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Sinxay: Renaissance of a Lao-Thai Epic Hero, by Peter Whittlesey, Baythong Whittlesey
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Sinxay: Renaissance of a Lao-Thai Epic Hero brings to Western readers a time-honored, legendary, 17th-century story of gallant virtue and astonishing acts of selfless bravery. This is courageously exemplified by Sinxay, born holding a bow, arrows, and a sword.
The retelling of Sinxay is followed by an additional four scholarly chapters explaining the history, literature, religion, and geographical locations associated with Sinxay. Although not an academic book, the authors careful discussion of the Buddhist framing of the text and its literary, artistic and cultural impact, combined with vivid and plentiful illustrations, results in a book of real interest to scholars and students as well to the general reader.
In this updated translation of a Lao-Thai classic, Sinxay sets out on a harrowing journey to liberate Soumountha, beloved sister of his father, Phanya (King) Kousarat. Soumountha, her grace and virtue surpassing those of any other woman in the Pengchan kingdom, is abducted at the beginning of the story by an ogre king named Koumphan, with extraordinary powers from a distant kingdom.
Kousarat is devastated. Deciding temporarily to renounce the throne, he becomes a Buddhist monk, feeling the need to calm his mind. Once achieving equanimity he leaves the kingdom to search for his sister. On his journey and during morning alms in a faraway city, he meets seven beautiful sisters, who later become his wives. The youngest sister, Loun, and his first Queen Chanta, pray to the god Indra, who hears their prayers and chooses three of his sons to go to Earth. Loun gives birth to twins: Sangthong, who has the body of a conch shell, and Sinxay, who is born holding a sword, bow, and arrows. Chanta gives birth to Siho, with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. Loun s six sisters give birth to normal-looking sons.
Loun and Chanta and their sons are banished from the palace because of the babies strange appearance. Indra seeing their hardships while trying to struggle to survive in the forest builds a small palace for them where the three brothers grow in strength and splendor.
Meanwhile, Sinxay's six half-brothers grow up in the palace, deceitful and dishonest. After Kousarat requests they rescue Soumountha, the six brothers leave the palace, and after many misadventures, eventually meet Sinxay. It s then they trick him into believing the king chose Sinxay to be the one to rescue Soumountha. Embarking on an arduous quest, Sinxay eventually rescues her. This leads to two battles against the ogres, and in the second battle Koumphan is killed.
As they are returning to the king s palace, Sinxay s six brothers push him over a waterfall, eager to take sole credit for rescuing Soumountha. But unknown to all, Indra descends from the heavens and brings Sinxay back to life.
The king eventually learns the truth and the six brothers are put in jail. The king leaves to search for Sinxay, and after being reunited, Sinxay returns to become king. Shortly thereafter the heavenly ogre king descends to earth and brings Koumphan back to life. Still full of rage, Koumphan travels to Pengchan and abducts Soumountha, and Sinxay.
When Indra sees what has taken place, he descends and counsels Koumphan. Koumphan s anger finally dissipates and he agrees to ask for Soumountha s hand in marriage. Accepting his proposal, they marry, and Koumphan builds a saphanthong, a golden bridge connecting the two kingdoms, a symbol of alliance.
Printed in full color this book is worthy of being on anyone's coffee table. It will be a joy to anyone interested in Southeast Asian history and Buddhism. Just like the golden bridge created at the end of the story, the authors have built a bridge of understanding between cultures.
- Sales Rank: #1669643 in Books
- Published on: 2015-12-15
- Binding: Perfect Paperback
- 320 pages
Review
Retelling a great Lao-Thai tale: A richly illustrated version of a classic
The plot in Sinxay is a classic quest in which a hero prince is banished by the machinations of evil siblings, travels long through forest and mountain, defeats many fearsome enemies, and is eventually celebrated in a great homecoming. Old versions were written in verse for recitation at festivals. Key scenes were popular with artists painting temple murals. During the nationalist era in the 1940s, the great litterateur of Laos, Maha Sila Viravong, began a prose version in a conscious attempt to create a Lao national literature. More recently, Sinxay has been celebrated as a kind of national hero in Laos. In 2005, Khon Kaen municipality adopted Sinxay as symbol of , and characters from the tale sprouted on the peaks of the city's lampposts.
Peter Whittlesey, an American photographer, and his Lao wife Baythong became fascinated by the Sinxay story and its modern revival. They spent a decade translating the texts, visiting the sites, photographing the murals, and interviewing the monks, writers, performers, and politicians involved in the Sinxay revival in Laos and Isan. The result is this self-published book now available on Amazon.
