Introduction to Thai Literature

The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its citizens; but by
others, by the exonym Siam, identified with the Sanskrit Śyāma (meaning
"dark" or "brown"). The word Thai is not, as commonly believed, derived from
the word Thai meaning "independence" in the Thai language; it is, however,
the name of an ethnic group from the central plains (the Thai people). The
Thai use the phrase "land of the freedom" that expresses pride in the fact
that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a
European power.

Thailand's prevalent religion is Theravada Buddhism. According to the 2000

census, 94.6% of the country's population self-identified as Buddhists of
the Theravada tradition. Muslims constitute the second largest religious
group in Thailand, comprising 4.6% of the population. Christians represent
0.7% of the population, with the remaining population consisting of Sikhs and
Hindus, who live mostly in the country's cities. There is also a small but
historically significant Jewish.

Thai culture has been shaped by many influences, including Indian, Lao,
Burmese, Cambodian, and Chinese. Thailand's national religion, Theravada
Buddhism, is central to modern Thai identity.

Thailand (Siam)
It is presumed that Thais originated in China and migrated down to Thailand
along the southern part of China.
They split into two main groups.
One settled down in the North and became the kingdom of "Lanna" and the
other one is in further south, which afterward was defeated by the Khmers
and became the kingdom of "Sukhothai".
It now appears that the Thais might have originated here in Thailand and
later scattered to various parts of Asia, including China.

Thai literature is divided into four different periods

1. Sukhothai Period (circa 1238-1377)
The literary works in this period were designed to reaffirm national cultural
identity, political stability and spiritual values, with the monarchs taking the
lead in the promotion of arts, religion and public administration.

2. Ayutthaya Period (1350-1767)

The period produced a variety of forms on diverse subjects. New poetic
forms were created, with different rhyme schemes and metres.
It is common to find a combination of different poetic forms in one poetic
work, resulting in lilit (a combination of rai and khlong), kap ho khlong, kap he
ruea (a combination ofkap and khlong), klonkonlabot andphlengyao.

3. Thon Buri Period (1767-1782)

Despite its short period of 15 years, Thon Buri produced Ramakian, a verse
drama to which King Thaksin the Great contributed his poetic talent.
The revival of literature at this time is remarkable since the country had not
quite recovered from the aftermath of war. Some poets who later became a
major force in the early Rattanakosin Period had already begun writing at
this time.

4. Rattanakosin Period (1782-present)

It is only natural that many of the early Rattanakosin works should deal with
war and military strategy.
When peace finally came, order was restored.
Laws of the country were revised and historical events were once again
systematically recorded.
During this period there sprang a great wealth of Buddhist literature.
There were a great number of emotive literary works in the early
Rattanakosin period, some modeled on Ayutthaya and Thon Buri traditions,
others being new creations.
Literature has been closely associated with Thai life. In the earlier times, it
was often recited at ceremonies and on other traditional occasions.
What is striking about the literature of the Rattanokosin Period is that all
the kings have played an important part in promoting and creating literary
works. Their contributions and dedications to the literary cause have led to
the proliferation of high-quality literary outputs whether they were original
works or translations.
Early Thai literature was primarily concerned with religion and until the mid-
19th century was in verse form.
Thai verse was written exclusively by the aristocracy or royalty, the only
educated classes able to do so.
The tradition of authorship by kings can be seen in all periods of the
country's history, from Sukhothai up to Bangkok.
Two Chakri monarchs, King Rama II (1809-1824) and King Rama VI (1910-
1925), were distinguished poets and stalwart patrons of Thai arts.

One of the most important Thai literary works is the Ramakian, a uniquely
Thai version of the Indian epic, the Ramayana. Early Thai version of the
Ramakian were lost in the destruction of Ayutthaya. The longest of the
three present versions was written in 1798 by the first Chakri King, Rama I,
and a group of intimates, who incorporated Thai and Buddhist elements into
it to preserve oral knowledge of Ayutthaya state rites and traditions.
Indeed, King Rama I's Ramakian is the major historical source of medieval
Thai courtly traditions.

Another major Thai literary figure was SunthonPhu (1786-1855), a poetic

genius and well-beloved commoner. SunthonPhu's enduring achievement
(apart from his legendary personal adventures) was to write superbly well in
common language about common feelings and the common folk. Easily
understood by all classes, his work became widely accepted. His major works
were PhraAphai Mani, a romantic adventure, and nine Nirats mostly written
during a pilgrimage, associating romantic memoried with the places he visited
in central and eastern Thailand.

Both King Rama V and Rama VI were also distinguished writers whose
creativity contained the rich intellectual heritage in several prose and verse
forms. Among outstanding literary works of King Rama V were Ngo Pa and
the well-known collection of Klai Ban or Far Away from Home, on his journey
to Europe in 1906-7. Those well-known works of King Rama VI were
MatthanaPhatha, Phra non Kham Luang , and several patriotic articles
entitled, Muang Thai Chong TunThoet or Wake up-all Thais, etc.

THE RAMAKIAN
The Ramakian, the epic tale of Prince Rama and his wife Sita, of struggles
between good and evil, pervades all forms of Thai artistic expression.
the local version of the Indian Ramayana epic, and its roll call of gods and
demons belongs essentially to the Hindu world of the subcontinent rather
than to the Theravada Buddhist land of the Thais.
Most cultures of Southeast Asia are rooted in Indian influences which
filtered through the region
Religious, mythological, linguistic and other elements of Indian culture were
absorbed rather than imposed by conquest and colonization, and thus became
especially persuasive. Various local populations adapted and moulded Indian
influences to their own ways, gradually evolving cultures that were distinct
yet with common roots.

