''Reamker'' (,

UNGEGN The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) is one of the nine expert groups of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and deals with the national and international standardization of geographical names. ...

: ,

ALA-LC ALA-LC (American Library AssociationLibrary of Congress) is a set of standards for romanization, the representation of text in other writing systems using the Latin script. Applications The system is used to represent bibliographic information by ...

: ; ) is a

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

, based on the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

's Rāmāyana

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

. The name means "Glory of Rama". It is the national epic of Cambodia, along with the less famous version of the '' Trai Bhet''. The earliest mention of this epic's manuscript in Cambodia dates back to the 7th century based on Veal Kantel inscription (K.359). The surviving text of Reamker dates from 16th century. Reamker adapts the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

ideas of the Ramayana to

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

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's repertoire. Like the

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

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

Rāma Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ...

and Queen Sītā. The epic is well known among the

Khmer people The Khmer people (, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: , Romanization of Khmer#ALA-LC Romanization Tables, ALA-LC: ) are an Austroasiatic ethnic group native to Cambodia. They comprise over 95% of Cambodia's population of 17 million.https ...

for its portrayal in Khmer dance theatre, called the ''Lakhon'' ( ), in various festivals across

. 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 (; , "City/Capital of Wat, Temples") is a Buddhism and Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring within the ancient Khmer Empire, Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed ...

and Banteay Srei temples. It is considered an integral part of Cambodian culture. The Reamker differs from the original Rāmāyana in some ways, featuring additional scenes and emphasis on Hanumān and Suvannamaccha. 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, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. 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 Southeast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Australian mainland, which is part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is ...

countries, the

story in

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, '' The Poem 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 Rāma story.

History

The original

arrived to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

from

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

along with

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, but its retelling there suggests

influence. The exact time when was Ramayana introduced to Cambodia is unknown, however, the earliest mentioning of the epic dated to 7th century according to a stone inscription at Veal Kantel, Stueng Treng. Based on the same inscription, the manuscript of this epic already existed in Cambodia as the inscription mentioned the offering of the epic's manuscript to a temple which expressed its importance in Khmer belief. On the other hand, the surviving text of Reamker dated in 16th century. Intricate carvings on the walls of

depict a scene from the

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

's Royal Palace and Wat Bo. The

has been an important epic in India for at least two thousand years, and Reamker is its Khmer adaptation. The Cambodian version includes incidents and details not found in the

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

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

, the monkey general, and Sovanna Maccha, the mermaid, a favorite of Cambodian audiences.Le Reamker
- Description of Ream Ker in French

Literary Text of Reamker

The exact time or when was Ramaya or Reamker text existed in Cambodia is unknown. However, plenty of art works and inscriptions mentioning the epic were made throughout ancient Cambodia (

Funan Funan (; , ; , Chữ Hán: ; ) was the name given by Chinese cartographers, geographers and writers to an ancient Khmer-Mon Indianized state—or, rather a loose network of states ''( Mandala)''—located in Mainland Southeast Asia covering ...

Chenla Chenla or Zhenla ( zh, t=真臘, s=, 真腊, p=Zhēnlà, w=Chen-la; , ; ) is the Chinese designation for the vassal of the kingdom of Funan preceding the Khmer Empire that existed from around the late 6th to the early 9th century in Indochina. ...

, and

Angkor Angkor ( , 'capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura (; ),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-English Dictionary''. Bureau of Special Research in Modern Languages. The Catholic Uni ...

). The earliest evidence regarding the presence of Ramayana text in Cambodia can be found in a 7th-century inscription of Veal Kantel (K.359), where it mentioned the offering of Mahabhrata and Ramayana manuscripts to the temple as well as the daily recitation of the texts. The Khmer version of Ramayana bears the name ''Reamker (Ramakerti)-''literally means "The Glory of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

". Indeed, the story of Rama is present in both art and literature throughout the history of Cambodia. Cambodian Ramayana contains some incidents that could not find in

Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...

's Ramayana. For instance, the episode of the destruction of Rama's causeway connecting Lanka by fishes and the reconstruction of this causeway as portrayed in a lintel of a Khmer temple at Phimai is believed to have emerged from a local development or the imagination of narrator. However, no literary work prior to 15th century has survived but numerous stone inscriptions or epigraphs have been preserved. From 15th century onward, the story of Rama became an impetus in Khmer literature, mainly in the epic genre, whereby the lengthy poems were composed as recitatives for the masked drama called

Khol The ''khol'' is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music ('' bhakti''). It is also known as a ''mridanga'' (<

Poems narrating the story or the fame of Rama, called Reamker or Ramakerti appeared in the middle period of Khmer History. The surviving literary text of Reamker dated back to 16th century. This Reamker text was composed by at least three unknown authors over centuries and divided into two part. The first part was composed between 16th to 17th century. The earliest writing accounts for about a fifth of the first part, covering the main events of the Bālakāṇḍa and Ayodhyakāṇḍa. It continued in the 17th century up to the episode where Ravana assembles the remnants of his army for the last battle with Rama. But the episode concerning Ravan's death, the rescue of Sita and her trial by fire, and the triumphant return to Ayodhya are all missing. The second part of Reamker was composed in 18th century deals specifically with the later history of Rama and Sita. This part includes Sita's second rejection and exile, the birth of their two sons, the meeting again, and Sita's going down to the earth. The Reamker differs from the original

in some ways, featuring additional scenes and emphasis on

and Sovanna Maccha in which this scene occurs during the construction of causeway connecting Lanka. Reamker is also mentioned in another literature called ''L'berk Angkor Wat'' (“The Story of Angkor Wat”) written in 1620 by Khmer author-Pang Tat (or Nak Pang), celebrating the magnificent temple complex of

