sign in sign up
<<
Home , Dragon, Mount Meru (Buddhism)

IAR Journal of Humanities and Social Science ISSN Print : 2708-6259 | ISSN Online : 2708-6267 Frequency: Bi-Monthly Language: Multilingual Origin: KENYA Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/IARJHSS Research Article

Meaning of Water Sources of Naga Icons in Southeast Asian Culture and South Khmer Culture Abstract: Article History

Received: 28.11.2020

Accepted: 13.12.2020

Revision: 23.12.2020

Published: 29.12.2020

Author Details 1 2 Hoang Si Ngoc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu Keywords: Authors Affiliations 1 Postgraduate- Lecturer – Tra Vinh University, 1. PEN THE EGINNING Vietnam O B Dictionary of world cultural symbols has noted: “The visible is just a 2Doctor - Lecturer - Hanoi National University fleeting embodiment of an Invisible Great Snake, causal and African - time, the of Education, Quang Nam branch, Vietnam owner of the living being and all both natural powers. It was the first ancient deity Corresponding Author* we met at the beginning of all legends of cosmic formation, before being deposed Bùi Thị Minh Thu by the intellectual religions of human beings. It is the breath of life and the How to Cite the Article: maintenance. On the human level, it is the dual symbol of the soul and sensuality Hoàng Sỹ Ngọc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu(2020); (...) The snake is the most important original form of the human soul "(Chevalier. Meaning Of Water Sources of Naga Icons in J., & Gheebrant, A, editors 1997). This basic pattern maintains in the world Southeast Asian Culture and South Khmer cultures the values of symbols from solid images. Culture.IAR J Huma Soc Sci; 2020; 1(4): 292- 296. As well as the Naga symbol in India; in Vietnam, China, ... the Naga Copyright @ 2020: This is an open-access article symbol has traveled with the years, living forever in the culture of the Khmer distributed under the terms of the Creative people of the South with many rich meanings, in which this symbol has the Commons Attribution license which permits meaning of the country and the meaning of nation-building is the deepest. unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non commercial use (NonCommercial, CC-BY-NC) provided the 2. CONTENT original author and source are credited. 2.1. The Naga symbol means water DOI:10.47310/jiarjhss.v01i04.010 Water is the most important factor in human life. For residents of wet rice farming, water is a prerequisite to ensure the freshness of the crop. From the beginning, water was an elusive factor because of its dependence on the "God" - the weather. Lack of water, , flood of water. Some measures of irrigation, irrigation or dike, although most have helped people to regulate the amount of water, but in the minds of people living in the area of wet rice farming, water is always the factor that they cannot. catch up. With a zigzag shape resembling the rivers and the sneaky characteristics of , residents of wet rice farming draped on the snake a magical element to transform into a / Naga - symbol statue associated with water.

Some researchers believe that the concept of Dragon / Naga is derived from the words that indicate water. From the Yangtze river basin to the south, where many rivers, streams, ponds and lakes appear ... Ta Duc in the Origin and development of Dong Son's symbolic and linguistic architecture said that the words Rong refer to regarding water: “Dragon (Vietnamese) = rong / (Muong, Old Khmer, Proto Mong Dao) = rmeh (Mnong) = Krung / grung (Dao, Han Ancient) = hung (Khamti) = rung / luong (Thai ) = song (Dioi) = krung / rung (Ancient Han) = long (Sino-Vietnamese) = Kalong (Dayak) = Prao (Bana) = mrai (Ede) = Na grai (Giarai) ... "[2, p.217 ].

The concept of Dragon / Naga meaning water is the most universal concept in the East. The origin of this concept is due to the natural conditions (geography - climate) of this region. The natural environment of the residents of the East is hot and rainy, creating plains along the river basins. The constant obsession with residents is water. Water is an indispensable element in life as well as in agricultural production labor. Sufficient water will help plants, crops lush; Too much water causes devastating floods. With very vague explanations at the dawn of humankind, the inhabitants of this region used mythical and strange stories to explain those phenomena, and then sanctified and worshiped them. into the gods. According to Ernest Ingersoll: The concept in the word "dragon" dates from the beginning of recorded human thoughts about the mysteries of the thinker and his world. It is associated with the powers and actions of the first gods, and like those powers and actions, it is ambiguous, fluid and contradictory in its properties, maintained only from From beginning to end a defining characteristic - associated with water and water control [3, p.2].

292

Hoàng Sỹ Ngọc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu; IAR J Huma Soc Sci; Vol-1, Iss- 4 (Nov-Dec, 2020): 292-296

