We had a launch event at Chiang Mai University on 19 November 2010. We’ve just discovered that videos of the event are on YouTube. Here are the links. It’s mostly in Thai.
Tum Teav is a Cambodian classic. An English translation was published by George Chigas in 2005. There are many, many parallels with KCKP. This is a summary of the plot.
Tum and his friend Pech are young monks. When they go on a journey to sell baskets, a beautiful young girl, Teav, is captivated by Tum’s looks and chanting voice. She gives him her uppercloth. Tum and Pech return to their monastery and ask to disrobe. The abbot divines that Tum is in love so refuses. After pining for some time, Tum disrobes himself.
Meanwhile the governor of the province asks Teav’s mother for the hand of Teav for his son. The mother is keen but Teav refuses. Tum and Pech travel to Teav’s village. Tum and Teav secretly make love.
Tum and Pech are summoned by the king to be palace musicians. They travel home to say goodbye to Tum’s mother and the abbot, and then go to Lovek. The king gives Tum a noble title.
The king sends out search parties to find a concubine. They scour the country and eventually come upon Teav. She is taken by boat to the palace. When she is presented, the king summons Tum to sing. In the song, Tum tells the king that he and Teav are betrothed. The king is angry. He questions Teav who admits she and Tum have been lovers. The king decides to marry Tum and Teav. Continue reading
These stamps were issued for National Children’s Day in January 2011. The cuteness of the drawings is in line with much graphic work targeted at children, and hence not surprising. But what is being shown is baffling.
Stamps issued for National Children's Day 2011
The stamps depict four key characters. Khun Phaen (top left) is shown in the outfit which has become the standard way to depict a soldier in the Siamese past. He is leading his horse, Color of Mist. The background rather beautifully evokes the forest through which Khun Phaen rides Color of Mist in several passages of the tale.
But why are they going up a staircase?
Nowhere in the tale does Color of Mist ascend a staircase. Staircases are not usually found in forests. This particular staircase clearly belongs to a house not a forest path. Where did this idea come from?
Khun Chang (top right) looks chubby and cuddly rather than fat, ugly, smelly, and devious. He is shown at leisure, and the background hints at his house in representations elsewhere. This is the least ambitious but also most understandable of the four.
Phim Philalai (bottom right) is shown in the scene inside Wat Palelai where she is so moved by Novice Kaeo’s recitation of the Mahachat that she removes her uppercloth and presents it as an offering. Khun Chang is shown shadowly loitering in the background, about to copy her offering, which creates an incident.
Phim’s uppercloth is surprisingly voluminous but otherwise the drawing represents the scene well. But what an extraordinary choice of scene for a stamp for Children’s Day! This is the first point in the story where the sexual tension in the plot becomes explicit. The scene takes place inside a wat during a ceremony—in keeping with the transgressive tenor of this part of the plot. Phim’s removal of her uppercloth is just the most obvious element of the sexual symbolism permeating the scene.
Do the people choosing the scenes for these stamps understand the story?
Goldchild (bottom left) is flying through the air like a superhero. But who is his tousle-headed companion, also flying through the air, almost in formation? There is no hint in the tale to associate him with a particular companion (like Khun Phaen with Color of Mist). He often appears with crowds of other spirits, but generally spirits are not depicted as tousle-headed ladies. Has Medusa wandered into the story? Where in the tale does Goldchild have a playmate or a girlfriend?
In chapter 27, Khun Phaen is released after over a decade in jail so he can accompany his son to attack Chiang Mai. He declines the king’s offer to recruit an army, and instead asks for thirty-five of his fellow convicts to accompany him. In the older versions (Smith/Wat Ko), the king orders their release as if that is the normal way you man an army. The roll call that follows (in all versions, with slight variations) is rightly famous. Try reading it aloud.
An officer was sent to secure their release. The convicts were brought over and drawn up for inspection and roll call in front of Khun Phaen. Each gave testimony on his background in turn.
“My name is Ai-Phuk from Luk-kae. My wife’s name is I-Tae, sir. I was convicted for robbery, forcing the victims to dance a forest dance, and making I-Ma dance naked single-handed.”
“Next!” “Ai-Mi from Ban Yilon, wife’s name I-Phon. I robbed Ta-Khiao, and stabbed I-Chang while she was pissing. She grimaced and fell down flat, slobbering.”
“Next!” “Ai-Pan from Ban Chi-hon, wife I-Son. I robbed Bang Plakot, tied Ta-Jai and Granny Rot by the neck, and singed off all their hair.”
