Khon Masks

On May 1st, we attended a Korb Siarn Khru Ritual at Wat Pha That Nong Mat outside of my wife's home village of Ban Thasang.

Special masks play a very important part of the Korb Siarn Khru Ritual.  I have posted some photos of the masks on Facebook over the past week.  One of my friends asked if they were Halloween masks.

No they are not Halloween masks.  The reply just like the reply for some people to the social media question about if they are in a relationship ... "It's complicated"

The history and culture of Thailand is definitely complicated.  Although Thailand was never conquered or colonized by Europeans, the history of Thailand is a series of conflicts - the rise and fall of kingdoms internal as well as external.  Each progression influenced and progressed to what is today's Thai culture.

The region, now recognized as Thailand was also subject to migrations of peoples from China, Tibet, Cambodia, Lao, as well as Burma.

In regards to religion, I have written before that ... "It's complicated".  The influx of the various peoples bringing their own belief systems and traditions added to the Animist belief system.  Over time Brahmanism, the precursor to Hinduism, exerted its influence over the region's religious beliefs.  Rather than rejected their old Animist beliefs, the people incorporated the Brahman rituals and traditions into their belief system. When Buddhism arrived, the people once again adapted and incorporated the new system and traditions into their religious Pantheon.

Khon masks have their origins in Hinduism, specifically the Hindu epic poem "Ramayana" circa 400 BC.  The Ramayana, like epic poems such as Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey", Virgil's "The Aeneid", Milton's "Paradise Lost, and Dante's "Divine Comedy, is a long, narrative poem that is  about heroic deeds, intense adventures, heroic deeds and events that are significant to the writer's culture.

The Thais adopted the Ramayana around 900AD with the earliest record of it being in the 1200s.  The Ramakian, Thailand's adaptation, was supervised and portions written by King Rama I from 1797 to 1807.  Previous copies had been destroyed by the invading Burmese  in 1767.

King Rama II, modified parts of the Ramakien for the basis of Khon, a mask dance drama which includes music, singing, dance, narration and acrobatics.  Originally the Khon was traditionally only performed for the royal court to celebrate significant events.

The performers of the Khon wore masks to identify the characters of the Ramakian whom they were portraying.

The characters of the Khon performances are gods, deities, spirits and greater humans.  In the Hindu religion there are 14 worlds - 7 heavens and 7 underworlds each inhabited by various beings.

One group of beings, Rishis, are also known in Thailand as "Ruesi" are sages and seers.  Ruesi was and are hermit sages who spend their time meditating and developing their psychic powers - sort of like wizards.  They collect magical herbs, and minerals.  Using magical ingredients they produce love charms, spells and powerful amulets. The goal of the Ruesi is to help others have a happier life by telling fortunes, conducting rituals and making spells to reduce the effects of bad karma.  Ruesi also are able to ward off evil spirits.  They also help people by protecting them from enemies.  Certain rituals performed by Ruesi can bring good luck and fortune to their devotees.  Some of the Ruesi make Sak Yants, the magical and powerful tattoos know throughout this world.

One of the most important Ruesi rituals is performed once a year is the Korb Siarn Khru - laying the Ruesi mask of the master teacher, Ruesi Por Gae, on the devotee  The Korb Siarn Khru is performed during the Wai Khru Ceremony.  The Siarn Ruesi mask is a full sized mask with head dress with an open mouth, three eyes, two teeth sticking out of the mouth, a moustache, and a beard.  There are also masks of other deities within the Ruesi pantheon - some of them being tigers, elephants, yaks (giants) and other creatures - creatures of the Ramakian, also spelled as Ramakien.

No, they are not Halloween masks, but masks of much greater tradition. meaning, and significance.  Khon masks are also much more complicated - transcending the ages, across great spaces and binding cultures together.

Over My Head - The Ramakian

Wax figures from a processional float - three faced figure depicts the Hindu Lord Brahama

In my first blog regarding the Ubon Ratchathani Candle festival, I wrote briefly about many of the wax figures and panoramas being from the "Ramakian" - the epic Thai classic literary work.  The "Ramakian" is based upon the ancient Indian epic the "Ramayana".  The plots are identical but in the "Ramakian" modifications have been made to include Thai style of dress, Thai geography, and a Thai sensibilities to the legends.  It is a complicated and very exotic legend of creation, heroes, villains, love and war - a little something for everyone.  Both the "Ramakian" and the "Ramayana" are epic sagas in the same magnitude, scope, as well as importance to culture as other epics such as "Beowulf", "The Song of Roland", "Odyssey", and "Gilgamesh".

In Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaeo there are fabulous murals depicting scenes from the "Ramqakian".  Over a year ago I wrote a blog about these murals.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramakian-murals.html

The "Ramayana" is believed to have been transported to Thailand and southeast Asia by traders.  The fact that a classic work of Indian literature would serve both as an inspiration and be absorbed into Thai culture is not surprising.  It seems to be an inherent trait of Thai culture to accept, tolerate, and incorporate different aspects of other cultures.  Just as Thai food is a sophisticated blend of tastes, textures, and sensations, Thai culture also reflects a long and varied assimilation of thoughts, traditions, and beliefs from different peoples.  Much of the process was precipitated and motivated by the many different wars of conquest and occupation in the region.  The Thai animist religion was absorbed into the Hindu religion which was absorbed into the current Buddhist religion to the point that beliefs, practices, and rituals of all three religions exist and flourish here in Isaan - indistinguishable from each other under the generalized identity of Buddhism.

Wax float with a large "Naga" along its side

In the Ramakian there are many fabulous mythological creatures - composite creatures that reside in the mythological Himmapan Forest.  The composite creatures are part one animal or human and part another animal.  There are Rhino, Monkey, Cattle, Fish, Bird, Crab, Naga (serpent), Crocodile, Canine, Horse, Lion, and Deer based creatures.  My personal favorite is the "Thep Kinnaree"

The "Thep Kinnaree" is the most beautiful creature in the Himmapan Forest.  It is one half woman, the top half and one half swan, the bottom half.  There are golden Kinnaree statues lining the road leading to the main terminal at Bangkok's international airport.  There are also many Kinnaree at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.  The male counterpart of the Kinnaree are "Thep Kinnanorn"- top half is a male human with the bottom half being a "Hongsa" - a mythological bird with a long beak.

The Himmapan Forest is located in the Himalaya Mountains below Buddhist heavens - not all that far from Thailand .  However us mortals can neither see, approach, or enter the forest which is unfortunate.  I would love to visit and photograph some of the exotic creatures there.

There are many depictions of Himmapan creatures in the art of India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China and other countries in Asia.  There are many different creatures and many of them look very much alike.  In researching what sights I had seen on the wax floats at the Ubon Ratchathani I easily became confused and overwhelmed by the minute differences between some of the creatures - sort of trying to differentiate the meaning of some Thai words that due to the tonal aspects of the Thai language have 5 very different meanings depending on how the word is pronounced!  After awhile many of the different creatures started to look all alike.

I did find a very helpful and useful website to learn or at least to try to learn more about the Himmapan Forest and its mythological inhabitants.  It is well worth the effort to browse the website below"

http://www.himmapan.com/about_himmapan.html

The legends and creatures of the Ramakian as well as aspects of Hindu writings were heavily represented in the wax work adorning the floats created for the Ubon Ratchathani

Erawan the mythological 33 headed elephant - typically shown with only 3 heads

Ramakian Murals

Wat Phra Kaeo, part of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, is also commonly referred to by many non-Thais as the "Wat of the Emerald Buddha". Wat Phra Kaeo is the home of the relic that was brought from Laos to Thailand in 1779. The Emerald Buddha had originally been located in Northern Thailand commencing in the early 1400s and was attributed to miracles where ever it was kept. Perhaps for that reason, it was taken to Laos for 200 years until King Rama I seized Vientiane and returned it to the new Thai capital city, Bangkok. Besides being famous and revered for the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaeo is also renown for the Ramakian Murals.

The Ramakian is the Thai version of the Hindu epic poem "The Ramayana" which is based upon Hindu mythology. The Hindu epic poem was written over 2,000 years ago. Like other epic poems such as Homer's "Iliad" and ""Odyssey", "Aeneid" by Virgil, "Paradise Lost" by Milton, "The Ramayana" is a long narrative poem that contains a central hero that embodies a society's values. There are episodes that are important to the history and development of a country or race. Like the aforementioned epics, "The Ramayana" also contains Divine intervention in the lives of humans.

In "The Ramayana" the story of Prince Rama of Ayodha. His wife is kidnapped by a demon king - King Rakshasa of Lanka. Much of the epic is related to the struggles and adventures of Prince Rama to regain his wife and to deal with King Rakshasa. The story is about the triumph of good over evil along the conflicts of duty as well as moral obligations

There were written versions of the epic prior to King Rama I of Thailand but they were destroyed when the previous capital of Siam, Ayutthaya was sacked and burned by the Burmese in 1767. The story in "The Ramakian" is the same as in "The Ramayana" but names, locations, weapons and descriptions are adjusted to take into account Thai realities.

King Rama I, who is recognized as the founder of the modern Thai state was also an accomplished poet. As the new palace was being constructed in Bangkok in the style of the previous palace in Ayutthaya, he also supervised the writing of the "Ramakian". He actually wrote some of the episodes himself. As the palace was being constructed and the Thai version of the epic was being written down, 178 murals at Wat Phra Kaeo were also started. The purpose of the murals were to help communicate to people the virtues exemplified in the epic.

"The Ramakian" has a very strong influence on Thai literature, dance, art, and drama. It is considered to be a Thai masterpiece and is read, and taught in Thai schools.