The Were-Tiger

By Hugh Clifford

The earliest account of the existence of the were-tiger comes from the Malacca Portuguese records. British Victorian era explorers to Malaya not only recorded stories about the were-tiger but told of several were-tiger villages hidden deep in the jungles of Malaya. These mythical shapeshifters struck fear in rural Malay society as they were able to kill their unsuspecting victims, usually out of vengeance.
Also included is an article published in the Malaya Tribune dated 14 July 1930, entitled The Were-Tiger: A Reminiscence of Pahang, and a biography of Sir Hugh Clifford.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nutmeg Publishing
• Release date: Jun 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463519615

Book preview

THE WERE-TIGER

SIR HUGH CLIFFORD

Published by

Nutmeg Publishing

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Published by:

Nutmeg Publishing

Company No. SA0057587-D

Website : http://www.nutmegpublishing.com

Copyright © 2020 Dennis De Witt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

The contents of this publication are provided without liability. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible for any claims, loss, damages, costs or expenses arising in any way out of or in connection with this publication.

ISBN 9780463519615

Edited by Claudine Sequerah.

Cover and layout design by Nutmeg Publishing.

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CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Page

Quote by Friedrich Nietzsche

Photo of the young Hugh Clifford

Foreword by Dennis De Witt

The Loup Garou

Part 1

Part 2

Quote by Ashlan Gorse Cousteau

The Were-Tiger

A Reminiscence of Pahang

Photo of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Clifford

Sir Hugh Clifford – a Biography

Bibliography

Quote by George Bernard Shaw

Photo of Sir Hugh Charles Clifford in 1929

Map of British Malaya

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Quote by Friedrich Nietzsche

Man is the cruelest animal.

Friedrich Nietzsche

(1844 - 1900)

German philosopher, cultural critic and poet

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Photo of the young Hugh Clifford

Hugh Clifford, shortly after his arrival

in Malaya in 1883.

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Foreword by Dennis De Witt

The earliest European account in Malaysia of a Were-Tiger comes from the Malacca Portuguese records.

In the book entitled ‘Description of Malacca, Meridional India, and Cathay’ Manuel Godinho de Erédia (1563 – 1623) wrote in 1613, about the aborigines (who he referred to as Banuas) living in the forest around Malacca go to the caves at Gunoledam (i.e. Gunung Ledang or Mount Ophir) where they drank a special potion and held communication with the devil. Erédia explained that by using their black arts with a certain formula, the Banuas were able to transform themselves into tigers, and sometimes even other animals such as lizards, crocodiles, birds and fishes.

In this respect, Erédia gives a particular account of an earlier event experienced by the Portuguese Bishop of Malacca, Dom Jorge de S. Lucia. In the year 1560, the people of the town of Malacca were plagued by Were-Tigers.

"During that time in Malacca, there was great injury done to the people when wild Banuas from the interior who changed themselves from men to tiger (known as ‘arymos’, meaning harimau), came by night to the town of Malacca, and killed unresisting children and women. The Bishop wanted to stop this trouble in