Sang Sinxay
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''Sang Sinxay'' ( lo, ສັງສິນໄຊ, also known as ''Sinxay'' or ''Sinsai''), is a Lao
epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...
written by Pang Kham. It tells the story of the hero Sinxay (ສິນໄຊ) who goes on a quest to rescue his aunt Soumountha (ສູມຸນທາ) who was abducted by the demon Nyak Koumphan (ຍັກກູມພັນ). The poem is believed to have been written sometime between the mid-16th and the end of the 17th century in the Lao kingdom of
Lan Xang existed as a unified kingdom from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the ea ...
. ''Sang Sinxay'' is considered one of the three masterpieces of Lao literature. The poem is popular in Laos and in the
Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
region of Thailand, where its scenes are also depicted on numerous temples.


Historical and literary context

''Sang Sinxay'' was written between the reigns of Xetthathirat and Surinyavongsa, thus between the mid-16th and the end of the 17th century. This period was considered to be a golden age of cultural development in Lan Xang, and the arts flourished in
Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
, the Lao capital. Many of the great works of Lao literature were composed during the reign of Surinyavongsa. With his death in 1695, the Kingdom of Lan Xang began a long period of political turmoil. Martin Stuart-Fox, in the ''Historical Dictionary of Laos'', states that epic poems appeared in Lao literature in the late 16th century or in the beginning of the 17th century, and that ''Sang Sinxay'' is the "finest and best known" epic poem composed in this period. The names of the authors of these epic poems are unknown, except for Pang Kham, author of ''Sang Sinxay''. Regarding Pang Kham, there is no other information than the name. Many of these epic poems were written in the style of
jataka tales The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
, with Sinxay, the hero of the poem, considered a ''
Bodhisatta In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
'' (in
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
), or ''Boddhisatva'' (in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
). In his book, ''Theatre in Southeast Asia'', James Brandon underlines the presence of numerous similarities between ''Sang Sinxay'' and the
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
, known as Phra Lak Phra Lam in Laos, without establishing whether one of the poems influenced the other, or if they were both inspired by a same source.


Palm leaf manuscripts and publishing history

Up to the early 20th century, most works of literature in Laos were preserved through continuous copying in the form of
palm-leaf manuscripts Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia reportedly dating back to the 5th century BCE. Their use began in South Asia and sp ...
, traditionally stored in wooden caskets and kept in the libraries of
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monasteries. This was the method of transmission also for ''Sang Sinxay''. The Digital Library of Lao Manuscripts hosts 94 digitized palm leaf manuscripts whose title includes the word ''Sinsai'' (spelling used by the Digital Library of Lao Manuscripts). One of the Sinxay palm-leaf manuscripts was discovered in the Thai National Library in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
by Mahasila Viravong, a Buddhist and Pali scholar who worked there. Viravong had fled Laos when, after the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the French tried to regain control of Laos. He transliterated the palm-leaf manuscript into Lao, and after returning to Laos he published the first edition of ''Sang Sinxay'' in 1949. The second edition was published in 1951. In 1953, Mahasila claimed that ''Sang Sinxay'' was one of three masterpieces of Lao literature, along with Vetsantrasadok and Thao Hung. He published his final edition of ''Sang Sinxay'' in hard cover format in 1969, combining the first two editions into one volume. The poem was reprinted a total of seven times between 1949 and 1983. In the 1980s, Mahasila began translating ''Sang Sinxay'' into modern Lao, hoping that a new prose edition would help future generations understand and enjoy the poem. He died before finishing the translation, which was completed by Outhine Bounyavong, his son-in-law. The new edition, titled ''Sinxay'', was first published in 1991 by Dokked Printing Ltd, which is owned and directed by Douang Deuane Bounyavong, daughter of Mahasila Viravong. In 2009, to commemorate the 450th Anniversary of the founding of Vientiane, Dokked Printing Ltd. published the first commemorative volume of the original ''Sang Sinxay'', the first publication in the publisher’s "Vientiane Heritage Series". The second commemorative volume was printed in 2011. Both volumes contain explanatory notes and definitions to help the reader understand some of the older Lao words and phrases.


