The Ramayana
From Ramayana to Phralak Phralam
Two major works of note in ancient Indian literature are: the Mahabharata, a long epic poem of 25,000 verses, and a somewhat shorter composition, the Ramayana or ‘Rama’s path’.
The latter, written in Sanskrit, would have been composed by the poet Valmiki some 200 years B.C. has continued through the ages undergoing transformations and enrichment by various anonymous artists.
It relates the adventures of Rama. Prince of Ayodhya. A victim of palace intriques, Rama is exiled for 14 years with his wife Sita and his half-brother Lakshana. In a universe of gods and demons, bad ogres and good monkeys, the heroes face innumerable challenges in which they show their supernatural powers and noble moral qualities. The central theme is Rama’s struggle, assisted by his half-brother and his friends, the monkeys, to rescue Sita who was abducted by the ogre (or giant) Ravana. Good prevails over evil.
This work holds immense didactic value and still has a strong repercussion in India. Places where Rama, an avatar or incarnation of the god Vishnu, has supposedly been, are till today sacred sites of pilgrimage for Hindus.
The Ramayana propagated outside the borders of India, has been translated and adapted by many Southeast Asian countries and incorporated into their own cultures.
It was introduced in Laos in the 15th century under King Phothisarath and translated into Lao and adapted to the local environment under the title Phralak Phralam. The characters were given Lao names: Rama became Phraram, Lakshana became Phralak, Sita became Sida. Ravana the ogre (or giant) king of Lanka became Thotsakan, Jatayu, the bird king and friend of Rama became Sadayu, while Hanuman, leader of the army of monkeys retained his original name.
The Phralak Phralam ballet was perfected throughout the centuries and the 9 episodes were successively performed at the court of Luang Prabang under different reigns. A storyteller, generally an elder master artist, sings the text and dialogue with other singers and musicians while the dancers illustrate the song.