A comparative study of Malay and Chinese trickster tales: Sang kancil, the rabbit and the rat

Abstract

Trickster tales are told not only for amusement but also to convey lessons or morals via their humorous characters and sequence of plots. The characters, the stories and the morals of the stories can be a reflection of the culture and the values of the people in the culture from which the tales originate. Every culture is believed to have its own trickster tales. In Malaysia, unlike the popular Malay trickster tale Sang Kancil, not much is said about Chinese trickster tales, such as The Rabbit and The Rat. This paper juxtaposes the characters and motifs of these trickster tales to negotiate the similarities and linkages between the Chinese and Malay cultures amid striking differences in cultural values and societal norms. The findings not only provide evidence of the heuristic value of the current study but also suggest several directions for future investigations in the study area.