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Literature of the East ENT 504 LAO Discussant: Maria Karla S. Sepcon (Khey) LITERATURE
From all time the Lao people have glorified their fatherland, United in heart, spirit and vigor as one, Resolutely moving forwards, Respecting and increasing the dignity of the Lao people, And proclaiming to be right to be their own masters. The Lao people of all origins are equal, And will no longer imperialists and traitors to harm them. The entire people will safeguard the independence, And the freedom of the nation. They are resolved to struggle for the victory, In order to lead the nation to prosperity. Laos Developing Country 2021
Brief Background Writing Systems Literatures of Laos CONTENTS
Laos – noncoastal country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia The geologically diverse landscape of Laos, with its forested mountains, upland plateaus and lowland plains, supports an equally diverse population that is united largely through agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. Country Name: Lao People's Democratic Republic Capital City: Vientiane Between the 5th and the mid-19th century, Laos imbued the elements of Indian culture, including Buddhism (the religion now practiced by most of the population). National Language: Lao Religions: 66.0% Buddhism 30.7% Tai folk religion 1.5% Christianity 1.8% Others / None Both Buddhist and Hindu have shaped the visual, performing, and literary arts of the country. Population: 7,413,640
Many of the indigenous and minority peoples of the remote highland slopes and mountainous regions; however, have maintained their own idiosyncratic ritual and artistic traditions. Colonization by the French from the late 19th to the mid-20th century infused Laos with a European cultural element, which intensified throughout the country’s embroilment in World War II and the Indochina wars, as well as a civil war of its own in the second half of the 20th century. Country Name: Lao People's Democratic Republic Capital City: Vientiane National Language: Lao Religions: 66.0% Buddhism 30.7% Tai folk religion 1.5% Christianity 1.8% Others / None Laos is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest by Myanmar (Burma). Population: 7,413,640
Laos is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country. The official language of Laos is Lao, although various foreign languages have often been used by the elite. French was once the language of the Lao upper classes and of the cities, but by the 1970s English had begun to displace it. Country Name: Lao People's Democratic Republic Capital City: Vientiane Under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Vietnamese became the third language of the elite. National Language: Lao Religions: 66.0% Buddhism 30.7% Tai folk religion 1.5% Christianity 1.8% Others / None By the late 20th century the various peoples of Laos were officially grouped primarily by language and location into one of three categories: Lao Loum (Lowland Lao), Lao Theung (Lao of the Mountain Slopes), and Lao Soung (Lao of the Mountain Tops). Population: 7,413,640
Lao writing… * Its earlier form, the Tai Noi script, was also used to write the Isan language, but was replaced by the Thai script. direct descendant of an Indian script adapted by the Cambodians borrowed and modified by the Thai King Rama Khamhengin the 13th century the Lao alphabet is essentially the same as the modern Thai alphabet Brahmic script or Indic scripts Isan or Northeastern Thai Thai script
Early Lao literature • The rich oral tradition of poetry and folk tales possessed by the Lao-speaking people predates their written literature and maintains a wide popularity to the present day. • The earliest evidence of written literature among the Lao dates from the 16th century, during the Lan Xang period. • Literature served an important role as a vehicle with which to convey Buddhist religious teachings and explain proper behavior for individuals in society. • It was deeply influenced by the literary tradition of the neighboring kingdom of Lan Na (in present-day Thailand), through which it was indirectly influenced by Buddhist and Hindu literary works of South Asian origin.
Early Lao literature Commonly occurring plots in Lao literature and the conventions by which they were told owed much to oral traditions of storytelling that are either specifically Lao in origin or belong to the broader traditions of mainland Southeast Asia. Early Lao literature existed in both poetic and prose forms. The most prominent characteristics of Lao verse, which shares similarities with the poetry of other Tai-speaking groups in the region. A subfamily of Tai-Kadai languages spoken in southeast Asia and southern China that includes Thai, Lao, and Shan. These characteristics include the frequent use of alliteration and parallelism and the placement of words of specific tones in assigned positions within a poetic line. Themes and subject of Lao literature were primarily religious or historical in nature, but also included law, customs, astrology, numerology, as well as traditional medicine and healing. Many of the works during this period have been lost due to wars in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century. Oral Literature: The chance of living on earth longer
Many works have been lost because they were originally written in form of palm- leaf books, which perish quickly. Others were recorded and passed down orally in the form of songs and recitations. For English speakers, the pickings are even slimmer as very few works of Lao literature have been translated into English.