The story of Ramakian:

Rama, the heir to the throne of Ayodhya, was sent into exile for 14 years by
his stepmother. His wife, Sita and brother Lakshman went with him into the
deep forest. Tosakan, the demon king of Longka (Sri Lanka), abducted Sita
and carries her off to his island kingdom hoping to marry her. The brothers
 pursued him. Hanuman, the white monkey god, volunteers his service,
together they won the alliance of two monkey kings, Sukrip and Chompupan,
each with a powerful army. They march south to the coast opposite Longka.
The monkey armies build a road of stone through the sea and lay siege to
Longka. Many victorious battles are waged against Tosakan’s demon armies.
Finally, Rama defeated Tosakan and killed him. Rama then crowns his ally,
Piphek (Tosakan’s banished brother) as King of Longka and returns with Sita
to resume his rign in Ayodha.
The Ramakienmurals at WatPhraKaeo or “The Emerald Buddha” is beautifully
depicted through a series of 178 colorful murals, dating from the late 18th
century.

Thai Modern Lit

A leading literary figure is former Prime Minister M.R. Kukrit Pramoj.
They appeared in various forms including short stories, articles, columns and
critiques.
He is generally regarded as the best Thai short story author.
His collection of short stories, the so-called Lai Chiwit, is considered an
exemplary work embodying the finest Thai prose, an appreciation of which is
essential for the appraisal of Thai contemporary literature.
His most outstanding novel, Si Phandin , or Four Reigns, revolves around the
court life from the reign of King Rama V to Rama VIII offering a vivid
portrait of Thai society in those long years of the four interesting reigns.

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Reading 1

Background:
Chayasi Suntophiphit is one of the most talented and creative authors in
poetry in Thailand. He wrote a great poem entitled "Till Hearts End". This is
a poem which gives you a point of view of Thailand's culture and religion and
how the author shows his adoration to his religion. This literary piece mainly
talks about the divine law, established by Buddha since Chayasi Suntophiphit
is a Thai writer and the religion he follows is Buddhism where they believe in
the divine law.

This poem has a wonderful meaning that gives you greater faith in your
religion. And, not only that, it gives you motivation. That our God is here and
is guiding us so whenever we feel like we're walking to a dark path, there is
always a "LIGHT" that is there to be with us.

"Till hearts end" is a literary poem that pictures the elements of light and
darkness, death and life, loneliness and happiness which create the
wholeness of man's journey towards his Divine Creator. The elements of
poetry and devices used figure of speech (Simile) like "Words like drops
from heaven", "clear light inside me", "pushes the wild , heavy night back".
This poem used the meter form device with free verse line and stanzas and
refrain method like "Through the sky splits and crackles" and "Though a
rooster's hurried crowning jars my ears..." Elements that made this
Chayasi's poem most appealing to the readers and created some depth of
understanding regarding the poet's culture and environment. Think what
Chayasi had in mind then begin to feel your hearts beat.
Till Hearts End (By: Chayasi Suntophiphit)

My mind glows Knows no fear of the darkness and its tight web,
Though the stars blur and the moon’s dim rays
Are sucked into nothingness,
And the oneness of man still cannot be found;

Though the sky splits and crackles,

Drops no gentle music,
Though a rooster’s hurried crowing jars my ears,
And a frightened dog goes whimpering up and down.

This clear light inside me

Pushes the wild, heavy night back;
It will never flicker, it can never change,
Neither pain nor sorrow can reach it.
The earth swings in circles:
Soon, the light must break through the dawn
Hanging, golden and clear over all the world, men
Living like men.

In the lonely night I lie listening to my own heart,

The darkness so thick I could lose my way
Except for the faint, echoing chant
Of the most precious words ever written.

Words like drops from heaven

Falling like wisdom, strength, peace, beauty, into waiting heart,
These two small hands will move as this mind leads them,
Will carry Buddha’s divine law
Here to this earth, until this heart no longer beats.
Understanding Symbolism in Literature

Symbolism in literature is very important in order for you to fully

understand the theme of the story and what the author wants to truly
convey to the readers. Understanding the symbolism in literature pieces is
necessary when you are doing book reports or reviews about the book. Here
are some ways on how you can identify and understand the symbolism in a
literature piece.

Usually in literature, objects are used for representing ideas. The United
States is symbolized by the American bald eagle which also symbolizes
freedom and democracy. You have to learn to associate important objects as
symbols of something.

There are signs that you can recognize if a certain object has meaning for
the author. The first sign is that it is mentioned frequently in the literature
piece. If it is often mentioned then it is probably very important. The
second sign is when an object is described with so much detail. This also
means the object is also very important.

Most often, a literature piece has lots of symbolism because of the author's
background and influence. You can familiarize yourself with the works and
style of the author. The symbol has a personal significance to the author or
it symbolizes an important issue during that time the piece was written.

It is always a good idea to trust your instinct when you feel that a certain
phrase makes you react in a different way. The author most likely put that
particular object or symbol in a particular way so that readers can be
alerted about that symbol.

It is also a good idea to look at literary reviews and criticisms. It is okay to

look at the works of others if you are just a novice or beginner. With
constant exposure and study of literature pieces, you will be familiarized
with spotting their symbolism.