Mural depicting stories of the Reamker in Phnom Penh's Silver Pagoda
This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.
Reamker (Khmer: រាមកេរ្តិ៍, UNGEGN: Réamkértĕ, ALA-LC: Rāmākerti ̊; Khmer pronunciation:[riəmkeː]) is a Cambodian epic poem, based on the Sanskrit's Rāmāyana epic. The name means "Glory of Rama". It is the national epic of Cambodia, along with the less famous version of the Trai Bhet. The earliest mention of this epic's manuscript in Cambodia dates back to the 7th century based on Veal Kantel inscription (K.359).[1][2] The surviving text of Reamker dates from 16th century.[3][4][5] Reamker adapts the Hindu ideas of the Ramayana 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 Rāma and Queen Sītā. The epic is well known among the Khmer people for its portrayal in Khmer dance theatre, called the Lakhon (ល្ខោនlkhaôn), 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 Rāmāyana in some ways, featuring additional scenes and emphasis on Hanumān and Suvannamaccha.[6]
In the Reamker, issues of trust, loyalty, love, and revenge play out in dramatic encounters among princes and giants, monkeys and mermaids, and a forlorn princess. 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 and weaknesses, though couched in episodes lined with magic, nonetheless represents a decidedly human social behavior.
As in other Southeast Asian countries, the Rāma story in Cambodia is not confined to the realm of literature but extends to all Cambodian art forms, from sculpture to dance drama, painting and art. Another epic, The Poem of Angkor Wat (ល្បើកអង្គរវត្តLbaeuk Ângkôr Vôtt), which dates from the beginning of the 17th century, celebrates the magnificent temple complex at Angkor and describes the bas-reliefs in the temple galleries that portray the Rāma story.
^Iyengar, Kodaganallur Ramaswami Srinivasa (2005). Asian Variations in Ramayana: Papers Presented at the International Seminar on 'Variations in Ramayana in Asia : Their Cultural, Social and Anthropological Significance", New Delhi, January 1981. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 9788126018093.
^Marrison, G. E. (January 1989). "Reamker (Rāmakerti), the Cambodian version of the Rāmāyaṇa.* a review article". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 121 (1): 122–129. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00167917. ISSN 2051-2066. S2CID 161831703.
may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script. Reamker (Khmer: រាមកេរ្តិ៍, UNGEGN: Réamkértĕ, ALA-LC: Rāmākerti ̊; Khmer pronunciation:...
can interpret the story of the Reamker by circuambulating the outer galleries. The ancient paintings around the Reamker gallery show the peculiarities...
Shapiro-Phim, Reamker Archived 29 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Cambodian Version of Ramayana, Asia Society Marrison, G. E (1989). "Reamker (Rāmakerti)...
and Sovann Maccha during the construction of the causeway to Lanka in Reamker, a Cambodian version of Indian epic Ramayana. One of the earliest records...
of the Khmer Rouge. The Reamker (Rama's legacy) is the Cambodian version of the Ramayana, the famous Indian epic. The Reamker comes in rhymed verses and...
languages, besides Buddhist, and Jain adaptations. There are also Cambodian (Reamker), Indonesian, Filipino, Thai (Ramakien), Lao, Burmese, Nepali, Maldivian...
the country. The Reamker (Khmer: រាមកេរ្តិ៍, "Rama's Fame") is the Cambodian version of the Ramayana, the famous Indian epic. The Reamker is composed in...
of the Khmer empire, most of the people were likely to read and see the Reamker at the Angkor Wat carving on the first floor as well. The origin of sompot...
Bossabok higher at the back) and the beautiful ceiling frescoes of the Reamker. To the north of the thrones stands the statue of His Majesty King Sisowath...
tribute, invocation or to enact traditional stories and epic poems such as Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. Known formally as Robam Preah Reach...
Khmer version of the Hindu epic Ramayana, different again from the Khmer Reamker. The Trai Bhet is an important part of the Khmer literary canon, though...
17th-century Malayalam language Adhyathmaramayanam Kilippattu, the Khmer Reamker, the Old Javanese Kakawin Ramayana, and the Thai Ramakien, the Lao Phra...
perfect human being. Among the Buddhist Ramayanas are: Vessantarajataka, Reamker, Ramakien, Phra Lak Phra Lam, Hikayat Seri Rama, etc. There also exists...
Virginia Ream, the name of Rama in the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the Reamker Ream National Park, a national park in Cambodia Ream Naval Base, Sihanoukville...
and describes the bas-reliefs in the temple galleries that portray the Reamker. The Poem of Angkor Wat is considered to be the earliest original literary...
Cambodia. Thiounn worked a major bilingual illustrated history of the Reamker based on his previous work in the Silver Pagoda, but his work was never...
Ramayana in Indonesia (Java and Bali), Ramakien dance in Thailand, and Reamker dance in Cambodia. In Indonesia, Ramayana mainly can be found in two major...
attainment of Enlightenment. There are also murals depicting stories from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. The newer murals in the bottom tiers...
Cravath romanizes this term as kré. In this photo of the Reamker File:Cambodian dance Reamker.png, parts of the krae can be seen behind the main group...
Indian epic Ramayana. Ramayana reached Laos much later than Cambodia (Reamker) and Thailand (Ramakien) which caused the loss of its original Hindu influence...
to Hinduism. Which only plays for the divinities of divisions, such as Reamker and some other things." Later, there was a Giant with Hanuman statue iconic...
comparative literature found that Cambodia's current version of Ramayana (Reamker) was translated directly from the Thai source, stanza by stanza. The Cambodian...
of the ancient style"), a term that distanced it from its royal legacy. Reamker (Ramayana) Robam Apsara (Apsara Dance) Robam Tep Monorom (Dance of Heavenly...
16th centuries. The earliest written extant literature consists of the Reamker (Cambodian Rāmayāna), and Chbab (Codes of Conduct). Many Khmer writers...
Prakashan. p. 135. ISBN 978-81-7154-189-8. Retrieved 24 July 2012. Le Reamker – Description of Ream Ker in French Illes, Judika (2009). The Encyclopedia...
Angkor Village Hotel, with the revival of the royal Angkorian Apsara dance, Reamker (Ramayana), and other Khmer Traditional Dances like Apsara Ballet and the...
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