and describing the bas-reliefs in the temple galleries that portray the Rama story. In 1900s, Ta Krud and Ta Chak were the two old men famous for their remarkable memory and ability to narrate the whole Reamker story orally and beautifully with gesture. In 1920, Ta Chak found voluminous manuscripts of Reamker story on latanier leaves in a pagoda south of Angkor Wat temple during his monk-hood and he learnt to remember the script by heart. In 1969, Ta Chak's oral narration were recorded and his narration lasted 10 days at the rate of five hours per day. However, he died earlier before he could manage to narrate the remaining episodes. Many versions of Reamker are available in Cambodia. Nowadays, Reamker is considered as Cambodian national epic which plays significant role in Cambodian literature and extends to all Cambodian art forms, from sculpture to dance drama, painting and art.

Central plot

The Reamker plot begins with its protagonist, Preah Ream or

, 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, Preah Ream is joined by his beautiful and faithful wife Neang Seda (

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

), whom the prince won from her father by being the only Prince who successfully completed the father's challenge of firing arrows through a spinning wheel with spokes. Preah Leak ( Lakshmana), the younger brother of Preah Ream, is concerned about his older brother and joins Neang Seda. Scene from the Ramayana Royal Palace Cambodia 0549

Scene from the Ramayana Royal Palace Cambodia 0549

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

rakshasi Rākshasa (, , ; ; "preservers") are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Folk religion#Folk Islam, Folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually ...

Surpanakhar ( 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 Surpanakhar thirsting for revenge went to her ten-headed brother Krong Reap (

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

), invincible lord of the island of

Lanka Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks kn ...

. Krong Reap secretly goes to the forest. When he first set eyes on Neang Seda, he was awed by her divine beauty. Krong Reap transforms himself as a golden deer and runs past the party of three. Preah Ream realizes that the deer is not a real deer, however, at Neang Seda's insistence Preah Ream chases it after telling his younger brother to stay and guard his wife. Krong Reap then mimics Preah Ream's voice and calls for his brother to come and save him. Although Preah Leak knows that it is not his brother calling out, he is forced to go at Neang Seda's insistence. However, before he leaves he draws a magical circle around his brother's wife in the dirt that will prevent anything from entering the circle. Krong Reap disguises himself as an old errant and easily tricks Neang Seda's to step outside the circle, after which he abducts her. Preah Ream and Preah Leak return and desperately search for Neang Seda and, in the meantime, they assist the monkey king Sukreep (

Sugriva Sugriva (, ), is a character In the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. He is the younger brother of Vali (Ramayana), Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara kingdom of Kishkindha. He is a son of Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun. As the king ...

) to destroy his rival Pali Thirat ( Vali) and regain his throne. Thanking the two, Sukreep sends the monkey warrior

to aid them in their search.

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

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

to the mainland. While gathering stones,

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

's business. The bridge built, Preah Ream and Krong Reap face each other in combat. However, Krong Reap quickly regenerates and damage done to him or any body part that is cut off. It is not until one of Krong Reap's generals defects and discloses the secret to slaying the demon - an arrow in the belly button. With

's aid, they slay the demon. Preah Ream, victorious in his battles, returns to the capital of Ayuthea and ascends the throne. Preah Ream suspects infidelity as his wife was captive of a very smart and manipulative demon. Trust issues between him and his wife Neang Seda arise after his wife draws a picture of Krong Reap at the insistence of her maid servant (as the demon's true face was said to be the ugliest face there was). Fearing her husband's jealousy, Neang Seda puts the picture under the mattress when she is unexpectedly interrupted. Krong Reap's power extends to the picture and that night spikes grow from it and poke Preah Ream through the mattress. He discovers the picture and believes that it confirms his suspicion that his wife succumbed to Krong Reap's persistent attempts to bed her over the years that she was held prisoner. However, Neang Seda had resisted all Krong Reap's attempts, even that in which Krong Reap transformed himself into her husband. Only his scent had given his disguise away. Preah Ream forces his wife to take the trial of fire to prove she is still pure. Neang Seda passes the test. However, Neang Seda is deeply offended by her husband's lack of trust in her and his lack of belief in her word. She decides to leave and find refuge with

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.Reamker - extensive site on the Reamker
/ref>

Characters

Humans

* Preah Ream , is the main

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the epic. He is believed to be the reincarnation of the

deity

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

and the husband of Neang Seda and the father of two boys. * Neang Seda , 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. * Preah Leak , is the brother of Preah Ream and his aid to fight Krong Reap and rescue Neang Seda.

Mythical beings

* Krong Reap or simply Reap , is the main

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Sopphanakha and captured the beautiful Neang Seda to his island of Langka. *

, pronounced as , 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. * Neang Maccha, is a mermaid princess who tried to spoil

's plans to build a bridge to Langka but fell in love with him instead and bears his son Mudchanu *

is the Monkey King who sent

to assist Preah Ream. * Surpanakhar is the sister of Krong Reap. She failed to seduce Preah Leak and loses her ear and nose as a consequence. * Mahachompoo is the king of the kingdom of Chompoo and helps Preah Ream fight Krong Reap to reclaim Neang Seda with his 18 monkey army * Angkhut is the cousin of

and son of Vali. He helps Preah Ream fight Krong Reap.

External links

រឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍ខ្មែរ និងរ៉ាមគៀនថៃ

Reamker
*The Treasures of Angkor

References

{{Authority control Cambodian literature Performing arts in Cambodia Works based on the Ramayana