In the Malaysian mythology there is a creature by the name of A Bao A Qu is generally accepted as being pronounced Abang Aku, which means my elder brother.  Others, however, assume a different pronunciation and a definition of my mother, but that is not generally accepted.  In this sense, this essay will look not at the linguistic factors, but the story that surrounds the mythological creature whether it is defined as my elder brother or my mother.  The story is the same in either definition and is extremely interesting.

The origin of the A Bao A Qu is found in the Malaysian mythology.  In one version the tower was an inter-dimensional gateway by gods, and the A Bao A Qu was those gods that were caught in this dimension when the gateway closed.  Because it was caught in this world and needed to be able to cross over into its own dimension, it has become attached and dependent on human behavior, beliefs and karma.   

The real myth of the A Bao A Qu takes place after this fall of the gods.  It is only after the A Bao A Qu is invisible and living at the bottom of the Tower of Victory.  It is said this tower was located in the city of Chitor, which was presumably in India at the time.  However, the exact location is not as important as the actions that are associated with the tower.

The myth follows that people would make a pilgrimage to this holy and sacred tower.  It was said that they climbed the tower but only those people pure of hear that had previously achieved Enlightenment would be able to ascend to the very top of the tower.  This is where the entity of the A Bao A Qu comes into the myth.  With each step the person takes up the tower, the A Bao A Qu gains more consciousness, begins to glow in different colors hoping to find itself in the bluish glow of perfection.  It is also said that the many tentacles and body becomes more solid as it follow the person up the stairway of the tower.

The problem is that every human on earth has sinned and is therefore not pure and has not reached Enlightenment, therefore the A Bao A Qu cannot attain its own perfection and reach the top of the tower, and depending on the story, return to its own dimension. It moans and sighs and heads back down the tower still following the human pilgrim.  As it descends it loses it color and its solidity and in the end fades to invisibility and loss of consciousness.  It waits in this limbo until the next person comes to make the climb and in the end continually returns to the bottom of the tower never achieving its own Enlightenment.

It is said that only once has a person reached the top of the tower, but other than this one time no one has been able to attain Enlightenment.  This means that until the next enlightened pure person is born, the A Bao A Qu will remain in this dimension and dependent on humans for its survival and its ability to return home.

References:

Leee, Kit.  Tanah Tujuh :Close Encounters with the Temuan mythos/Antares. Kuala Lumpur:Silverfishbooks. 2006. Web.

Rose, Carol. “A Bao A Qu.” Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend and Myth.  New York: W. W. Norton & Company.  2000. 62. Print.