Oleh: Desy Safitri

Ramayana is the most famous epic in the whole country. Ramayana originates from India which was written by Walmiki around 400 BC. The Ramayana epic story of heroism is also worldwide so that many ancient kingdoms have transposed or adapted the Ramayana story into their nations. Based on the book The Story of the Ramayana by Suryosubroto. B (2016) states that Ramayana is one of the traditional stories that is full of moral learning and good behavior. The story of the courage of the characters has also been used as a symbol for a person's behavior in real life so that many countries have adapted the story. As we know, several countries also have stories that are almost similar to Ramayana, although there are differences according to the uniqueness of each country. These countries are Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam.

One of the countries that rechauffe or adopted the Ramayana story is Thailand. Thailand also has an epic similar to Ramayana, namely Ramakien. Haryono. T in his Journal, entitled A Tie Dua Negara Ramayana, (1979) states that Ramakien was written by aristocrats during the Ayodhya era or the Ayutthaya kingdom (1350-1767 AD). The tradition of writing by these kings throughout the period from Sukhothai to Bangkok. This traditional Ramakien literature was first written by King Rama I, who later his son King Rama II (1809-1824) rewrote the Ramakien story and made a drama called Khon, which was later developed again by King Rama III, and King Rama VI ( 1910-1925) was a prominent poet and strong proponent of Thai literature at the time. King Rama VI was the person who explained and studied Ramayana studies in Thailand. He traced the source of the Ramakien, comparing the Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana. He also found that Ramakien was influenced by three sources namely Valmiki's Ramayana, Vishnu Purana, and Hamuman Nataka, in addition to the core story based on the Buddha Dasharatha Jataka. This work had an important influence on Thai literature, art and drama (khon drama).

The story of the Ramakien is almost the same as the Ramayana story but it also has several differences and uniques. This Ramakien story has different transpositions such as clothes, weapons, topography, and elements of the Thai style. The main difference between the story of the Ramayana and the Thai Ramakian is the extended role for the monkey god Hanuman and the addition of the happy ending in the Thai version. Then the Ramakien story is transposed into a mask dance drama in a Thai style, namely Khon. Khon is used as a famous drama performance and often played by Thai people. Khon was first exhibited to the public since the reign of King Rama VI, followed by his son King Rama VII in the Ayodhya era or the Ayutthaya kingdom. The Khon drama also has two characters, the good characters and the evil characters. The good characters was played by Rama and his brother Laksmana, who were dressed in silver knight-style clothes with shoulders and horns curved. The crown that is worn is similar to temple decorations in Thailand, tapering upwards to resemble a stupa. What distinguishes the good characters from the evil characters is the crown and wearing the Khon mask. The evil characters of the crown depicts two giant heads with black faces resembling the masks worn by the players, and wearing a Khon (mask).

This Khon drama takes the story from Ramakien. The story begins when Rama, Laksmana and Sinta are chatting in the dandaka forest and are seduced by a golden deer that turns out to be the incarnation of the giant City of Longka (Alengka). Sinta is kidnapped by Thotsakan (Rahwana) who incarnates as a poor hermit. However, there is a different version of the Ramayana story in that the Thai version does not have a Jatayu (giant bird) trying to grab Sinta from Rahwana's hands. Rama, assisted by Hanoman and the monkey troops, invaded Alengka and took back Sinta.

The musical accompaniment in the Khon drama consists of two gamelan-like gambang in Javanese gamelan and one that resembles Bonang except that it has a circular shape, one drum and one fiddle-like string instrument and a flute-like wind instrument. And two puppeteers, a man and a woman, who become the narrators and the dialogue. The voice of the dalang lilts like a priest chanting a spell. The musical instrument used to accompany Khon is called a piphat. Piphat consists of wind instruments, drums, xylophone, and kecrek.

So, the Thai Ramakien story is a rechauffe or adaptation of the Ramayana epic originating from India. The epic Ramayana epic has inspired many other countries because of the traditional story which is full of moral learning. One of them is Thailand. Thailand has a story that is almost similar to the Ramayana, namely Ramakien. This Ramakien has different transpositions such as unique clothes, weapons, topography and elements of the Thai style. Then the story of this Ramakien is shaped into a drama performance that is often played by Thai people. This khon drama is one of the traditional literary legacies that have existed since the days of the Ayutthaya kingdom. Khon tells the story of Laksmana and Sinta chatting in the dandaka forest and being seduced by a golden deer that turns out to be the incarnation of the giant City of Longka (Alengka). Sinta is kidnapped by Thotsakan (Rahwana) who incarnates as a poor hermit. However, there is a different version of the Ramayana story in that the Thai version does not have a Jatayu (giant bird) trying to grab Sinta from Rahwana's hands. The actors or players use dance-pantomime along with narration sung by storytellers accompanied by singers and piphat orchestral instruments.