“What’s in a name?” says Juliet. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” That was Shakespeare’s romanticism; he didn’t seem to think that names mattered. But they do, and they carry weight, especially for a tourist island like Langkawi. Just as a name defines a person’s identity and individuality, it does the same for places.
Consider the names of some famous nearby destinations. Phuket derives its name from the Malay word "bukit," meaning hill. Pulau Pinang takes its name from areca or pinang, the seed of the betel palm. Thailand’s Tarutao Island, situated north of Langkawi, actually means “Pulau Tertua," or the oldest island in Malay. Farther, Pulau Tioman received its name from Tok Man, or the honorific “Datuk” Osman.
When it comes to Langkawi, the source of its name is harder to figure out. The most popular theory suggests that the word “Lang” derives from the easily spotted eagles known as "helang," while “kawi” refers to a type of stone that is ubiquitous on the island. Delving deeper into traveller reports and scholarly works uncovers many facets of the name Langkawi.
In Sanskrit, “Langka” means beautiful, and “wi” means many. Therefore, Langkawi could mean “many beautiful islands.” It is little wonder that maps drawn in the 16th century often referred to Langkawi as “Langa,” “Lanka,” “Lansura,” or “Langapura,” again pointing to its unbridled beauty. In the same vein, the chronicles of Kedah or “Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa” mentioned "Langkapuri" as the home of the Garuda, Vishnu’s mythical bird.
The famed Chinese envoy, Laksmana (fleet admiral) Cheng-Ho of the 15th-century Ming dynasty, documented “Lung-Ya-Kiao-Yi” or Langkawi on his map. Earlier, in 1349, the navigator Wan Dayuan chronicled his experiences of sailing twice across the Indian Ocean, including Southeast Asian shores. The document "Dao Yi Zhi Lue” or “The Brief Records of Subsidiary Countries of the Yuan Dynasty” also features a description of the island Long-Ya-Pu-Ti (Langkawi), which he noted among 200 ports and nations. Much later, in the 1817 sailing directory by James Horsburgh, the island was referred to as Lancava or the Loucava Group. In 1813, William Milburn wrote condescendingly about “the great Ladda", describing it as "...inhabited by a race of Malays, who are in general great thieves [sic], and commit frequent acts of piracy."
It was our forefathers from Acheh who began cultivating pepper, or "lada," in Langkawi. For them, Pulo Ladda was their preferred moniker for the island. The Acheh Sultanate maintained full control over the pepper regions in Sumatra throughout the 16th century. By 1540, Acheh was recognised as the world’s largest producer of the pepper commodity. However, by the early 17th century, Kedah, particularly Langkawi, had surpassed Acheh as the leading pepper producer. Consequently, in 1619, Sultan Iskandar Muda of Acheh resorted to attacking Langkawi, destroying its pepper vines. The Achehnese aimed to halt the pepper exports from Langkawi, which were competing with their own. By the time the French explorer Augustin de Beaulieu arrived to purchase pepper from Langkawi in August 1621, the island had lost its production capacity. Captain de Beaulieu’s reflections on Langkawi, or “Lancahui” as he referred to it, were recorded in his book “Mémoire d'un voyage aux Indes orientales, 1619-1622.”
As remote as it may be, the island was never entirely free from the geopolitics of the day. In 1642, the Sultan of Kedah consented to the invalid Dutch army recuperating in Langkawi following the siege of Malacca. What a spectacle it must have been for an island with a population of 3,000 to nurse 300 ailing European soldiers!
A strategic moment arrived by the turn of the 20th century that saw the growth of German maritime and trade interests in Southeast Asia. The Hamburg-based Behn Meyer & Co., for instance, was already the region’s largest trading company in the second half of the 1800s. To safeguard German commercial interests, the Imperial Navy sought to secure rights for a naval base in the sheltered bays of Langkawi Island from the Kingdom of Siam. Inevitably, such an intention posed a threat to British naval supremacy and political interests. When diplomacy failed, the British launched a military campaign to annex Langkawi and four surrounding provinces. In 1909, the Union Jack was raised over the Langkawi archipelago following the signing of the British-Siam Treaty.
Perhaps the lesser-known names of Langkawi are “Birama Dewa” and “Maha Hairan” islands. Such obscurity is understandable, given that these names are found in the forgotten Malay fiction “Hikayat Nakhoda Muda” or The Tale of a Young Captain from the 19th century. The Hikayat narrates the story of a prince who sailed to Langkawi, vowing never to return until a child is born from his barren wife. Unbeknownst to the prince, the wife followed him to Birama Dewa island, disguised as a young captain. She visits him at night and eventually bears him a child who reconciles them. A similar plot appeared earlier in Shakespeare’s renowned play “All’s Well That Ends Well," whose origins can be traced to the 11th-century Kashmir tale of “Katha Sarit Sagara."
Langkawi today [note: up to the year 2021] attracts nearly 4 million visitors annually. It has established itself as an archipelago of stunning natural beauty, almost rivalling Mauritius, Bali, and the Jeju Islands. With 500 million years of unique geological history to its name, Langkawi holds the distinction of being the first UNESCO Global Geopark in Southeast Asia. The island also offers over 12,000 hotel rooms, ranging from luxury brands and five-star accommodations to budget homestays and motels. In every sense of the word, Langkawi is Malaysia’s tourism powerhouse.
Be that as it may, Langkawi's cultural identity leaves much to be desired. Save for the tale of injustice and the seven-generation curse of the innocent Mahsuri, Langkawi's history, culture, and folklore are insufficiently unearthed and celebrated. This is about to change. Efforts are underway to position Langkawi as a cultural, dance, and arts destination. The signature event, the Langkawi Festival, will feature the cultural wealth of the island and its people for the whole world to enjoy.
Stay home for now. Stay tuned for 2021 for everything Langkawi.
This article first appeared in the online magazine TTR Weekly as "Langkawi: What's in a Name." It has since been removed from the site, and it is republished here for record. [former URL https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2020/04/langkawi-whats-in-a-name/]
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