Phra Lak Phra Lam
Encyclopedia
Phra Lak Phra Lam is the national epic of the Lao people, and is adapted from Valmiki's Hindu epic, the 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...

.
Similar to some Malay versions of the Hikayat Seri Rama
Hikayat Seri Rama
Hikayat Seri Rama is the Malay literary adaptation of the Hindu Ramayana epic. The main story remains the same as the original Sanskrit version but some aspects of it were slightly modified to a local context such as the spelling and pronunciation of names...

, the epic has lost the association with Hinduism and is instead considered a Jataka Story, a previous lifetime of the Buddha. It is also very popular in Northeastern Thailand, or Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...

, a region of Thailand mostly populated by ethnic Lao and formerly part of Lanxang.

Names

Phra Lak Phra Lam is named after two principal characters, the brothers Phra Lak, or Lakshaman, and Phra Lam, 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...

. Since Phra Lam is considered the hero, it is believed the altered name was chosen for euphony. Veteran dance performers of Luang Prabang, however, say that Phra Lam comes first in deference to his voluntary assistance of Phra Lam, whose actions were obligatory to his kingship. Since it also considered a Jataka tale, it is referred to as Phra Lam Xadôk (ພຣະລາມຊາດົກ, pʰāʔ láːm sáː dók). It was also called Rammakien (ຣາມມະກຽນ, láːm māʔ kian), but this the name for this other regional varieties in the Ramayana in general.

Introduction to Laos

Lao legends attribute to the introduction of the Phra Lam Xadôk via the first king of Lane Xang, Chao Fa Ngoum, who arrived with his soldiers, artists, dancers, concubines, poets from musicians from Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...

 who would have been familiar with the Reamker. It is more likely that transmission occurred much sooner. Possibly the epic was known to the Tai peoples prior to their migration into Southeast Asia, as what is now Yunnan China was known to Indic civilisation as Gandhara as early as the 200s B.C. What is definitely known is that the Tai tribes settled on the fringes of highly Indianized kingdoms of the Mon and Khmer culture, and adopted much of their Indic learning and knowledge. As these kingdoms receded, the Lao came to venerate the earlier Hindu temples, often decorated with the 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...

 and the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

 motifs, such as Vat Phou
Vat Phou
Vat Phou or Wat Phu is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries...

 in Champassak.

Earlier versions remained somewhat similar to other versions, but by the 18th century, the versions are completely localised. Although Theravada Buddhism was known to the Mekong River Tai tribes as early as the 7th or 8th century B.C., it wasn't until the 14th or 15th centuries that a re-invigorated Theravada Buddhism supplanted earlier animist, Hindu, or Mahayana Buddhist loyalties. This would have also seen introduction of the Dasaratha Jataka, an ancient Buddhist crystallisation of the story. By the 18th century, the manuscripts are completely adapted to Lao culture and Theravada Buddhist religion.

Religious Significance

Although the Hindu nature of the 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 was lost in Laos, it was not completely erased. Indra, Shiva, and Brahma are present in the Phra Lam Xadôk. Lao culture has always been oral and visual, and oral tales were often codified into elaborate dance-dramas by the royal courts. Great influence in dance came from Khmer, Thai, and even Javanese culture, with a slight native flair. In khône and lakhone dance-dramas, the symbolism, costumes, and story are also more attuned to and influenced by Hindu Khmer, Thai, and even Javanese traditions.

Some versions explicitly announce that it is a Jataka tale, while others are generally assumed to be so. Phra Lak and Phra Lam are the epitome of moral leadership, ethics, selflessness, and living true to dharma. Pha Lam is associated with a previous life of Siddartha Gautama, while his cousin Hapmanasouane (Ravanna) is often compared to Buddha's cousin Phra Thevatat
Devadatta
Devadatta was by tradition a Buddhist monk, cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Siddārtha, the Śākyamuni Buddha, and brother of Ānanda, a principal student of the Buddha...

or Buddha's final impasse to enlightenment, Phra Man
Mara
-Social groups:*Mara people, in northeastern India and western Myanmar* Mara language, a language spoken by Mara people*Mara Salvatrucha, a violent criminal gang in Mexico, Central America, Canada, and the United States...

