Knowra Ramakien Ramakien Thailand’s national epic is a royal adaptation of the Indian Ramayana. Its Thai versions reshape the story and characters within Thai literary, courtly, and visual traditions.
Ramayana : An ancient Sanskrit epic about Rama, Sita, and the struggle to recover her from Ravana. The Ramakien adapts this epic’s central characters and narrative.
Khon : A Thai masked dance drama traditionally performed with stylized movement, music, and narration. Khon performances have made Ramakien episodes a defining part of Thai classical theatre.
Rama I : The founder of Thailand’s Chakri dynasty, who reigned from 1782 to 1809. His reign produced the best-known complete royal version of the Ramakien.
Kakawin Ramayana : A ninth-century Old Javanese poetic retelling of the Ramayana. Its Javanese courtly adaptation offers a regional comparison to Thailand’s version.
Rama : The prince and hero of the Ramayana, regarded in Hindu tradition as an avatar of Vishnu. Rama becomes Phra Ram, the Ramakien’s central hero and model ruler.
Thai classical dance : A formal Thai performance tradition using stylized gestures, poses, and movement. Ramakien scenes are a major source of its characters and repertoire.
Chakri dynasty : Thailand’s ruling royal house, founded in 1782 by Rama I. Chakri monarchs sponsored and preserved the epic as a royal cultural work.
Reamker : The Cambodian national epic, a Khmer adaptation of the Ramayana. It shares the source story while reflecting a different court and performance culture.
Sita : The heroine of the Ramayana, abducted by Ravana and later reunited with Rama. Her abduction and return anchor the epic’s central conflict.
Thai literature : Literature composed in Thai across oral, written, and performance traditions. The epic’s Thai-language versions belong to this literary history.
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