Plot summary

Phanya Kousarath is the king of Muang Pengchan, a powerful kingdom. He and his wife, Nang Chanta, are unable to have children. The king’s sister, Soumountha, is abducted by a demon called Nyak Koumphan, ruler of a far-away kingdom of ogres. Phanya Kousarath, after becoming a Buddhist monk, embarks on a journey to find his sister. An abbot at a temple tells him that only someone with a lineage to
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
or
Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes/ref> I ...
would be able to defeat Nyak Koumphan. After being reinstated as king, Phanya Kousarath meets and marries the seven sisters he met on the monks’ morning alms. He asks them to pray to the gods for pregnancy, in order to give birth to an extraordinary child with the power to rescue Soumountha. Nang Chanta and Nang Lun pray together to Indra, who hears their prayers and chooses three of his sons to come down to earth. Nang Lun gives birth to two twins: Sangthong (ສັງທອງ), who has the body of a conch shell, and Sinxay, ( “he who will triumph by his virtues”), who holds a sword, bow and arrows. Nang Chanta gives birth to Siho (ສີໂຫ), a boy with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant, while the other six sisters give birth to normal looking human sons. Lun and Chanta and their sons are banished from the palace because of the babies’ strange appearance. They are left in the forest, where Indra sees their hardships and builds a small palace for them. When Nang Lun returns Sinxay's weapons to him, the young man demonstrates his power by shooting two arrows. The first lands in the kingdom of the khut (garuda in Thai), while the second one lands in the kingdom of the nagas. Both kings lead millions of their followers to Sinxay’s palace, pledging their service to him. Once the six brothers have become young men, Phanya Kousarath sends them on a quest to find the power needed to rescue Soumountha. After getting lost in the forest, they are led by Indra to Sinxay’s palace. Through deception, they convince Sinxay to make all the animals in the forest appear at the palace in Muang Pengchan. They use this to convince their father that they have gained the magical powers they were seeking. The king sends them on a quest to rescue his sister. They end up at Sinxay’s palace again, and trick him into believing he is the one chosen by the king for the quest. The six brothers, Sinxay, Sangthong and Siho leave together, but upon meeting a giant snake the six flee in terror while Siho and Sinxay kill the snake. When they arrive at a river, the six brothers refuse to proceed further. Sinxay leaves Siho to protect them, and sets off to rescue Soumountha along with Sangthong. In his journey, Sinxay meets many obstacles, some of which set on his course by Nyak Koumphan. He also encounters the fabled
Nariphon The Nariphon ( th, นารีผล, from Pali ''nārīphala''), also known as Makkaliphon ( th, มักกะลีผล, from Pali ''makkaliphala''), is a tree in Buddhist mythology which bears fruit in the shape of young female creatures. T ...
tree, jealously guarded by Phanyathone. After enjoying the nariphon and having to fight the phanyathone, Sinxay comes upon Ton Kalapheuk, the mythical Wishing Tree, covered in jewels and hand woven silk textiles. He chooses one textile to keep, along with a set of royal clothes to wear when meeting Soumountha. He also meets a group of ''
kinnari A kinnara is a celestial musician, part human and part bird, who are musically paradigmatic lovers, in Hinduism and Buddhism. In these traditions, the ''kinnaras'' (male) and ''kinnaris'' (female counterpart) are two of the most beloved mytho ...
'', and falls in love with one of them, Kiengkham. He leaves her after seven days with the promise of returning to marry her. Finally Sinxay and Sangthong reach Nyak Koumphan’s palace, where they meet their aunt Soumountha, only to discover she has fallen in love with Koumphan and does not want to go back to Muang Pengchan. Sinxay shoots an arrow, whose power makes Koumphan fall into a deep sleep. After leading Soumountha to a cave created by Indra, Sinxay and Sangthong go back to Koumphan’s palace, and try to kill him while he sleeps. Every time they slice off their head, though, seven more nyaks appear. Sinxay then shoots an arrow that burns many of the nyaks and makes the remaining ones flee into the forest. After retrieving Soumountha and finding a palace in the forest created for them by Indra, the two brothers are surrounded by millions of nyaks. After two great battles Sinxay manages to kill Koumphan. Soumountha then asks Sinxay to rescue her daughter, Sidachan, who is now the wife of Nak Valoonarat, king of the nagas and guardian of underworld treasures. When they reach his palace, Sinxay challenges him to a game of chess. He bets his weapons, while the king bets his kingdom. After three wins, Sinxay proposes to take Sidachan instead of the kingdom, but Nak Valoonarat refuses, prompting a battle against millions of nagas. Sinxay and Sangthong are helped in the battle by the khut, and they finally prevail, capturing Nak Valoonarat, who agrees to hand over Sidachan. Sinxay, Sangthong, Soumountha and Sidachan are rejoined with Siho and the six brothers, still by the river. The six brothers start planning to take credit for the rescue. While bathing at the top of the waterfall, they push Sinxay over the edge, believing he is dead. Soumountha leaves her silk scarf, her ornamented hairpin and her hair extension by the river, praying they would be returned to the palace as proof of Sinxay’s survival. Indra descends from the heavens and pours sacred water on Sinxay, bringing him back to life and leading him to the palace in the forest, to his mother Nang Lun and his aunt Nang Chanta. Back in Muang Pengchan, a celebration is held in honor of the six brothers, who would soon be kings. Soon, though, Soumountha and Sidachan tell Phanya Kousarath how the events unfolded. He receives proof when a mariner tells him of the three objects he found by the river. The six brothers and their mothers are thrown into jail, and the king embarks on a journey to locate Sinxay. They find him at his palace, but Sinxay refuses to return to Muang Pengchan to become king. Soumountha convinces Sinxay with a speech, explaining that it is in the best interest of the kingdom. He returns to Muang Pengchang, where he becomes king, marries Kiengkham, and rules virtuously.


