Wall Mural, Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Ancient Cambodian History
Recent archaeological finds indicate that parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited during the second and first millennia BC (before the common era) by a Neolithic hunter and gatherer culture[1] that may have migrated from southeastern China to the Indochinese Peninsula. This area now known as ‘Mainland Southeast Asia’, and previously as Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia lying east of India and south of China, and bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Cultural Inspiration
Throughout Cambodia’s long history, religion has been a major source of cultural inspiration. Over nearly two millennia, Cambodians have developed a unique Khmer belief from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its languages and arts, reached mainland Southeast Asia around the 1st century AD. It is generally believed that seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the Gulf of Thailand and the Pacific en route to trade with China. The Kingdom of Funan was most probably the first Khmer state to benefit from this influx of Indian ideas, and remain strongly evident in modern-day Cambodia.[2]
[1] The Neolithic period, also called ‘New Stone Age’, relates to or denotes the later part of the Stone Age when ground or polished stone weapons and other such implements were in use. It was during this period that farm animals were first domesticated, and agriculture was introduced.
[2] Wikipedia
Photos by Terry Randolph, Travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2004.
Cambodian Culture
The territory of what is now Cambodia first appears in Chinese annals in reference to Funan, a polity noted as the oldest regional Hindu culture. Along with Laos, Thailand and Malaysia, Cambodia was culturally influenced by India and to a lesser extant by China. Cambodian culture retains evidence of these influences in graphic works of art, ethnic performance, and other artistry.
The Reamker
“The Reamker has always been a cornerstone of Cambodian culture, and pagodas have traditionally commissioned artists to paint the epic on their walls…each master painter would draw the story as he had learned it, coloring the illustrations with his own style, which he then passed on to his apprentices. As a result, each village and each pagoda had their own versions. The Reamker tells the story of Rama who, with the help of his brother and the monkey Hanuman, tries to rescue his wife Sita from a 10-head and 20-arm demon. In the Reamker, Rama becomes Preah Ream and his wife Neang Seda. The 12 years it takes him to free her from the island of Langka are filled with battles between supporters of the demon and of Preah Ream.”
“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 different episodes. Thematically, however, there is, of course, considerable overlap.” -Toni Shapiro-Phim.
Knowledge & Perspective
It’s important to understand that subsequent civilizations are founded and advance based on religious, cultural, and social influences and other elements that were exerted by their predecessors. Throughout human history this has been the case and religion, warfare and human subjugation are known to have played a major role, or combined role, in this process. Enquiries made into an increasing number of archeological discoveries and resulting scientific evidence sustainutate this important fact. As more information is revealed it will expand our knowledge base and broadened our perspective that, hopefully, through practiced objectively will eliminate some of those blatantly prejudice views harbored by far too many professional and armchair theorists who claim expertise within a specified genre.