In old Southeast Asia, tales were public property. Authors freely updated old plots and borrowed good bits from other stories. Wisely the Whittleseys have not tried to locate an "original" or "correct" version of Sinxay. They call their contribution a "retelling" in the spirit of this flexible tradition. They have used the modern Lao prose versions for their outline, but have added detail from the old verse manuscripts which legendarily date back to the sixteenth century. They have written this retelling in readable modern prose with minimal academic clutter.
Words are only part of the story. There are pictures too, lots of them. A prominent Vientiane artist, Khamla Phanyasith, has contributed a series of paintings on the tale. An American illustrator, Nick Bowen, has imagined some of the key scenes in a graphic modern style, and also carefully redrawn scenes from temple murals in order to eliminate the deterioration of age. In addition there is Peter Whittlesey's very fine photography of temples, murals, door panels, statuary, textiles, landscape, and public art from all over Laos and Isan. It's a very graphic and beautiful book.
Sinxay has probably become so popular because it is more complex and more subtle than many such quest stories. Sinxay is not just a prince who gets the girl in the end. Indeed, he has no "love interest" in the tale. The object of his quest is his aunt, his father's beloved sister. He is not a strapping superhero, but appealingly small and vulnerable. He is also properly human. In a climactic scene, he disrupts the easy and obvious resolution of the plot by being downright stubborn.
A strong theme of the tale is about overcoming conflict based on difference. Sinxay and his two brothers are banished at the start of the tale because they are born looking different from the normal, but are eventually acclaimed as heroes. The aunt is abducted by an ogre but then falls in love with him and initially does not want to be rescued. At the end, conflicts between humans, ogres, snakes, and birds are all resolved by a Buddhist belief in the unity of life. I suspect this theme lies behind the tale's long popularity among the jumbled peoples of Southeast Asia, and behind its modern revival.
The Whittleseys have produced an unusual and beautiful book. Baythong has contributed her memory of hearing the story as a child while Peterhas a photographer's eye for graphic detail. The book not only provides an English-language version of one of the great stories of the Southeast Asian region, but is also a fascinating study of the politics of literary revival.
Dr Chris Baker, editor, Journal of the Siam Society
This important new contribution to Lao literature in English retells the Sinxay story with vivid clarity and authenticity. The authors have presented the spirited tale of a major Lao hero and his family within the interpretative contexts of Lao culture, the contemporary renaissance of Sinxay in the Isan culture of Thailand, the history of Lao literature, and the Bodhisattva tradition of the Buddhist Jataka stories. What makes this book an especially lively and timely contribution are the fabulous illustrations. The photos by the authors and the paintings by several artists are outstanding, and they enhance the graceful and animated story that the authors have carefully crafted. A must read for anyone interested in Southeast Asian literature.
Dr. Ellison Findly, Chair, Religious Studies, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
The mythical Lao culture hero Sinxay is vividly brought to life in this new publication by Peter and Baythong Whittlesey, faithfully detailing the centuries old story. Their book is not only cogently written, it is also beautifully illustrated with a combination of commissioned paintings, enhanced temple murals and creative photography. The book emphasizes the the moral and ethical principles which underlay an ancient poem once faithfully recited in temples throughout Laos and northeast Thailand at crucial festivals and life crisis rites. Sinxay also brings the importance and relevance of the story directly into the modern world with analysis of contemporary textile design, Buddhist temple decoration, and contemporary interpretation of a key culture hero. The clear, concise and fluid style of this book makes it relevant for area studies scholars, students of Southeast Asia and the general public alike. This modern reinterpretation of a story never before available to English language readers will be a valuable addition to any library. As the first English presentation of the story of Sinxay this book is a remarkable initial contribution by two independent scholars based in Sacramento, California.
Dr. Eric Crystal, Vice-Chair, Center for Southeast Asia Studies. U.C. Berkeley (Ret.)
Although a centuries old tale from another culture, Sinxay is a fascinating story, one that even young adults can understand and enjoy. At the same time it's also incredibly complex, adding meanings and layers of subtlety that will affect all readers. It has a bit of everything; intriguing drama, mysterious creatures, first romances, long relationships, interesting characters, rigorous challenges, and life lessons.
The traditional hero's quest made famous by Joseph Campbell can be seen reflected in the arduous journey undertaken by Sinxay. Letting my mind absorb the story, along with the beautiful illustrations and photos, was a powerful experience imparting a message that I found resonated within my heart and soul as it describes a truth about all people and the world we share.
As I read Sinxay, I was captivated, educated, and enlightened to the similarities and differences between my culture and other cultures. I was moved to sadness but also enthused with great joy. As I learned more about the story's extensive history, what it means to the people who created the story, the amazing architecture and culture associated with Sinxay, and the social structure that it has infused into the Lao-Thai community, I was mesmerized. It gave me completely new insights into an unfamiliar culture and revealed how to use the lessons that this story teaches in my own life.