Alternate ending

''The original Sang Sinxay edited by Mahasila Viravong ends with Sinxay’s marriage with Kiengkham. This is the most commonly known version in Laos. In
Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
an alternate ending is best known, and is also represented on murals in temples of the region.'' After Sinxay becomes king, Vedsuvan, the nyak leader, notices he has not heard from Nyak Koumphan in over seven years. He sends two of his nobles down to earth, where they discover that Koumphan has been killed by Sinxay. Vedsuvan descends to earth, and pours sacred water on Koumphan’s bones, which were laid in a stupa after his funeral and cremation, bringing him back to life. Koumphan is still angry, and wants to return Soumountha to his kingdom. Defying Vedsuvan, he becomes a queen fly, and flies at night into the palace in Muang Pengchan, abducting Soumountha and Sinxay. Returning to his kingdom he places Sinxay in a wooden cage, planning to boil him alive in an iron cauldron. Sangthong and Siho, upon discovering the abduction, fly to the kingdom of the nyaks with Sinxay’s weapons. Transforming themselves, they sneak their way through the thousands of nyaks gathered around Sinxay’s cage. Siho slips Sinxay’s bow and arrows and sword through the bars, while Sangthong, who has become a frog, knocks over the iron cauldron, scalding the nearby nyaks. Sinxay frees himself using his sword, and he is challenged to a battle by a furious Koumphan. Indra, from Tavatimsa Heaven, sees the confrontation that is about to take place, and intervenes, calming down Koumphan. Koumphan’s anger finally dissipates, and he agrees to travel to Muang Pengchan and ask for Soumountha’s hand in the traditional and customary way. She accepts his proposal, they marry, and Koumphan builds a ''saphanthong'', a golden bridge connecting the kingdom of nyaks with the humans, as a symbol of alliance. Sinxay continues being the virtuous king of Muang Pengchan, with his kingdom now strengthened by the new alliances with the khuts, naks and nyaks..


Style

''Sang Sinxay'' is one of the poetic works which was meant to be read out loud on special occasions such as religious festivals, an art which became known as ''nangsu'', a term which to this day is used to describe storytelling in Laos. The poem is written in old Lao language and
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
. It is composed of 6000 verses. Before being written, it was probably part of the oral tradition of the area. The Lao Buddhist literature works usually begin as oral folk tales, before being written, and transformed in style and content to help the temples in their teaching of Buddhist values.


''Sang Sinxay'' as a Buddhist work

''Sang Sinxay'' is believed to be a non-canonical
jataka The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
, tales outside the section of the
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
Buddhist canon, called by the
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
and the Lao ''Jataka Nauk Nibat''. This is supported by the presence, at the end of the poem, of a ''muan sadok'' section, a summary in which the characters of the tale are identified with characters in the life of Buddha. In the ''muan sadok'' section of ''Sang Sinxay'', the hero Sinxay is identified as the Buddha: Believing that ''Sang Sinxay'' is a
Theravada ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
jataka, then Sinxay, as a
Bodhisatta In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
, is considered to be one of the previous lives of
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. Phong Samaleuk, Supreme Patriarch of the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization, believes Sinxay exists in a collection of the '' Pannyasa Chadok'', but no one, including Mahasila could locate Sinxay in any collection. A pamphlet released for a "Sinxay Day" held in
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
in February 2011 states that "the Buddhist teachings within Sinxay are recognized for espousing the virtues of gratitude, courage, honesty, sacrifice and self-sufficiency, among others". One of the main reasons the municipality adopted Sinxay as their symbol in 2005 was that they found these virtues to be lacking in their youth, and believed Sinxay presents a model worth emulating.


