This allows for thrusting attacks and overall handling similar to that of the jian, while still preserving much of the dao's strengths in cutting and slashing.
Liuye dao, the "willow leaf saber." The most common form of Chinese saber, this weapon features a moderate curve along the length of the blade. This reduces thrusting ability (though it is still fairly effective at same) while increasing the power of cuts and slashes. This weapon became the standard sidearm for both cavalry and infantry, and is the sort of saber originally used by many schools of martial arts. Perhaps due to that same popularity the name "willow leaf saber" has now become somewhat generic, and is sometimes applied to other forms of dao (such as the niuwei dao, below).
Pian dao, "slashing saber." A deeply curved dao meant for slashing and draw-cutting, this weapon bears a strong resemblance to the shamshir and scimitar. A fairly uncommon weapon, it was generally used in conjunction with a shield.
Niuwei dao, the "oxtail saber." A heavy bladed weapon with a characteristic flaring tip, this is the archetypal "Chinese broadsword" of kung fu movies today. It is first recorded in the early 1800s (the late Qing dynasty) and only as a civilian weapon; there is no record of it being issued to troops, and it does not appear in any listing of official weaponry. Its appearance in movies and modern literature is thus often anachronistic, and it is also sometimes mislabeled as a willow-leaf saber.
These swords of course, can be adapted to the Chinse weapon known as the Guan dao, or pole-sword and polearm in English.
Other names for the guan dao sword are the formal Chinese title of
Yanyue dao (meaning Reclining Moon Blade in Chinese), or it's Japanese version, the naginata.
So who was Hang Tuah?
To cut a long story short:
He was born in China and was 100 percent Chinese. His name was Hang Tiew Too Ah. He was a royal bodyguard so he was a trained warrior and had learned Chinese martial arts. Once in Melaka he and his collegues had a lot of influence on the locals and taught them their fighting skills from China.
They must have brought their own weaponry from China which was far superior to the weapons of the locals. It is possible he received a keris but it is very unlikely that he ever used it, having a proper Ming dynasty sword in his possesion.
It is possible that he adapted some of the local clothing. But changing totally to the local dress is very unlikely as his own clothing was designed for battle by a more experienced and scientific culture. Also, the clothing he is depicted in nowadays is a royal Malay dress style that was invented much later in time.
More myths about him are told, like the following:
"He was fully decorated admiral of Melaka's naval forces who defended successfully, countless attacks against Malacca sovereignty from Siamese and Achenese fleets, Hang Tuah's outstanding performance as a military officer made him a legend that has graced many a court and the history of Melaka.
Hang Tuah's bravery was discovered during his adolescence when he single handedly arrested a man who had ran amuk in the village called Kampong Duyong. His valiant act caught the Sultan's attention and he was called to the palace and conferred a knighthoods the youngest ever to be knighted."
Another myth:
"There is a well In Kampong Duyong where Hang Tuah was born and spent his childhood among four of his good friends who would later become the famous knights of Melaka.
The well is said to be the abode of his soul which takes the apparition of a white crocodile. For a commoner to catch a glimpse of Hang Tuah is hardly likely. It is said that only the holy among us can ever hope to see the apparition."
The real Hang Tuah, Hang Tiew Too Ah
Hang Tuah came to Melaka as one of the body guards of a Chinese princes who was sent there by the Chinese emperor. He was born in China and his adolescence was spent in China. His real name was Hang Tiew Too Ah, a Chinese name. He was not the only bodyguard, more came with him: Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu.
The reason why this princess was sent to Melaka can be read in the book 'Sejarah Melayu', 'The Malay Annals', which describes the history of the Malay peninsula, Melakan empire, Sultans and Kings.
Hang Tuah's keris 'Taming Sari'
The legend continues:
"His legendary weapon is said to have been a keris. The keris made him invincible and carried the name 'Taming Sari'."
Myths about the keris 'Taming Sari':
1. Taming Sari, classified as keris kuasa or bawar, is made of an alloy of 20 metal composites, some said to come from bolts holding Mecca's Holy Kaabah gates.
2. It was said that Taming Sari could do Hang Tuah's fighting for him - if Hang Tuah was endangered, the keris would leap out of its sheath all by itself, fly through the air and attack the assailant, moving in the air whichever way the assailant dodged or turned, until it hit its mark.
3. The whole of the sampir and batang are covered in gold leaf, making it a keris gabus or keris terapang.
The legendary Taming Sari was said to be thrown by Hang Tuah into the river and was never been found again. It is said that it was found by Tun Mamat for the safekeeping for the sultan.
The Sultan of Perak, Silat Gayong and the keris 'Taming Sari'
Silat Gayong claims to have the keris of Hang Tuah.
In the picture you can see Cikgu Ariffin Mahidin with the legendary keris "Taming Sari ". It is kept by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Perak
So how was the keris found? Where has it been al this time?
Legend has it that the Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mansur Shah, travelled to Java to ask for the hand of Majapahit princess Raden Galoh Chandra Kirana. Hang Tuah, the Sultan's favourite warrior, was part of the entourage of palace officials. But the officials, envious of Hang Tuah, had murder on their minds. They engaged a Javanese warrior, Taming Sari, to do the job but Hang Tuah won the fight. Not only did he kill Taming Sari, but he was also "awarded" with the dead man's kris.
Back in Malacca, Hang Tuah handed the kris to Tun Mamat, with instructions that it was to be given to Sultan Mahmud if he (Hang Tuah) failed to persuade Puteri Gunung Ledang to marry the Sultan.
When the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511, Sultan Mahmud took the kris with him when he fled to Johor-Riau and later to Kampar in Sumatera.
