Mak yong

Mak yong (Jawi: مق يوڠ; Thai: มะโย่ง, RTGS: ma yong) is a traditional form of dance-drama from northern Malaysia, particularly the state of Kelantan. It was banned by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party because of its animist and Hindu-Buddhist roots which pre-date Islam in the Asian region by far, but the ban was uplifted in 2019. The late Cik Ning was a leading mak yong performer in the 1980s. In 2005, UNESCO declared mak yong theatre a "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Although most traditional Malay dances were influenced by India, Java, and other parts of Southeast Asia, Mak yong's singing and musical repertoire are unique to the region. Of the major stories performed in Mak yong, most are derived from Kelantan-Patani mythology. Some of those obtained from outside the Malayan-Thai region have now died out elsewhere, such as Anak Raja Gondang, a story originally from the Buddhist Jataka tales but now almost unknown in India. A performance begins by paying respect to the spirits (semah kumpung) with an offering. This is followed by dancing, acting, and improvised dialogues. Stories were presented in a series of three-hour performances over several nights. The lead dancer is called the Pak Yong and dresses like a king. The cast usually includes a queen in second lead, palace girls, and jesters. Traditionally, all performers were female except for the clowns who are always male. ¹

Mak yong was originally a form of folk theatre involving rituals connected with propitiation as well as healing. It is believed to have come into being in the Pattani Kingdom, which is now a province of Thailand. Because it was passed down orally among villagers, mak yong's exact age is uncertain. However, the fact that it is mostly free of outside influence would make it 800 years old at the very least and almost certainly much older. Legend generally credits the dance to a rice spirit called Mak Hiang. Certain observers connected mak yong with the palace, especially in Patani, but there is no evidence for this. It was patronized by all layers of society to pay respect to spirits, give thanks for the harvest, or to cure a person of various illnesses. Mak yong was brought to Kelantan more than 200 years ago. From there, it also spread to Kedah and existed as folk theatre. From the 1920s, some support was given to mak yong in Kelantan and attempts were made to refine it. In 1923, the king's youngest son, Long Abdul Ghaffar, was in favour of mak yong and built a cultural precinct called Kampung Temenggung on his palace grounds to lend his support to the arts. During this time, it became conventional to have a lead female. His death in 1935 was followed by World War II. Mak yong once again became a folk tradition. In the 1970s, an attempt was made to create a refined version of mak yong, supposedly carrying on the efforts of Long Abdul Ghaffar. For this purpose, a group called Seri Temenggong was established under Khatijah Awang. Performances were done in major towns and cities, and mak yong also found a place in academic institutions. The traditional mak yong continued into the 1960s and 1970s but was later impeded by the Islamic revival. ¹

As with many other ancient Malay forms of theatre, mak yong was once used for healing purposes. Healing mak yong is called mak yong mak puteri and involves trance dancing and spirit possession through the use of the traditional healing ritual called main puteri. These healing rituals are still practiced in the villages as well as in some more traditional cities but they are largely frowned upon today. Ritual performances are more elaborate than those staged for entertainment, combining shamanism, feasting the spirits, and dance theatre. It reflects the deep, mystical significance of mak yong's stories and dances and its original aim to serve as a conduit to the spirit world. Ritual performances are enacted for spiritual healing, to pay homage to a teacher and for the graduation of a performer. ¹

In Indonesia, mak yong performance found in Riau and North Sumatra, spread from South Thailand via Singapore. In the Riau Islands, mak yong is performed in Batam and Bintan, by groups from Pulau Panjang, Kecamatan Kijang and Pulau Mantang Arang. ¹

Mak yong was also widely spread in Patani, former Pattani city during the Pattani Kingdom era and it is still being practiced in several locations, such as Yala. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Mak yong”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Mak yong is performing art originating from Malaysia, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 5 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²