Cambodian literature
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Cambodian literature (Khmer: អក្សរសាស្ត្រខ្មែរ, Âksârsastr Khmêr [ʔaʔsɒːsah kʰmaɛ]), also Khmer literature, has a very ancient origin. Like most Southeast Asian national literatures its traditional corpus has two distinct aspects or levels:
- The written literature, mostly restricted to the royal courts or the Buddhist monasteries.
- The oral literature, which is based on local folklore. It is heavily influenced by Buddhism, the predominant religion, as well as by the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Ancient stone inscriptions
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A testimony of the antiquity of the Khmer language are the multitude of epigraphic inscriptions on stone. The first written proof that has allowed the history of the Khmer Empire to be reconstructed are those inscriptions.
These writings on columns, stelae and walls throw light on the royal lineages, religious edicts, territorial conquests and internal organization of the kingdom.
Buddhist texts
Following the stone inscriptions, some of the oldest Khmer documents are translations and commentaries of the
These texts were written with stencils by the monks on sugar palm leaves. They were kept in various monasteries throughout the country and many did not escape the destruction of the Khmer Rouge.
Reamker
The
The current surviving literary text of Reamker, the Khmer version of Indian epic Ramayana dates to 16th century during the middle period in Khmer History. This Cambodian version was composed anonymously by at least three authors over centuries and divided into two parts. In 16th century, about a fifth of the first part was compiled, covering the main events of the Balakanda and Ayodhyakanda.[1]
In the 17th century, it continued with the story up to Ravana's assembling the remnants of his army for the final battle with Rama. The episodes of Ravana's death, the rescue of Sita and her trial by fire, and the triumphant return of Rama and his troops to Ayodhya, are all missing. On the other hand, the second part of Reamker is believed to have been composed in 18th century which relates those events from Uttarakanda which deal specifically with the later history of Rama and Sita: her second rejection and exile, the birth of their two sons, the meeting again, and Sita going down into the earth.[2] Today, various version of Reamker story can be found in Cambodian library.
The Reamker is the oldest form of Cambodian theatre. The Robam Sovan Macha - a certain dance from the Reamker about
Court literature
King Thommaracha II (1629–1634) wrote a poem directed to the Khmer young generation which is still a well loved traditional piece of poetry.
Cambodian nobleman King
Another work by Ang Duong is
Cambodian Royal Chronicles
The Cambodian Royal Chronicles or Cambodian Chronicles (Rajabansavatar or Rapa Ksatr) are a collection of 18th and 19th century historical manuscripts that focus on the time from around the year 1430 to the beginning of the 16th century.[5] There exist around thirty-four copies of chronicles in
Further works are the complete chronicle of Ukana Vansa Sarbejn Nan (or Nan in short), the complete chronicle of Samtec Cauva Vamn Juon (or VJ, or Juon in short), the chronicle of Vatt Kok Kak(KK) and the Ampal Ksatr.[6]
Popular legends
Khmer folklore has a rich and varied oral tradition. There are many popular legends, tales and songs of ancient origin about mythical heroes, heroines and ghosts. These were not put into writing until the 19th and 20th centuries. Before then they had been memorized and told for generations.[7]
Many of these tales borrow features and plots from the Indian epics Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as from the Buddhist
The oral-tradition legends were often extremely long stories in rhyming verses. The heroes were mostly princes and supernatural beings and the scenarios were often connected to the palaces and the monasteries. One important purpose of these legends and stories handed down for centuries was to transmit norms and values. Most stories emphasize the peaceful resolution of conflicts. References to geographical landmarks and the meanings of the names of Cambodian locations were transmitted through the tales.[8]
One of the most representative of these tales was the story of
There are two hills in
Modern literature
The era of
The influence of French-promoted modern school education in Cambodia would produce a generation of novelists in the Khmer language beginning in the early decades of the 20th century. These new writers would write in prose, illustrating themes of average Khmer people, set against scenarios of ordinary Cambodian life.
The clean break with the ancient Indian and Siamese influence was not abrupt. Some of the first modern Cambodian literary works keep the influences of the versified traditional literature, like the 1911 novel Toek Roam Phka Roam (ទឹករាំផ្ការាំ; lit. "Dancing Flower and Dancing Water"), 1915 Tum Teav (ទុំទាវ; lit. "Tum and Teav") by the venerable Som, the 1900 work Bimba bilap (Bimba's Lamentation) by female novelist Sou Seth, or even Dav Ek (ដាវឯក; lit. "Single Sword") by Nou Kan, which appeared in 1942.[13] A New Sun Rises Over the Old Land published in 1962 was the best-seller of the Sangkum era.
The Khmer Rouge years and their aftermath
Between 1975 and 1977, under Democratic Kampuchea, intellectuals were persecuted. Since Cambodian writers were largely from an urban background, they were among the people expelled from the cities in 1975 after the victory of the Khmer Rouge.
During the years that followed Khmer writers were not able to practice their skill. Like all other intellectuals, they were forced to live like peasants, doing rural farmwork and heavy menial chores. Educated people had to hide their condition and many were murdered when Khmer Rouge cadres found out about their former background.[14] As part of Pol Pot's "struggle against superstition", the Buddhist religion, which ran through most of the traditional Cambodian literature, was repressed and Khmer Rouge cadres put a great effort into wiping away Khmer folklore.[15]
The defeat of Pol Pot's regime and the establishment of the
A weight, nevertheless, had been lifted and following the Khmer Rouge years some writers like Pich Tum Krovil began collecting lost works and writing new Khmer poetry. Novelists such as Vatey Seng (The Price We Paid) or Navy Phim (Reflections of A Khmer Soul) wrote frank accounts of their ordeals under Pol Pot rule as part of a healing process that needed expression.[17]
Present-day
Somaly Mam (The Road To Lost Innocence) made a bold denunciation of human sex-trafficking through her experiences.[18] She, and other Cambodian authors that gained international attention were able to make some income through their works or translations in foreign languages. Cambodian writers in Khmer, however, still find it difficult to make ends meet. The Khmer Writers' Association was reestablished again in 1993 by two of its former members in order to help struggling Khmer writers.[19]
See also
- Khmer sastra
- Culture of Cambodia
- Dance in Cambodia
- Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia
- Theatre of Cambodia
- Vessantara Jataka
- Cambodian Royal Chronicles
References
- S2CID 161831703.
- S2CID 161831703.
- ^ Buddhist Institute - Books
- ^ Puthisen Neang Kong Rey Part 8
- ^ "AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY INSCRIPTION FROM ANGKOR WAT - by David P. Chandler" (PDF). Siamese Heritage Protection Program. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- ^ "The royal chronicles of Cambodia (legendary part). French translation, with comparison of different versions, and Introduction". Ecole practice des hautes etudes.. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- ^ A la rencontre des conteurs de légendes du Cambodge
- ISBN 978-1-906098-15-5
- ^ Auguste Pavie, Contes populaires du Cambodge, du Laos et du Siam. Paris: Leroux, 1903.
- ^ "Les Nuits d'Angkor". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
- ^ The mountain of doomed love
- ^ Documentation Center of Cambodia - Tum Teav: A Translation and Analysis of a Cambodian Literary Classic
- ^ Larousse - Literature du Cambodge
- ^ David P. Chandler, A history of Cambodia, Westview Press; Allen & Unwin, Boulder, Sydney, 1992
- ISBN 978-9747100815
- ISBN 2-86537-722-9
- ^ Goodreads
- ^ Cambodia Tales
- ^ Cambodian literature today