He then gave the kris and other State regalia to his son, Muzaffar, who was later proclaimed the first Sultan of Perak, taking on the name of Sultan Muzaffar Shah in 1528.
This was how apparently Taming Sari ended up in Perak and it was passed on to the Sultan's successors till present day.
It is now kept at the Istana Iskandariah Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar, and can only be handled by the Sultan and the keeper of the palace regalia,
Is there proof that this is indeed Hang Tuah's Taming Sari? It is said that a manuscript dating back more than 300 years, has been found in Terengganu. It describes the weapon in detail. The manuscript has a diagram of a kris, labelled the Taming Sari, which resembles that in the possession of the Perak royal family. Written in Jawi it states: Keris Hang Jebat, sebelah negeri harganya, cerita pengkarang namanya (the kris of Hang Jebat, half a state is the price, author's story is the name). Wan Ahmad Arshad, a collector of artifacts found the manuscript in Terengganu and believes it could prove that the kris was once owned by the legendary Hang Tuah. "Going by a visual comparison, there are similarities between the Taming Sari in Perak and the keris shown in the diagram. This could prove that the keris in Perak is the actual Taming Sari."
Weapons of a Ming dynasty Chinese bodyguard
It is of course possible that Hang Tuah at one point was given a Keris. But compared to the weapons he was trained with in China, a keris would have been a much inferior weapon and not his choice for battle or duel.
During the Ming Dynasty, the sword type known as the pei dao began to become more widespread and used in more popular fashion amongst military units than other Chinese sword types, most notably the jian (generic term for a double-edged Chinese sword, most often used by Chinese nobility). The pei dao had evolved from the ancient Chinese dao, which could refer to any number of swords (or even domestic knives) in the style of a single-edged blade meant for slashing and chopping. Although the jian and some types of daos are more straight in appearance (like a European broadsword), the single-edged blade of the pei dao was more saber-like, used first by the Central Asian Turks who used the saber-style sword since at least the 8th century AD, adopted by the Mongols of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty (1279 -1368 AD), and then continued in practice towards the Chinese reestablishment of control during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The style of the curved, single-edged blade for swords spread to other peoples as well, only with different names, for example, the Persian Shamshir, the Indian tulwar, the Afghani pulwar, the Turkish kilij, the Arabian saif, the Mameluke scimitar, and of course the European saber and cutlass.
The four types of pei dao swords are as follows:
Yanmao dao, or "goose-quill saber." This weapon, similar to the earlier zhibei dao, is largely straight, with a curve appearing at the center of percussion near the blade's tip. This allows for thrusting attacks and overall handling similar to that of the jian, while still preserving much of the dao's strengths in cutting and slashing.
Liuye dao, the "willow leaf saber." The most common form of Chinese saber, this weapon features a moderate curve along the length of the blade. This reduces thrusting ability (though it is still fairly effective at same) while increasing the power of cuts and slashes. This weapon became the standard sidearm for both cavalry and infantry, and is the sort of saber originally used by many schools of martial arts. Perhaps due to that same popularity the name "willow leaf saber" has now become somewhat generic, and is sometimes applied to other forms of dao (such as the niuwei dao, below).
Pian dao, "slashing saber." A deeply curved dao meant for slashing and draw-cutting, this weapon bears a strong resemblance to the shamshir and scimitar. A fairly uncommon weapon, it was generally used in conjunction with a shield.
Niuwei dao, the "oxtail saber." A heavy bladed weapon with a characteristic flaring tip, this is the archetypal "Chinese broadsword" of kung fu movies today. It is first recorded in the early 1800s (the late Qing dynasty) and only as a civilian weapon; there is no record of it being issued to troops, and it does not appear in any listing of official weaponry. Its appearance in movies and modern literature is thus often anachronistic, and it is also sometimes mislabeled as a willow-leaf saber.
These swords of course, can be adapted to the Chinse weapon known as the Guan dao, or pole-sword and polearm in English.
Other names for the guan dao sword are the formal Chinese title of
Yanyue dao (meaning Reclining Moon Blade in Chinese), or it's Japanese version, the naginata.
So who was Hang Tuah?
To cut a long story short:
He was born in China and was 100 percent Chinese. His name was Hang Tiew Too Ah. He was a royal bodyguard so he was a trained warrior and had learned Chinese martial arts. Once in Melaka he and his collegues had a lot of influence on the locals and taught them their fighting skills from China.
They must have brought their own weaponry from China which was far superior to the weapons of the locals. It is possible he received a keris but it is very unlikely that he ever used it, having a proper Ming dynasty sword in his possesion.
It is possible that he adapted some of the local clothing. But changing totally to the local dress is very unlikely as his own clothing was designed for battle by a more experienced and scientific culture. Also, the clothing he is depicted in nowadays is a royal Malay dress style that was invented much later in time.
Hang Tuah as a Malay, dressed in royal Malay clothing of a much later period in history. Carying a Malay keris as weapon.
Many of the locals who live in Tanjung Keling say that the tomb that was hastily labeled as Hang Tuah's tomb is actually the tomb of an ancient Indian sea captain
The keris believed to be owned by Hang Tuah which is kept by the Sultan of Perak
Cikgu Ariffin Mahidin with the keris
Liuye dao, the 'willow leaf saber'
Pian dao, the 'slashing saber'
Ming dynasty Chinese guards
Chinese Treasure Fleet
Liuye dao, the 'willow leaf saber'
Hang Tuah's most likely type of weapon considering his position and the time period.
Hang Tuah's most likely type of weapon considering his position and the time period.
Yanmao dao, or 'goose-quill saber'
.