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"The Reamker" Toni Shapiro-Phim
Stone reliefs on Cambodia's temples from as far back
as the 10th century depict scenes from the epic
narrative of Indian origin, the Ramayana. Statues of
the poem's heroes were worshipped in temple
sanctuaries. While the Ramayana has been an important
epic in India for at least two thousand years, the
literay text of the Khmer adaptation of the Ramayana,
the Reamker, dates to the 16th or 17th century. The
story centers on Rama (Preah Ream, in Khmer), a prince
who was exiled to the forest, through no fault of his
own, for fourteen years. Following many adventures,
including the abduction of his wife Sita (Neang Seda)
by the evil giant Ravana (Reap), and her eventual
rescue with the help of an army of monkeys guided by
Hanuman, Rama returns home in triumph and claims his
throne. Though the general storyline of the Ramayana
was conserved in Cambodia, the Khmer text contains
episodes and innovations unique to Cambodian and other
Southeast Asian cultures. An example of a story that
does not appear in Indian texts and performance is
that of the encounter between Hanuman, the monkey
general, and Sovann Maccha, the mermaid, a favorite of
Cambodian audiences.
In the Reamker, issues of trust, loyalty, love, and
revenge are played out in dramatic encounters between
princes and giants, monkeys and mermaids, and a
forlorn princess. Indeed, 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. The
complex interplay of strengths (bravery, foresight)
and weaknesses (distrust, trickery) --though couched
in episodes lined with magic -- none the less
represents aspects of decidedly human social behavior.
The Reamker serves as an inspiration for various
genres of performance in Cambodia. Classical
dance-drama, all-male masked dance-drama, and shadow
puppet plays all include episodes in their repertoire.
The Reamker is traditionally the only story performed
by all-male masked dance-drama and large shadow puppet
play troupes, though each focuses on different
episodes. Thematically, however, there is, of course,
considerable overlap.
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