Reamker - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Reamker is a Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

n epic poem

Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

, based on the Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

's Ramayana

Ramayana

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...

epic. The name means "Glory of Rama". It adapts the Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

ideas to Buddhist themes and shows the balance of good and evil in the world. More than just a reordering of the epic tale, the Reamker is a mainstay of the royal ballet

Khmer classical dance

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is a form of performing arts established in the royal courts of Cambodia for the purpose of entertainment as well as ceremonial propitiation...

's repertoire. Like the Ramayana

Ramayana

, it is a philosophical allegory, exploring the ideals of justice and fidelity as embodied by the protagonists, Prince Rama

Rama

Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...

and Queen Sita

SITA

SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...

. The epic is well known among the Khmer people

Khmer people

Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...

for its portrayal in Khmer dance theatre, called the Lkhaon, in various festivals across Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

. Scenes from the Reamker are painted on the walls of the Royal Palace in Khmer style, and its predecessor is carved into the walls of the Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...

and Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia. It lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom...

temples. It is considered an integral part of Cambodian culture

Culture of Cambodia

The culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries, and has been heavily influenced by India. Throughout Cambodia's long history, a major source of inspiration was from religion...

.

The Reamker differs from the original Ramayana

Ramayana

in some ways, featuring additional scenes and emphasis on Hanuman

Hanuman

Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...

and Sovanna Maccha

Sovanna Maccha

Suvannamaccha , Sovann Maccha ; Suphanna Matcha , is a daughter of Ravana that appears in the Cambodian and Thai versions of the Ramayana....

.

In the Reamker, issues of trust, loyalty, love, and revenge play out in dramatic encounters among princes and giants, monkeys and mermaids, and a forlorn princess. Though it is understood that Preah Ream is an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, his characteristics and those of the others in the story are interpreted in Cambodia as those of mere mortals, not of the gods as is the case in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The complex interplay of strengths and weaknesses, though couched in episodes lined with magic, nonetheless represents a decidedly human social behavior.

As in other Southeast Asian countries, the Rama

Rama

Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...

story in Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

is not confined to the realm of literature but extends to all Cambodian art forms, from sculpture to dance drama, painting and art. Another epic, Lpoek Angkor Vat (“The Story of Angkor Wat”), which dates from the beginning of the 17th century, celebrates the magnificent temple complex at Angkor and describes the bas-reliefs in the temple galleries that portray the Rama story.

History

The original Ramayana

Ramayana

arrived to Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

from South India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

along with Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

, but its retelling there suggests Buddhist influence. Intricate carvings on the walls of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

depict a scene from the Ramayana

Ramayana

dating back nearly a millennium. Statues of the poem's heroes were worshiped in temple sanctuaries, akin to the wall paintings at Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

's Royal Palace

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...

and Wat Bo. The Ramayana

Ramayana

has been an important epic in India for at least two thousand years, and Reamker is its Khmer adaptation. The Cambodian

Culture of Cambodia

version includes incidents and details not found in the Sanskrit

Sanskrit

original written by the poet Valmiki. An example of a story that does not appear in Indian texts and performance is that of the encounter between Hanuman

Hanuman

, the monkey general, and Sovanna Maccha

Sovanna Maccha

Suvannamaccha , Sovann Maccha ; Suphanna Matcha , is a daughter of Ravana that appears in the Cambodian and Thai versions of the Ramayana....

, the mermaid, a favorite of Cambodian audiences.

Central plot

The Reamker plot begins with its protagonist, Phreah Ream or Rama

Rama

Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...

, being sent into exile by one of the queen mothers who wanted her own son to inherit the throne. After being sent to the forest, Phreah Ram is joined by his beautiful and faithful wife Neang Seda (Sita

SITA

SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...

), whom the prince won in a fighting contest. Praeh Leak (Lakshmana

Lakshmana

Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...

), the younger brother of Phreah Ream, is concerned about his older brother and joins Neang Seda.

While entering the forest, Neang Seda and Preah Leak meet the female rakshasa

Rakshasa

A Rakshasa or alternatively rakshas, is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion...

Sophanakha (Surphanakha) who first attempts to seduce Preah Ream, and then Preah Leak. Preah Leak, annoyed by the demon's action, cuts off her ear and nose. The butchered Sophanakha thirsting for revenge went to her ten-headed brother Krong Reap (Ravana

Ravana

' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...

