Buzz
In modern times, the phrase 'run amok' (sometimes spelled 'amuck') is commonly used to describe children causing a mess as they run around. Historically, however, it was more akin to the modern term 'going postal'—referring to someone who loses control and goes on a destructive spree.
One common but incorrect origin of 'run amok' suggests sailors would run a ship aground, literally crashing it into the muck. In truth, the word derives from the Malay term 'amuck' (also spelled 'amuk' or 'amuco'), which refers to 'attacking violently,' 'attacking with uncontrollable rage,' or more specifically, 'homicidal mania.'
Some scholars believe the Malay word may trace back to Indian roots or could be linked to a group of professional assassins in Malabar, known as the Amuco. Another theory is that it comes from the Malay 'amar,' meaning 'fight,' potentially originating from 'Amar-khan,' a type of warrior. Yet another possibility is that 'amuck' comes from the Sanskrit 'amokshya,' meaning 'that cannot be loosed.'
The term 'amok' first appeared in the English language around the 16th century, linked to the people of Malaysia and Java. It was first documented in the 1516 text The Book of Duarte Barbosa: An Account of the Countries Bordering on the Indian Ocean and Their Inhabitants:
Some Javanese people would take to the streets and kill anyone they encountered. These individuals were called Amuco.
The phrase 'run amok' gained some popularity through Captain James Cook in 1772. A quote from Cook’s book reads:
To run amok is to become intoxicated with opium… then leave the house, kill the person or people believed to have wronged the Amock, as well as anyone who tries to stop them… indiscriminately slaughtering villagers and animals in a frenzy.
In Malay culture at the time, some believed that an evil spirit, hantu belia, would possess a person, causing them to run amok, attacking and attempting to kill everyone they met, only to recover later and return to their normal self (if they weren’t killed in the process). Since this behavior was thought to be caused by an evil spirit, punishments for surviving a spree of amok were often lenient or nonexistent, with the person sometimes walking free. However, most of the time, the person would be killed while in the midst of running amok. It’s speculated that this behavior often arose in individuals who had recently experienced significant trauma and were seeking an escape. Sadly, this pattern is still evident today.