Joni Wilson, Professional Editor
About the Author
Peter has been an educator for over thirty years and is currently a high school librarian in Sacramento, CA. Peter began traveling to Laos in 1998 when most people believed Laos was a country wrapped in mystery and too difficult to attempt to travel to. Peter quit his job teaching in 2000 and moved to Laos, wanting to learn the language and immerse himself in the culture. During the year he lived in Laos he worked on a variety of research projects and traveled throughout the country photography the amazing diversity of the country and its people. His award-winning photographs of Laos since then have been published in numerous journals.
Peter met his wife, Baythong (Bai), in 2001, and they were married in Laos in 2002. Bai came to the states in 2003 and became a naturalized citizen in 2006. They have a daughter, Phetmany Sidachan, born in April 2012. They have been living in Sacramento since 2003, yet continue to visit Laos yearly.
Bai grew up in a village where many of the women are weavers, and Bai too, was taught to weave at a young age. Before they became aware of Sinxay, Peter and Bai made a decision to establish an online business to promote Lao weavers and their beautiful textiles, which they named Laos Essential Artistry. Over the years they sold textiles to customers throughout the world and their website became an educational resource for anyone to learn more about the wide diversity of Lao textiles.
In 2006 Peter first learned about the story of Sinxay when Peter and Bai visited Bai s parents in Ban Na Ang, the small village where she grew up. The village is located in the Muang Fuang district in the northwestern part of Vientiane Province, known for its spectacular karst formations. One early evening as they were walking on a dirt road back to the village, they stopped to gaze where the sun was setting over the rocky limestone cliffs, serving as a backdrop to a patchwork of village rice paddies. While they were enjoying the sunset, Bai pointed to where a section of rock seemed to be missing. She told Peter that according to a local legend, it had been knocked out during a battle between a famous Lao epic hero named Sinxay, and an evil ogre named Nyak Koumphan.
This captured Peter s imagination and when Peter and Bai returned to Vientiane, the capitol city, they looked to see if there were any Lao versions of Sinxay in book form. Luckily they found one, and over the next two years Bai and Peter painstakingly translated the Lao prose version of Sinxay into English. It was during this lengthy process of translation that they decided they wanted to write a book about Sinxay.
This decision lead them on a quest to learn as much as they could about Sinxay. Over the next six years they traveled throughout Laos and Isan, interviewing monks, community and government officials, exploring hundreds of Buddhist temples and taking extensive photos of Sinxay murals at older temples in Isan. While it was their translation of Sinxay that initiated their six-year quest, what they learned while researching Sinxay motivated them to use the translation as a base for writing a more extensive retelling of Sinxay.
Their intent in writing Sinxay was not to produce an authoritative text (though they hope others may be motivated to pursue this path after reading the book) but to have Sinxay come alive by telling the story in such a way that it is meaningful for readers today, while remaining faithful to the original Sang Sinxay as written more than 350 years ago.
Peter and Bai will be giving two presentations on Sinxay in Bangkok in July 2016, one for the triennial Lao Studies Conference, and one for the Siam Society.
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Sinxay: A great Lao epic tale where love and the dharma conquer anger, greed and ignorance
By Dr. Lia Genovese
https://www.amazon.com/Sinxay-Renaissance-Lao-Thai-Epic-Hero/dp/0996299025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474344411&sr=8-1&keywords=sinxay
Much has been written about Sinxay, the tale of the eponymous Lao hero written in the seventeenth century, when northeast Thailand (present-day Isan province) was part of the powerful Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang.
This modern-day retelling, by Peter Whittlesey and Baythong Sayouvin Whittlesey, is lavishly illustrated. The illustrations cover murals from temples in Laos and Thailand. Numerous murals have been retouched, redrawn or creatively redrawn to great effect, as explained in the Reader’s Guide section.
It is the murals from temples in Khon Kaen, in Thailand’s Isan province, a former Lao territory, that are particularly captivating, because they testify to the town’s embodiment of this enduring Lao myth. In 2005, officials at Khon Kaen Municipality, under the leadership of past mayor Peerapol Pattanapeeradej, chose Sinxay as the new symbol of the city. A forced separation between the cultures of Laos and Thailand may be historically debatable, due to the shared histories that for centuries have bound these two countries together.
The story revolves around a royal family headed by King Phanya Kousarat, whose several consorts give birth to a total of nine sons. Six of these sons turned out to be fully human, albeit duplicitous cowards, while the other three sons were banished from the royal palace on account of their non-human appearance. The three brothers with supernatural qualities – Sinxay, Siho and Sangthong – are characters that children everywhere are sure to call their own favourite heroes. Sinxay, small in stature but mighty with his God-given bow, arrows and sword; Siho, a lasasee, embodying wisdom in his elephantine half and threatening strength in his leonine half; Sangthong, a conch shell, is Sinxay’s twin brother born to Queen Loun.