“Next!” “Ai-Jan Samphantueng, wife I-Ueng, from Ban Mueang Mai, in the gang that robbed Khun Siwichai and shoved a stick up his arse so he died.”
“Next!” “My name’s Ai-Khong Khrao, wife’s name I-Tao, from Ban Nong Wai. Last year I robbed Ban Bang Phasi, taking buffaloes and property.”
“Next!” “I’m Ai-Siat, wife’s name I-Kongrat, sir. I fell in with some Thai and robbed a Lawa village, then murdered Ta-Pan from Ban Tan-en.”
“Next!” “Ai-Thong from Chong Khwak, husband of I-Mak. I killed a Lao called Thao Sen, crept in to steal an almsbowl and shoulder cloth from a novice, thumped an old monk, and had a wrestle with the abbot.”
“Next!” “Ai-Chang Dam, from Ban Tham. I burgled a tax collector and took all his money and property—good stuff and no small amount, including jewels.”
“Next!” “Ai-Bua Hua Kalok, convicted for robbing Monk Khok at Pak Kret, hitting Ai-Duk with the flat nose, and stabbing Ta-Sai the duck vendor at Ban Tuek Daeng.”
“Next!” “My name’s Ai-Taengmo, wife’s name I-To, from Ban Chumsaeng. I robbed Chi Dak Khanon taking all I could carry, and killed Khun Thipsaeng, owner of the goods.”
“Ai-In Suea Luang from Chainat town, wife’s name I-Pat from Ban Khanai. I’ve robbed and killed about a hundred persons, and stolen countless buffaloes to kill and eat.”
“Ai-Mon Mue-dang from Bang Chalong, wife’s name I-Khong, a northerner. I’ve stolen just about everything including mortars and pestles, and robbed boats.”
“Next!” “Ai-Thong from Nong Fuk, wife’s name I-Duk, daughter of Ta-Jop. In daytime, I kept the house closed like a female spirit, but at dusk went off alone to burgle.”
“Ai-Mak Saklek. I robbed Jek Kua and his slit-eyed wife named I-Sao.” “Next!” “Ai-Kung from Khung Taphao. I stabbed I-Mao’s husband and seized her as my wife.”
“Ai-Song, husband of I-Khong, from Kongkhon. I killed a Mon and stole cloth.” “Next!” “Ai-Krang from Bang Hia. I couldn’t find a wife so I robbed boats.”
“Ai-Kling, husband of I-Klak. I barricaded roads, stole buffaloes to sell, and robbed boats from the north.” “Ai-Phao, husband of I-Phan from Ban Na-kluea. I poisoned Luang Choduek and cleaned out his house.”
“Ai-Jua, husband of I-Prang, from Bang Namchon. I burgled Muen Thon, picking him clean.” “Ai-Maeo, husband of I-Ma, from Tha Kwian. I went to Ban Phitphian to rob and steal.
Under questioning, I put the blame on someone else. Then I took goods from Nang Thong Kramip.” “Next!” “Ai-Man, husband of I-Janthip, from Namdip. I robbed Abbot Phao,
but did not stab him as accused. The sheriff’s examination found it was an old wound.” “Ai-Jan, husband of I-Jan, from Ban Kaphrao. I was convicted of robbing Chinaman Kao and burning his shop.
I fired a gun, hollered, and hit the head of a child with the back of a big machete.” “Next!” “Ai-Sa Noklek, from Khung Thalunglek, husband of I-Di.
I barricaded roads to rob cattle around Khorat, and stabbed Ai-Chua, husband of I-Pat, who fell down in the dirt.” “Ai-Mak Nuat, husband of I-Khuat, from Bang Phli. I was convicted of daylight robbery in Doembang.”
“Ai-Koet Kradukdam, husband of I-Khamdang, convicted of burgling the Department of Elephants with mahout Man, and robbing a forest Lawa. I’m invulnerable with copper testicles and a twisted scrotum.”
The thirty-five pardoned convicts were all daring, strong, invulnerable to sword and spear, capable of withstanding anything.
For their karma, they had been imprisoned a long time. But now the ending of that karma caused a change for the better. Phlai Ngam asked the king for the release of his father, and so all of them were pardoned too.
On 16 August, we appeared on TheBookShow on ABC radio in Australia, recorded in their Melbourne studio with Peter Mares. To listen, follow the link in the Externals panel on the right.
Peter Mares: Welcome to The Book Show on ABC Radio National. Peter Mares with you. Today, discovering an extraordinary work of Thai literature, a classic story of love and war, told and retold over centuries, and now available in English for the first time.
India has the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; China has the Journey to the West (often known in English as Monkey); Japan has the Tale of Genji; and Thailand has the epic Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen.
