RAMAYANA EPIC: CORPOREAL NARRATIVES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The Ramayana epic of India, have been interpreted in subtle ways in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This process is often referred to as the "indigenization of Ramayana" in Southeast Asia whilst the epic themes and ideals of righteous behaviour, loyalty to family and kingdom, and the balancing of good and evil, provide an opportunity for the expression of local cultural identity in epic dance dramas. As a living tradition, the Ramayana dance drama portrays cultural, historical, religious, and political values throughout Southeast Asia commonly associated with the lineages of the ruling monarchs with the divine creator. This paper will discuss the transformation of the Ramayana epic into corporeal narratives from the social-cultural contexts of divinity, kingship and society.