. The parallels include their religious knowledge and generally moral superiority but also their ruin by greed and desire. Hampanasouane as Mara, the personification of worldly desires who tried to tempt the Buddha during meditation, can be seen in both their searches for lust, power, and material gain. The cosmology and some elements are taken from the Tripitaka, such as the greater role of Indra vis-à-vis Shiva, and Indra asking riddles of religion and Buddhist thought to a young Hapmanasouane. Although important, religiously, it is subordinate to the greater and more chronologically recent Jataka tales of Phra Vet and the annals of the lifetime of Siddhartha Gautama.

Animistic elements are not as apparent in the Phra Lak Phra Lam, but it is noteworthy to point out that the scenery takes place along the Mekong River. She is a great goddess and ancestral spirit that is as sacred and quintessentially 'theirs' as the Ganges is to India and a personification of water, bounty, and life. It was also the King of the Nagas that suggested Phra Lam's father move the capital from Maha Thani Si Pan Phao (modern-day Nong Khai
Nong Khai
Nong Khai is a city in North-East Thailand and is the capital of the Nong Khai Province...

, Thailand) across the bank to Chantaboury Sri Sattanak (modern-day Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...

). Like most animistic elements, the Naga is seen in both Buddhist and Hindu-influenced contexts, but worship of nagas predates Indian influence in the region, and are common in folktales of Laos and Isan. A unique version of the Phra Lak Phra Lam, the Khwai Thoraphi focuses very much on Sankhip and Palichane's fight with the water buffalo. It was often read at temple, probably in Buddhism's attempt to replace Lao spirit propitiation ceremonies that involved water buffalo sacrifice.

Influence on Culture and Art

The importance to Lao culture can be seen in how ubiquitous it is. It is a mainstay of dance and drama, song, painting, sculpture, religious texts, and manuscripts. It is also seen in the more common arts, such as classical morlam, folklore, and village dances. Scenes from court dancers were performed on Lao New Year celebrations, and other Buddhist holidays. The texts are commonly read during sermons. And the tales themselves have been deeply interwoven into local folklore, myth, and legend. Sculpture, lacquerware, carvings, and paintings adorn temples and palaces. The chapters have been intricately crafted into song and dance and accompanying music. Through the Buddhist elements, Lao beliefs of morality, karma and re-affirmed. The first half of Lao versions also establish the mythology for the creation of the Lao polities, land features, and waterways, and it serves as a transmission of culture.

Main Characters

Phra Lam, 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...

 (ພຣະລາມ, pʰāʔ láːm)
  • Son of Thattaratha, brother of Phra Lak, husband of Nang Sida.

Phra Lak, Lakshaman (ພຣະລັກ, pʰāʔ lāk)
  • Son of Thattaratha, brother of Phra Lam.

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

 (ນາງສີດາ, náːŋ sǐː daː)
  • Daughter of Thôtsakane and Nang Chanta, incarnation of Nang Souxada.

Thôtsakane or Hapmanasouane, 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...

 (ທົດສະກັນ, tʰōt sáʔ kan; ຮາບມະນາສວນ, hȃːp māʔ naː sŭaːn)
  • Soun of Viloun Ha, incarnation of Thao Loun Lo.

Heavenly Characters

  • Phra In, Indra
    Indra
    ' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...

     (ພຣະອິນ, pʰāʔ ʔìn)
    • Chief of the gods, mentor of Thao Loun Lo.
  • Phra Isouane or Tapboramèsouane, Shiva
    Shiva
    Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

     (ພຣະອີສວນ, pʰāʔ ʔiː sŭaːn; ຕັບບໍຣະເມສວນ, táp bɔː lāʔ méː sŭaːn)
    • A god who falls to the earth and is the first ruler of Inthapatha Maha Nakhone.
  • Phra Phrôm or Phrômmachak, Brahma
    Brahma
    Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...