Garavek: Laotian Traditional Storytelling Show Oral Literature: The chance of living on earth longer Laotian traditiona l trumpet “khene” Garavek - Laos’ traditional storytelling - to preserve and promote Laotian traditional stories, folktales - in the show, you will find out the origin of many Laos famous destinations and the story of Laos’ King, Fa Ngum which has been known widely by locals
Traditional Lao literatures consist of: - - Buddhist sutras Jatakas (stories connected with the past lives of the Buddha) Epics Poems Proverbs Folktales - - - - Sutra Poem Jataka Proverbs Folktales Epic
Buddhist Sutra - a rule or aphorism in Sanskrit literature, or a set of these on grammar or Hindu law or philosophy. • In Buddhism, sutras are like scriptures, containing the teachings of the Buddha. Similarly, in Jainism, sutras are the sermons of a spiritual teacher. • In Sanskrit, sutra means "thread," and traditional ancient literary sutras attempted to weave knowledge, threadlike, around and into their few simple words or syllables.
Jataka Stories, largely anonymous in their composition, were commonly presented in the form of Jataka tales, which were believed to be of Buddhist scriptural origin. • Stories connected with the past lives of the Buddha. Sang Sinsai Thao Hung Thao Cheuang Under the patronage of the monarchy and the Buddhist monkhood, literature continued to flourish for two centuries. - a Lao epic poem written by Pang Kham. It tells the story of the hero Sinxay (ສ ິ ນໄຊ) who goes on a quest to rescue his aunt Soumountha (ສູມຸນທາ) who was abducted by the demon, Nyak Koumphan (ຍ ັ ກກູມພ ັ ນ). - generally considered one of the greatest texts of Lao literature. During that time major classical works, Sang Sinsai and Thao Hung Thao Cheuang were probably composed. - It recounts the life and battles of a part-historical, part- mythical character, Thao Hung or Thao Cheuang (thao means “king” or “lord”), son of Khun Chomtham, a ruler of the Suantanor Nakhong kingdom. - Sang Sinxay is considered one of the three masterpieces of Lao literature. -The poem is popular in Laos and in the Isan region of Thailand
The most famous piece of classical Lao literature is the Pha Lak Phra Lam (Pha Lak Pha Lam), an epic based on the Hindu Ramayana . Hindu literature is believed to have been introduced to Laos via the Angor civilization in Cambodia around one thousand years ago. The Lao version of the story has unique Lao elements. There are even some tribal versions of the Ramayana.
The Laotian version of Ramayana, called “Palak Palang,” is the most favorite theme of the dancers in Laos. The National School for Music and Dance, in this communist country, teaches the Ramayana ballet in the Laotian style. There is a perceptible Hindu-Buddhist syncretism in that entire region. There are sculptures of Rama and Krishna and other avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu in the Shiva temple at Wat Phu Champasak in southern Laos, which has been declared a World Heritage Centre by UNESCO.
There are also many folk stories. A famous story associated with Luang Prabang is the legend of Pu Yer Yer (Guardian Spirits of Luang Prabang). * Luang Prabang (ຫ ຼ ວງພຣະບາງ) - located in northern Laos at the heart of a mountainous region - the former capital of Laos and is now a UNESCO World Heritage - well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries * Pu Yer Yer / PuYer-YaYer - characters who appear in folk tales
THE ORIGINS OF MODERN LITERATURE DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD, 1893 TO 1954 The earliest works of modern literature in Laos were composed and circulated exclusively among members of the Lao elite, predominantly in the capital city of Vientiane. In contrast to the majority of their countrymen, the Lao nobility studied at schools where the sole language of instruction was French, and French history, culture, and literature were taught in place of their own. Many continued their education in France. Members of the Lao elite frequently became more knowledgeable in matters related to French society and culture than the traditions of Laos. Prince Souvanna Phouma, for example, who was later to serve as prime minister of Laos for approximately two decades, felt more comfortable conversing in French than in Lao.