), invincible lord of the island of Lanka

Lanka

Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...

. Krong Reap secretly goes to the forest. When he first set eyes on Neang Seda, he was awed by her divine beauty. Having tricked Preah Ream and Preah Leak with a ruse, he disguises himself as an old errant and kidnaps Neang Seda. Preah Ream and Preah Leak desperately search for Neang Seda and, in the meantime, they assist the monkey king Sukreep (Sugriva

Sugriva

In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Sugriva , also spelled Sugreeva or Sugreev, was the younger brother of Bali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara or monkey kingdom Kishkindha. Ruma was his wife. He was the son of Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun...

) to destroy his rival Pali Thirat (Vali

Vali

Vali or Wali can refer to:* Váli * Váli* Vali * The Vali tribe, a Sarmatian tribe of Ptolemy* Ferenc A. Váli, Hungarian-born lawyer, author and political analyst* Al-Walee, one of the Names of God in the Qur'an...

) and regain his throne. Thanking the two, Sukreep sends the monkey warrior Hanuman

Hanuman

to aid them in their search. Hanuman

Hanuman

, the son of the wind god, flies out to discover that the demon Krong Reap held Neang Seda prisoner on the island of Lanka

Lanka

Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...

.

Hanuman

Hanuman

order his soldiers to build a bridge of stone to connect the island Lanka

Lanka

Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...

to the mainland. While gathering stones, Hanuman

Hanuman

realizes that mermaids were stealing stones to prevent the construction of the bridge. He was roused by this and decides to capture the mermaid princess Neang Machha but falls deeply in love with her. The mermaid likewise falls in love, and thus her mermaid army ceases to tamper in Hanuman

Hanuman

's business. The bridge built, Preah Ream and Krong Reap faces each other in combat and, with Hanuman

Hanuman

's aid, slay the demon. Preah Ream, victorious in his battles, returns to the capital of Ayuthya and ascends the throne. Trust issues between him and his wife Neang Seda are settled when she passes the trail of fire to prove she is still pure. Afterword, people began to speak out against the queen and she must find refuge with Valmiki

Valmiki

Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...

the wiseman, where she gives birth to twin boys. They met their father and he immediately recognizes who they are and takes them to his palace, he agrees to have Neang Seda by his side once more only if she passes another trial. Neang Seda summons the goddess of earth to testify her chastity, and ultimately passes.

Humans

Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...

, known as Preah Ream preəh riːəm, is the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...

of the epic. He is believed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

ism deity Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

and the husband of Neang Seda and the father to her two boys.
Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...

, known as Neang Seda [niːəɳ seːda], the female protagonist of the epic and wife of Preah Ream. She gives birth to his two children, but fails to meet happiness at the end of the story. In the epic, she endured the trial of fire.
Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...

, known as Preah Leak [preəh leək], is the brother of Preah Ream and his aid to fight Krong Reap and rescue Neang Seda.

Mythical beings

Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...

, known as Krong Reap [kroɳ riːəp] or simply Reap [riːəp], is the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...

of the story. He is the brother of Sopphanakha and captured the beautiful Neang Seda to his island of Langka.
Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...

, pronounced as [haʔnomaːn], is the Monkey Warrior who helps rescues Neang Seda. While building the bridge connecting the island of Langka to the mainland, he fell madly in love with the mermaid Princess Sovanna Maccha.
Sovanna Maccha
Sovanna Maccha
Suvannamaccha , Sovann Maccha ; Suphanna Matcha , is a daughter of Ravana that appears in the Cambodian and Thai versions of the Ramayana....

, known as Neang Maccha, is a mermaid princess who tried to spoil Hanuman's plans to build a bridge to Langka but fell in love with him instead.
Sugriva
Sugriva
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Sugriva , also spelled Sugreeva or Sugreev, was the younger brother of Bali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara or monkey kingdom Kishkindha. Ruma was his wife. He was the son of Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun...

is the Monkey King who sent Hanuman to assist Preah Ream.
Sophanakha is the sister of Krong Reap. She failed to seduce Preah Leak and loses her ear and nose as a consequence.

External links

Le Reamker - Description of Ream Ker in French
The Reamker - an article by Toni Shapiro
Reamker Epic Legend - a forum post
http://www.reamker.x10hosting.com Reamker - extensive site on the Reamker "new address"

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Central plot

Humans

Mythical beings

See also

External links