     (ພຣະພົມ, pʰāʔ pʰóm; ພົມມະຈັກ, pʰóm mā tɕák)
    • Prince of Muong Thoay, father of several lesser wives of Phra Lak and Phra Lam.
  • Nang Souxada (ນາງສຸດຊາດາ, sút sáː daː)
    • Wife of Indra who is defiled by Hapmanasouane and vows to seek vengeance in her next life as Nang Sida.
  • Phra Athit (ພຣະອາທິດ, pʰāʔ ʔàːtʰīt)
    • The sun god, has affair with Nang Khaysi who bears the sons Sanghkip and Palichane.
  • Phagna Khrout Garuda
    Garuda
    The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...

     (ພະຍາຄຸດ, pʰāʔ ɲáː kʰūt)
    • Garuda replaces Jatayu
      Jatayu
      Jatayu could mean:*Jatayu , the bird in the Hindu epic Ramayana.*Jatayu Airlines, an Indonesian airline company.*Jatayu , a character in the Feluda stories by Satyajit Ray....

      .
  • Manikap Uchchaihshravas (ມະນີກາບ, māʔ níː kȁːp)
    • The Pegasus
      Pegasus
      Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...

      -like vahana
      Vahana
      Vāhana denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular deva is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's mount. Upon the partnership between the deva and his vāhana is woven much iconography and mythology...

      , or deity mount, of Indra.
  • Phagna Nak Nagaraja
    Nagaraja
    Nagaraja is a Sanskrit word from naga and raj meaning King of Snakes. It is applied to three main deities, Anantha , Takshak, and Vasuki. Anantha, Vasuki and Takshak are brothers, children of Kashyap and Kadru, who are the parents of all snakes...

     (ພະຍານາກ, pʰāʔ ɲáː nȃːk)
    • King of the Nagas, protector and deity founder of Chao Si Sattanak.

Monkeys

Divine parentage makes these monkeys special. The more formal term for this class of humanoid simians is vanone (ວານອນ, váː nɔ́ːn). Because of this the male ones take the noble title Thao (ທ້າວ, tʰȃːo).
  • Hanoumane or Hounlamane (ຫະນຸມານ, háʔ nū máːn; ຫຸນລະມານ, hŭn lāʔ máːn)
    • Son of Pha Lam and Nang Phéngsi, aids in the search for Nang Sida and the battle with Hampanasouane.
  • Sangkhip 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...

     (ສັງຄີບ, săŋ kʰȋːp)
    • Switches the role of Valmiki's 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...

      , son from the rape of Nang Khaysi by Phra Athit, brother of Palichane.
  • Palichane 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...

     (ພະລີຈັນ, pʰāʔ líː tɕan)
    • Switches the role of Valmiki's 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...

      , sone from the rape of Nang Khaysi by Phra Athit, brother of Sangkhip.
  • Nang Phéngsi (ນາງແພງສີ, náːŋ pʰɛ́ːŋ sǐː)

Textual

Due to the fragile nature of organic matter in hot, humid weather, most of these texts have been mostly lost or destroyed. Nevertheless, several texts have been uncovered at Vat Phra Kèo in Vientiane, Vat Kang Tha in Ban Bo Ô, Ban Naxone Tay, Ban Hom, and Vat Nong Bon, in Laos; Roi Et in Thailand, now housed in Bangkok; and a manuscript of the Vientiane version in Phnom Penh. Of these, only Ban Hom and Ban Naxone Tay have complete versions preserved.

Only two modern printed editions exist. The most noted is Sachchidanda Sahai's version, mostly based on the Vat Phra Kèo version. It was printed in 1973 by the patronage of the Indian Embassy in Vientiane. Vietnamese scholar Vo Thu Tinh also published a 1972 version adapted from the manuscript of Vat Kang Tha, and is depicted at Vat Oup Muong in Vientiane. This version has been criticised for being too simplified.

Sister Texts

In addition to the Phra Lak Phra Lam, other similar stories are known from Laos.
  • Phrômmachak

- A version of the Tai Lu peple, and preserved in Louang Phrabang, Sita is born as Indra's wife Sujata, who is raped by Ravana and reborn as Ravana's daughter on hi slap. Sheldon I Pollock
  • Kuay Toraphi
  • Langka Noy

External links

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