Modern literature In the 19th century the great social and political upheavals in the region became a prominent literary theme. They were often represented in Buddhist and mystical terms: San leup phasun (Extinguishing the Brilliance of the Sun) Pheun meuang kung (History of the City, or History of Bangkok). Under French colonial rule, which culminated with France’s invasion of Laos under treaties agreed to in 1903 and 1907, the lack of widespread secular education and the late introduction of printing technology delayed the emergence and growth of Western-influenced literature.
Modern literature Modern Lao literature was originally composed in the French language and imitated French literary styles. The first modern novel composed in Lao, Phra Phoutthahoup Saksit (The Sacred Buddha Image) by Somchine Nginn, was published in 1944. After Laos gained independence in 1954 and saw the outbreak of civil war a few years later, the composition and readership of literature in areas under the control of the royal Lao government was largely restricted to a small, educated segment of the population in Vientiane. The author wrote the introduction to the work in French and, presumably due to the novelty of publishing a work in Lao, advertised on the cover: "Written in easy-to- understand Lao language.“ Influenced by French, Thai, and American fiction, authors in Vientiane produced popular works exhibiting: The motivation behind certain works of literature during this time was also overtly political in nature. - - - romance humor social commentary that attacked the government
Major writers in Vientiane during this period include three children of Maha Sila Viravong, an important scholar of traditional Lao literature, history, and culture: 1. Pakian Viravong 2. Duangdeuan Viravong 3. Dara Viravong (pseudonyms Pa Nai, Dauk Ket, and Duang Champa, respectively).
An equally important writer was Outhine Bounyavong, Maha Sila Viravong’s son-in- law, who remained a notable writer through the turn of the 21st century; his short stories were translated into English and collected as Mother’s Beloved (1999). Their writings were published in a literary magazine that they themselves produced and also in books such as Nao chai (1971; “Cold at Heart”) and Bau ban kau haum (1972; “Fragrant Without Blossoming”). These books, like many from this period, are collections of the writings of multiple authors.
In zones controlled by the communist Lao Patriotic Front, the political wing of the Pathet Lao, literature showed the influence of Socialist Realist works from Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Important authors of this period include Somsi Desa and Khamliang Phonsena. Literature in these zones was composed for the specific purpose of creating and supporting a communist society, and books were typically published anonymously. One such example of an anonymous collection of stories from the early 1970s is Bon en thang pot poi (Along the Road of Liberation).
He also wrote several notable short stories in the 1990s, among them “Ran khai lao rim pacha” (A Bar at the Edge of the Cemetery), in which he describes the dangers of public apathy in the face of corruption and political oppression. One of the most important and outspoken Lao writers was Bounthanong Somsaiphon, whose novels, short stories, and poetry provide invaluable insight into the rapidly changing realities of Lao culture and society under the communist regime. His important works include Long su Thanon Lan Xang (1989, Entering Lan Xang Avenue), a semiautobiographical account of his life as a student activist in the years leading up to the communist revolution.
It currently has a membership of 100 writers. The Association previously published the literary magazine Xiengkhene Lao, but in recent years this publication has been discontinued. The monthly Vannasin Magazine aims to provide a forum for the development of Lao writing and to entertain and educate readers through poetry and short stories which focus on Lao traditional culture, reflecting the daily lives of Lao people and informing them of social problems. Scholars active in the field of transcribing, editing and publishing traditional Lao literature under the auspices of agencies such as the Institute of Cultural Research (ICR) and the Ministry of Education. In 1999, the Vannasin office launched the Sinxay Weekly newspaper, and in 2004 it launched the annual Sinxay National Writing Competition. Established in 1991 by Dr Thongkham Onemanisone and the late Mr Souvanthone Bouphanouvong, the Lao Writers’ Association aims to promote the nation’s literature, enhancing friendship amongst writers and protecting their rights, and facilitating international exchange.
Do Laotians love reading books today?
Do Laotians do something to promote literature in Laos today?
Have their efforts to promote literature been rewarded recently?
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