King Kousarat pains for Soumountha, his beloved sister abducted years earlier by Nyak Koumphan, king of the ogres. Treachery ensues when the six dishonest brothers try to take credit after Sinxay successfully rescues Soumountha from Koumphan’s clutches. There is very little in the way of recognition from Soumountha, who has come to love her abductor and resists attempts at being reunited with her human family at Muang Pengchan, ruled by her brother King Phanya Kousarat. The indissoluble bond between Soumountha and Koumphan mirrors the love and affection that have guided the decade-long efforts of Peter and Baythong Whittlesey in bringing this retelling to life, a much-needed contribution to Western knowledge and understanding of Lao culture, literature, religion and myths.
Sinxay is a Bodhisattva, an awakened warrior endowed with great strength of character in the service of others. Just like the lotus emerges from muddy water as the floral symbol of Buddhism, there is salvation in sight for the nyaks, the powerful and cruel ogres who eventually embrace the dharma taught by Sinxay. The lotus flower is the human being that rises above his past and present misdeeds to attain enlightenment, similarly to the nyaks crossing the saphanthong bridge, representing a new beginning filled with a new alliance, friendship, love, understanding and the dharma.
The retelling is arranged over 37 chapters, recounting the story from the birth of Sinxay to the pacification between the two muangs inhabited by humans and ogres respectively, connected by the saphanthong bridge. The story evolves further with four essays discussing Sinxay as a Jātaka tale, Sang Sinxay as a masterpiece of Lao literature, the renaissance of Sinxay in Isan and on localising Sinxay in Laos.
Parallels have been drawn with the Ramayana, another great Southeast Asian myth. This Lao epic tale could also represent the futility of war. Great and bloody battles are fought, with loss of life in the millions, but ultimately the ogres’ anger, greed and ignorance, which had poisoned their thinking for so long, dissipate with the construction of the saphanthong bridge, a visual construct for the truce between two warring factions and the independent third party that is able to bring the two sides to the negotiating table.
The authors of this retelling have added onto the translation a second “ending”, being the version known in Isan. This is another effort at making this great tale accessible to a wide audience, also through the Reader’s Guide, which provides helpful details on scenes translated from the original Sang Sinxay, the six stages in the hero’s journey, a discussion of magic and supernatural abilities embodied by Sinxay and explanations for including redrawn mural details as illustrations.
The narrative is engaging and easy-flowing. It is a credit to the authors of this retelling that the book is accessible to adults and children alike, a rare occurrence in modern literature, often characterised by a marked divide between works for the grown-ups and literature for the young.
In September 2016, Barack Obama, the first sitting US president to visit Laos, acknowledged that “In literature, like the epic of Sinxay, we see the values that define the people of Laos such as compassion, resilience and hope.” A great endorsement and a crowning glory for all the past and present scholars involved in making this great Lao tale known to a wider audience.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
A charming mystical tale filled with candy for the eyes!
By D. Perdue
This tale of Sinxay is compelling and fascinating. I'm so glad I learned about the epic story of Sinxay through this book. The authors have researched the subject so well, and the book includes the retelling of the tale of Sinxay's courage and bravery in his hero's journey, and is interspersed with the author's beautiful photographs of Lao, including mamy depictions of the Sinxay story on temple doors and walls. The book is also filled with rich, colorful illustrations by artists. I especially like how the pictures inform the text that is nearby. Although it is a 300 page book, it is very well-written and easy to read, and includes history, geography, and religious background. I enjoyed this book thoroughly!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
A Remarkable Book
By Conation
Having edited two small history magazines, I know the time and effort it takes an author to research, document, and produce a scholarly work. Attracted by the beautiful cover I eagerly thumbed through the beautifully illustrated book after receiving it and was delighted. Peter Whittlesey and his wife, Baythong, have produced a meticulously researched and scholarly book that will please anyone who is interested in Lao-Thai epic mythology and Buddhism.
The story itself covers thirty-seven chapters through the birth of Sinxay to the eventual era of peace between the two warring kingdoms of the nyak and Sinxay’s Muang Pengchan, wherein a golden bridge, a saphanthong, is built between them.
Four scholarly chapters follow the story of Sinxay, with beautiful artwork and photographs liberally intertwined with the text, which is written in a familiar, readable manner, helping the reader understand the story’s background without being overwhelmed by the usual academic prose.
The book would be an attractive coffee table piece for any book lover. It also is a treasury of Lao-Thai folklore and will be a joy to any person who is interested in Southeast Asian history and Buddhism. Children will also enjoy having this exciting story read to them, especially because of the rich illustrations.
Just like the golden bridge in the story, the authors have built a bridge of understanding between cultures. A remarkable book. I highly recommend it.
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