Legacy

''Sang Sinxay'' is considered among the greatest and best known Lao epic poems, and its main character, Sinxay, is well known in Lao. In 1975
Kaysone Phomvihane Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; 13 December 1920 – 21 November 1992) was the first leader of the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized po ...
, first
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
of the newly formed Democratic People's Republic of Laos, exhorted Lao youth to become “Sinxay of the New Era”, since he referred to the poem often in his life. The phrase was used again in November 2009 at the opening of the
Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supe ...
in Vientiane, when a young man dressed as Sinxay shot his flaming arrow to light the cauldron, while an announcement said: “Sinxay of the new era lights up the cauldron with the flame of his arrow.” In 2005 the Lao government proclaimed Sinxay a national cultural heritage which was recorded under the National Heritage Law. In the same year the mayor of
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
Municipality, Peerapol Pattanapeeradej, chose Sinxay as the new symbol of the city. The character was chosen in the hope that the Buddhist virtues present in him would become embedded in the municipality's youth. In the following years municipality officials implemented a plan to promote the figure of Sinxay through teacher-developed curriculum taught in schools, a sports day, specialized programs held throughout the year and lampposts featuring Sinxay, Siho and Sangthong. The Abbot of Wat Chaisi, Phra Kou Yathanyakon, worked closely with the Khon Kaen Municipality to help implement summer programs for youth in the temple, expanding on the Buddhist teachings of ‘’Sang Sinxay’’. In February 2010, during the celebration for the 450th anniversary of Vientiane, a special day was organized to commemorate Sinxay, with performances by the Children’s Education Development Center, displays of illustrations by students from local schools and various lectures about the hero. It was coordinated by Douangdeuane Bounyavong.


''Sang Sinxay'' in the arts

At the time ''Sang Sinxay'' was written, the Lao kingdom of
Lan Xang existed as a unified kingdom from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the ea ...
also encompassed the northeastern region of
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
commonly referred to as
Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
. In the late 19th century, when the French declared Laos a protectorate of France, the northeast region was ceded to
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...
. The Thai people living in this region, who refer to themselves as Khon Isan, still closely associate themselves with
Lao culture Laos developed its culture and customs as the inland crossroads of trade and migration in Southeast Asia over millennia. As of 2012 Laos has a population of roughly 6.4 million spread over 236,800 km2 (91,400 sq miles), yielding one of th ...
. ''Sang Sinxay'' is, to this day, an important shared cultural heritage of the
Lao people The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere t ...
on both sides of the
Mekong River The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...
, thus art depicting scenes from the books can be found in both Isan and Laos.


In Laos

Although ''Sang Sinxay'' was originally meant to be read out loud or sung, this oral tradition has declined, and the poem is now rarely chanted in temples. One exception is the Lan Xang Heritage Group’s poem recital project, founded by Daravong Kanlagna, grandson of Mahasila Viravong. The group promoted the recital and the performance of ''Sang Sinxay'' by primary and secondary school students. Notably, ''Sang Sinxay'' was performed in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, by children who participated to the Poetry Reading and Folk Singing for Lao Children Project organized in collaboration with Vientiane's Children's Education Centre and the
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
Action with Lao Children (Deknoi Lao), and funded by Tokyo's Ota Ward. Scenes from the poem are represented on
mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
s, reliefs and statues at various Buddhist temples throughout the country. In
Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
, scenes from ''Sang Sinxay'' are carved on the front doors and the right side window panels of the temple of Wat Haysoke. The temple of Wat Sisangvone, in the Lao capital, presents at the front entrance a relief depicting Sinxay and Nyak Koumphan, and at the rear entrance two reliefs of Nyak Koumphan holding Soumountha. A number of temples in the northeastern province of Huaphan host murals of Sinxay and Nyak Koumphan, often depicted on opposite sides of the entrance to the sim, and portraying Sinxay shooting his arrows at Nyak Koumphan. In
Sam Neua Xam Neua (ຊຳເໜືອ , sometimes transcribed as ''Sam Neua'' or ''Samneua'', literally 'northern swamp'), is the capital of Houaphanh Province, Laos, in northeast Laos. Demographics Residents are mostly Lao, Vietnamese, and Hmong, with s ...
a recently constructed temple, Wat Ong Teu, features gilded carvings designed by renowned Vientiane artist Bounseng Thiepphongthong. The carvings depict scenes from ''Sang Sinxay'' on each of the three sets of doors at the front of the sim.