The story is believed to originate around 1600. In subsequent centuries it was performed in verse by storytellers, expanding in size with the telling and re-telling before being committed to print as one of the first works of Thai literature to appear in book form.
Now, The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen has been translated into English for the first time, by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit.
Chris Baker taught Asian history at Cambridge University and has lived in Thailand for more than 30 years. Pasuk Phongpaichit is professor of economics at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. And they’re both in Australia at the moment, so it’s a pleasure to have them join us on The Book Show on ABC Radio National.
Welcome to you both. Continue reading
We have started editing the Thai text of the Wat Ko edition of KCKP for publication.
After finishing the translation, we decided we should produce a Thai version. KCKP is quite difficult for a Thai reader today because many words are now unknown, many things that appear are unfamiliar, and many concepts have been forgotten. In order to translate we have had to chase down every word and unscramble every line. So we can use our annotations, translation notes, and illustrations to produce a Thai version that is more reader-friendly than the current printed version.
We decided to produce the Wat Ko edition, rather than the standard Prince Damrong edition, for several reasons: the text is unknown today, even to many scholars; it includes a lot of passages that were edited out (mostly on grounds of Victorian morality); and in many ways it is more fun to read. Continue reading
On 11 June, Noppakhun Sudprasert from the College of Dramatic Arts, Mahidol University, gave a sepha recitation at the Jim Thompson Art Center, helped by his colleague, Watit Duriangkul, and a team of three dancers.
Noppakhun Sudprasert and dancers at Jim Thompson Art Center
The performance was in the court style, which stresses the quality of the recitation, rather than the telling of the story. The recitation was from the famous abduction scene, but concentrated on just a handful of stanzas about Khun Phaen and Wanthong mounting the horse, Color of Mist. The recitation was dramatized by three dancers, performing poses adapted from Thai classical dance. At the end of the session, they dancers performed again with a tape of the same extract, played as a musical drama in the style of the late nineteenth century. Continue reading
In oral tradition, where a story is recited for entertainment and passed on by word of mouth, performers constantly adjust the story to give their own slant and to please the audience. When Prince Damrong published a standard edition of KCKP in 1917-18, it froze the sepha version of the story, ending this tradition of constant modification. But, fascinatingly, that only transferred the constant modification into other genres. Novels, plays, films, and skits have continued the tradition. Pradit Prasartthong’s playlet “The Return of Wanthong,” recently performed at the Jim Thompson Art Center, is firmly in this tradition. Continue reading
In old Thai literature, sexual encounters were often described with metaphorical passages known as bot atsajan, translated as “miraculous passages” or “wondrous scenes.”
Nidhi Eoseewong (Pen and Sail, 29–32) claims that in old court literature, these scenes were clunkily explicit (“Gently from above, he presses her blooming lotus/ Her hands grasp the Lord of Men”), and that the metaphorical style came from the folk tradition of repartee loaded with sexual innuendo.
First let’s follow Phlai Kaeo (Khun Phaen). His first encounter with Phim (Wanthong) uses the metaphor of a storm, one of the classics of the genre.
Pushing her down on the pillow, he put his face against hers, whispering softly, rocking her to and fro. Dark clouds gathered in the sky above.
Storm winds hummed and howled. Great clouds, glutted with rain, swirled and swung around the sky. When a first gust of rain broke from the heavens, nothing endured throughout the three worlds. (KCKP, 104)
KCKP has some obscure, scarcely known passages which are a delight.
When Khun Phaen leads the army against Chiang Mai, he recruits a spirit army which drives away the protective spirits of Chiang Mai, allowing the Thai army to enter. That battle appears in the standard edition. But an earlier passage, in which the army is recruited and organized, appears only in the earlier Smith/Wat Ko version. This passage starts conventionally with Khun Phaen summoning up the spirits, but then goes right off the wall.
When Khun Phaen and his son had got dressed, they walked out looking as grand as the bold Lord Majurat going to end the lives of the Lao.
Victory candles were lit to activate the shrine. All around, spirits trembled and called out to one another, even the Lord of Red Ox Cave.
Khun Phaen pronounced a mantra to convoke the deities. Dark storm clouds gathered, obscuring the moon. Villagers lit bonfires, fired guns, and shouted for help,
thinking the moon was in eclipse, not knowing the darkness was caused by mantra. Swarms of spirits from every graveyard came rushing over,
calling out to grandfathers and grandmothers to come along as well. They prostrated rowdily around Khun Phaen who said, “Hey! Will you go to war with us?” Continue reading
