page_title: Reamker
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Reamker / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Carte postale ancienne éditée par Fleury. The Royal Ballet of Cambodia performs the Reamker (Ramayana).F. Fleury published postcards in China starting in the year 1900. The postcard's exact date is unknown here, but it is suspected to be taken during either King Norodom's reign in Phnom Penh or the early years of King Sisowath's reign. It is more likelier during King Norodom's reign (d. 1904).
context_page_description: Reamker is a Cambodian epic poem, based on the Sanskrit's Ramayana epic. The name means "Glory of Rama". The earliest mention of this epic's manuscript in Cambodia dated back in 7th century based on Veal Kantel inscription. While, the surviving text of Reamker dates from 16th century. Reamker adapts the Hindu ideas to Buddhist 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, it is a philosophical allegory, exploring the ideals of justice and fidelity as embodied by the protagonists, King Rama and Queen Sita. The epic is well known among the Khmer people for its portrayal in Khmer dance theatre, called the L'khaon, in various festivals across Cambodia. 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 and Banteay Srei temples. It is considered an integral part of Cambodian culture.
  The Reamker differs from the original Ramayana in some ways, featuring additional scenes and emphasis on Hanuman and Sovanna Maccha.
context_section_description: The original Ramayana arrived to Southeast Asia from South India along with Hinduism, but its retelling there suggests Buddhist 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 Angkor Wat depict a scene from the Ramayana dating back nearly a millennium. Statues of the poem's heroes were worshiped in temple sanctuaries, akin to the wall paintings at Cambodia's Royal Palace and Wat Bo. The Ramayana 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 Sanskrit original written by the poet Valmiki. 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 Sovanna Maccha, the mermaid, a favorite of Cambodian audiences.
caption: A scene from the Reamker; a battle between Rama and Ravana performed in the courtyard of the Silver Pagoda, c. 1900s~1920s
exif: {}