In Thailand

In
Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
or the northeastern part of Thailand, three temples host murals featuring scenes from ''Sang Sinxay''. Wat Chaisi, proclaimed Ancient Monument by the King, has the most extensive murals, covering all four sides of the outer and inner walls of the sim. The painting of the murals was overseen by Luang Po On Sa, a monk who wanted to motivate the laity who were too busy to study the dharma to be virtuous like Sinxay. The murals attempt to depict the complete story, but are not arranged sequentially. Wat Sanuan Wari hosts fewer murals, although they are often used to illustrate the story in books and other media. One of the murals depicts Sinxay, Sangthong and Siho fighting the giant snake. While Wat Chaisi and Wat Sanuan Wari are located near
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
, the regional center of Isan, Wat Photaram is situated further away, in
Maha Sarakham Sarakham is the capital city of Maha Sarakham Province in Thailand's northeastern (Isan) region. Sarakham, as it is known to its inhabitants, is in a rice-growing area on the southern Khorat plain, straddling the Chi River. Mahasarakham is 475 ...
. In this temple scenes from ''Sang Sinxay'' are depicted on a single outside wall, covering it entirely. The scenes depicted are different from those found in other temples, including one scene portraying the battle between the nagas led by Nak Valoonarat and Sinxay, helped by the khut. In Isan ''Sang Sinxay'' is one of the most commonly performed stories within the shadow puppet theatre tradition called ''Nang Pramo Thai'', along with the
Ramakien The ( th, รามเกียรติ์, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's national epics, derived from the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka. Fundamentally, it is a Thai version of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Ramakien is an importan ...
. In this tradition the stories are performed at weddings, funerals, and Buddhist merit-making ceremonies. The most well known troupe, called "Bong Beng" and led by Sombat Nyotbatum, performs ''Sang Sinxay'' about sixty times a year. The troupe replaced the Ramakien with ''Sang Sinxay'' because the latter is written in royal
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
, which is more difficult to teach and learn.Interview with Sombat Nyotbatum The performances of ''Sang Sinxay'' are usually accompanied by Lao music, and the main instrument used is the
khene The ''khene'' (; spelled "Can" in English; Lao: ແຄນ; th, แคน, , ; km, គែន - ''Ken''; Vietnamese: ''khèn'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out h ...
. Both the murals and the shadow puppet performances inspired by ''Sang Sinxay'' exist have existed for about a century.


Translations

Mahasila Viravong began translating his original version of ''Sang Sinxay'', written in an older version of Lao, into a modern Lao version, titled just ''Sinxay'', in the 1980s. He died before finishing the translation, which was completed by his son-in-law, Outhine Bounyavong, and published in 1991. A translation into Thai by Pricha Phinthong was published in 1981. The poem was first translated into French by Nhouy Abhay and Pierre Somchinne Nginn in 1965, under the title ''Sinsay: chef-d’oeuvre de la littérature lao''. Another translation into French by Dominique Menguy, based on the 1991 modern Lao version, was published in two volumes in 2003 and 2004 under the name ''Sinxay: L’épopée de Pangkham''. The authors of ''Sinsay: chef-d’oeuvre de la littérature lao'' used their translation as the basis for an English version, titled ''The Sinsay of Pangkham'' and published in 1965. An abridged version of the poem was included in 1981 in ''Treasures of Lao Literature'' by Samsanouk Mixai.


See also

*
Jataka tales The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
*
Literature of Laos The people of Laos have a rich literary tradition dating back at least six hundred years, with the oral and storytelling traditions of its peoples dating back much earlier. Lao literature refers to the written productions of Laotian peoples, its ém ...
*
Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...


Notes


References


Further reading

In Lao: *Thongkham Onmanisone, ''The Wisdom of Sinxay and the Role of Soumountha'', Lao State Press, 2012. In Thai: *Sanunanwari Pamphlet, ''Literary Sinxay'' *Sowit Banrungphak, ''Hup taem… taem cai yawachon khon khon kaen'' (Mural paintings…painting the minds of Khon Kaen youth), Education Office of the Khon Kaen Municipality, 2004. *Chob Disuankok, ''Wannakam Pheun Ban Sin Sai'' (Sinsai as a Work of Local Literature), Samnak kansueksa thesaban nakhon khon kaen, 2007 *Sowit Banrungphak, ''Khunnatham thi sanoe phan tua lakhon nai wannakam ruang sinsai'' (Virtues presented through characters in the Sinsai work of literature) In English: *Koret, Peter, "Books of Search: The Invention of Traditional Lao Literature as a subject of Study" in Evans, Grant (editor), ''Laos, Culture and Society'', Silkworm Books, 1999. Other:
''Sinsay: chef-d’oeuvre de la littérature lao''
Bangkok: Tiew-chuy Sae Tiew, 2508 965


External links

{{Wikisourcelang, th, สังข์ศิลป์ชัย Laotian literature Laotian culture Isan culture Epic poems Buddhist poetry