“He was not of course a critical historian: in his materials fact was mixed with myth and folklore in varying proportions and he was not competent to sift them…. His forte is vivid and picturesque description, the lively presentation of scenes and actions, characters and states of society.” These words were written of Herodotus. That they might well have been written of, the author of the Sějarah Mělayu or Malay Annals, whoever he may have been, is the theme of this article.