Phnom Chiso temple (Photo: Koh Santepheap)Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Koh Santepheap
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Phnom Chiso is located in Sla commune, Samrong district, Takeo province. The Phnom Chiso temple was built during three consecutive reigns before it was finally completed: its construction was started by King Suryavarman I between 1002 and 1045, followed by King Tharninvarman I between 1107 and 1113, and the last king who completed this temple was King Suryavarman II (the builder of Angkor Wat) between 1113 and 1145.
An inscription can be read in this temple stating: “Be strong like an ant, powerful as a ghost and audacious as a woman.” Based on legend told by villagers living near Phnom Chiso, once upon a time, King Suryadeva celebrated his son’s birthday. Numerous mandarins and Brahmans came to give their blessings to the prince. An old Brahman was presiding over the ceremony, and he was the last one to give his blessings to the prince. However, his blessing was quite different from all other people:
According to Book No. 1 of the Khmer legends collected by Dr Michel Tranet, a Cambodian historian, about the history of Khmer temples, Dr. Tranet indicated that, for the first blessing, the Brahman ordered that a piece of steel the size of a human being be brought forward. The steel piece was about the same size and height of a human being, he then ordered a man to lift this piece of steel, but the man could not. He then ordered that a steel needle be cut to the size of an ant, and he dipped the piece of needle in honey and left it near an ant which carried it away.
For the second blessing about being as powerful as a ghost, he ordered that 7 dead bodies be buried next to each other in a desolated mount. One of the dead body was that of a woman who died while giving birth, another body from a person who died from snake bite, another one who died by a buffalo horn attack, another one died from lightning strike, another died from being hacked to death, another one who died from drowning, and another person who died from hanging himself. The 7 bodies were buried far away from any village, and 7 precious silver bowls were also buried next the head of each of the dead persons, next to each grave, offerings and white cloth will be left there as well. He then ordered daring people to go dig out the silver the bowl to keep for themselves during the middle of the night while candle sticks are burnt at each grave. During that time, no soldiers dared to go dig out the silver bowls, that was why the Brahman wished the prince to be as powerful as a ghost.
For the third blessing, the Brahman called in a poor man and told him in secret that if he was willing to kill his wife, he will given a high ranking position. The poor man refused to do so. Next, the Brahman called in the man’s wife and told her in secret that if she was willing to kill her husband, she would receive a lot of gold and silver as reward. After thinking about it overnight, the woman came back and replied that she was willing to do it. There it was! The wife was audacious enough to kill her husband. That was why the Brahman wished the young prince to be as audacious as a woman. Upon learning all these facts from the Brahman, the king nominated him as the top erudite in the kingdom and he wished the Brahman to have all his wishes fulfilled in life. He further made the Brahman the teacher for the prince from then on.
In the legend told by the villagers, there are some details that are added or removed to illustrate the words etched on the stone inscription so that they could be easily understood by anybody.
An inscription can be read in this temple stating: “Be strong like an ant, powerful as a ghost and audacious as a woman.” Based on legend told by villagers living near Phnom Chiso, once upon a time, King Suryadeva celebrated his son’s birthday. Numerous mandarins and Brahmans came to give their blessings to the prince. An old Brahman was presiding over the ceremony, and he was the last one to give his blessings to the prince. However, his blessing was quite different from all other people:
- May you be strong like an ant
- May you be powerful like a ghost
- May you be audacious like a woman
According to Book No. 1 of the Khmer legends collected by Dr Michel Tranet, a Cambodian historian, about the history of Khmer temples, Dr. Tranet indicated that, for the first blessing, the Brahman ordered that a piece of steel the size of a human being be brought forward. The steel piece was about the same size and height of a human being, he then ordered a man to lift this piece of steel, but the man could not. He then ordered that a steel needle be cut to the size of an ant, and he dipped the piece of needle in honey and left it near an ant which carried it away.
For the second blessing about being as powerful as a ghost, he ordered that 7 dead bodies be buried next to each other in a desolated mount. One of the dead body was that of a woman who died while giving birth, another body from a person who died from snake bite, another one who died by a buffalo horn attack, another one died from lightning strike, another died from being hacked to death, another one who died from drowning, and another person who died from hanging himself. The 7 bodies were buried far away from any village, and 7 precious silver bowls were also buried next the head of each of the dead persons, next to each grave, offerings and white cloth will be left there as well. He then ordered daring people to go dig out the silver the bowl to keep for themselves during the middle of the night while candle sticks are burnt at each grave. During that time, no soldiers dared to go dig out the silver bowls, that was why the Brahman wished the prince to be as powerful as a ghost.
For the third blessing, the Brahman called in a poor man and told him in secret that if he was willing to kill his wife, he will given a high ranking position. The poor man refused to do so. Next, the Brahman called in the man’s wife and told her in secret that if she was willing to kill her husband, she would receive a lot of gold and silver as reward. After thinking about it overnight, the woman came back and replied that she was willing to do it. There it was! The wife was audacious enough to kill her husband. That was why the Brahman wished the young prince to be as audacious as a woman. Upon learning all these facts from the Brahman, the king nominated him as the top erudite in the kingdom and he wished the Brahman to have all his wishes fulfilled in life. He further made the Brahman the teacher for the prince from then on.
In the legend told by the villagers, there are some details that are added or removed to illustrate the words etched on the stone inscription so that they could be easily understood by anybody.
If Khmers enjoy peace and stability, things would gradually change and we could enjoy more kinds of legends. I know we have a lot to tell before those elders leave the world.
ReplyDeleteTo avoid bloodshed, national traitors, murderers ... must be punished by the God. Please God, you know better than we do who are the bad guys.
May every Khmer keeps nation, her people, and peace first!
I went to visit Phnom Chiso a year ago. I was interested to learn about the history of the place, so I asked the older lady selling drinks on the mountain top. I was told the mountain used to be thick with trees and bambos in the 60s. Then the war came, the place was bombed and people were cutting down the trees around the temple mountain to plant rice. The mountain top was also a stragetic location during the war too.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to think our ancestors spent hundreds of years to build such temple/temples and only to be destroyed by wars so called our smarter era people. Now the place is no long thick with trees as I would imagine when it was in the 60s.
To be fair, it is not only at Phnom Chiso that trees were so thick and were cut. Forest in Amazon, Florida, South Korea, England... were also cut.
ReplyDelete9:13 PM,
ReplyDeleteI came from a village near Phnom Chiso. In the 60s, the area was not filled with thick trees and bamboos. What you see right now is about the same as it was before, though there may be some trees taken down along the slope of the mountain.
There were buses that brought tourists to visit Phnom Chiso in the 60s as well.
yes, as a khmer person, myself i get drew and get so interested in ancient khmer legends and folklores. they fasinate me, to say the least. this is what creates unique culture and tradition in races all over the world, their unique legends and folklores which i have no doubt were once based or derived from perhaps some true story to it. they are old stories, thus are called legends and folklores to teach new generation of people the old wise. god bless cambodia.
ReplyDeletenot to mention, this stone inscription is part of the rich khmer history and culture. god bless cambodia.
ReplyDeleteFuck you all Xhmers. Use your brain it is technology era not motherfucker ants, ghosts or whatsoever!
ReplyDelete