The concept of the Eastern inhabitants of the In our country in Ha Tinh province, there is a river Dragon / Naga in the early days was: the supreme being called Gar. But Gar or Nak in Muong people or in some of the air; the mysterious breath of the person pervades; areas of Vietnamese in Thanh Hoa, Water in control cloud; contain wet air; cool the earth. In Vietnamese, Drak, Dlak, Lak, lat, in the Central countries of Northeast Asia and Vietnam, the Dragon / Highlands (Central Highlands) also have only one Naga has the same meaning for water. A lot of common meaning: River and Water . Lac in Lac Viet researchers have commented on the prototype of also means water. Lac fields (Lac Dien) are groups of dragons, snakes, ... The two natural animals people living together cultivating water fields. From are attached to the water environment and are also the Dlak, Drac, Nah, etc. words have formed the concepts animals that cause fear to the inhabitants of the of the concept of Dragon in the Khmer language agricultural areas mainly grown rice. (Nagaric turned into the word Reverse (Dragon) in the Lao language ”[4, p.61-62]. It can be seen that the In the world no one, no nation can live without concept of dragons of the people of the East has water. Human and water relations are closely similarities, however, depending on the origin and the connected, in a sense, we can say that the civilized historical change process, the names differ. history of man is represented by the relationship between man and water. Due to natural conditions, According to Luong Ninh: "Angko: Nagara: agricultural life, are attached to the Water, Country", so Angko = Nagara = Water country. The ancient Vietnamese were famous for their (Country)? If we trace back the etymology of the word excellent dive, skillful swimming, good at warships, Water (Country = Country, according to the Vietnamese good at sailing. Water is soft and weak, but it is a great alphabet system) then Country = country = agent, creating a brilliant civilization: wet rice (geolocation) of land + water area. Thus Naga also agriculture civilization. Wet rice has become typical for means Water, with the original meaning being a water most Asian peoples in general and Vietnam in object. Accordingly, when the Khmer came to the particular, including the Southern Khmer. Making rice capital (Nagarapura) of Funan and they called this place and planting cash crops should take care of irrigation. Angkor Borei (this is another way of calling Water is the most important factor: "most water, second Nagarapura, after the sound of the Khmer) [5, p.20]. division, tam need, four varieties". Because water is Here, it is clear that naga is closely related to water. essential for farmers, rainwater bridges, water dance dances, and boat racing are stirring during the festivals. The legend of founding the nation of the If a mascot of the Vietnamese nation originated from Khmer is related to the element of water as an the country, it is the image of the dragon - the source of expression of the consciousness of water on the basis of the nation: The Dragon and the descended on the wet rice agriculture civilization. The paintings or legend of "Lac Long Quan, Au Co and the hundred egg drawings show the image of a snake curled from the top sacs", The Khmer also have a mascot, Naga, with the of the mountain down to the foot of Meru clockwise, to Dragon family meaning water. Among the laws of symbolize the water that carries life that God gives to language formation, there is a rule that comes from humans. Motip appears popularly in the flagpoles of the river elements or activities on a river. Statistics in folk current Khmer architecture. The form of a solid songs and folk songs of the Southern region have up to motip that scrolls clockwise or vice versa, which was 48 natural images related to waterways, appearing common in prehistoric coastal waters and mainland 2,149 times. Water is the germ of life but also the Southeast Asia. The ancients used them as ornaments circuit of death. It has both a rebuild function and a on the roof or bow to symbolize the movement of the destructive power. For the Vietnamese and the Khmer, sun, stars, wind and oceans. when ancient people had no way of coping with floods, for them the disaster was both obnoxious and scary, Like Vietnamese people, Khmer people are they dreamed from within the community that there was typical wet rice farmers. Because living mainly on wet a talented person who could rule. Thuy, bringing rice farming, after the land is the most important factor peaceful life in the community. The legendary story of for the Khmer. Preliminary survey of Khmer proverbs Son Tinh Thuy Tinh of Vietnamese people or the treasure shows that out of 39 proverbs about the natural Choscham festival of Khmer people is a testament to world, there are 18 statements about the country. that. Especially, when the irrigation system and science and technology have not been developed, the crop depends The concept of Dragon in the Khmer language on the rainfall, leading to the cult of water. This belief was analyzed by the author Dang Viet Bich in the in Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta is mainly article "The Dragon - the river god": "Europeans call expressed through the worship of the four (the the dragon (ancient Roman language), Drak four gods of Cloud, Rain, Thunder, Chop), and the () and Dragon. (English and French). custom of worshiping snake - water god. Because the

293

Hoàng Sỹ Ngọc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu; IAR J Huma Soc Sci; Vol-1, Iss- 4 (Nov-Dec, 2020): 292-296 water element plays a vital role, the Khmer legend said Thong", "The two crows and the snake", "The that from the very beginning, Prince Preah Thong from story" . India to marry Princess Thuy Te, the daughter of the 9- headed snake king, that the king's father drank up the Due to the duality of snakes, at the temple of sea water to The nation of Cao Mien was founded. Ang Thom, the image of Naga snake with 7 heads is After that, every king of the Kingdom of Gao Mian had shown the most and most beautiful. At this temple, at to marry the snake princess to repay him. The snake the South gate, there are pictures of gods gripping one princess is the image of a naga snake that, according to end of the Naga , symbolically curled around legend, always lives inside the golden tower in the (the sacred mountain in India that this palace. Each night the serpent turned into a beautiful temple is considered as a symbol), its tail looped around woman and the king had to make love to him before he the North gate and was grabbed by some devils. Gods could sleep with the queen and concubines. If the king and take turns pulling the snake towards does not come every night to make love to the serpent, themselves and can turn the mountain in the middle, he will meet with disaster. Conversely, if the night of hitting the sea for divine food15. Does this image the serpent does not appear, the day of the king's death imply: water has two beneficial sides, so in to has come. have a piece of food, people have to fight to scramble from it? For the ancient Khmer, Naga snake is a The motif of a person who is associated with a magical bridge to enter the land of the gods. Therefore, snake as above is repeated many times in the treasure of along both sides of the stone bridge to the old temple of Khmer folktales such as the stories: "The snake has a Ang Co, there are pairs of idols and demons on each divine ring", "The legend of a human being" ... These side, clutching snakes to Naga. Previously, at this stories have been created based on into the bridge, there were 54 idols and 54 demons holding aforementioned "Prince Thong took the snake princess" Naga serpent on each side of the bridge, but now only a motif, but changed it to suit the momentum of the few statues remain. This 108 is the sacred number in patriarchal system: the snake acts as the husband. In Hinduism. addition, a "Savior snake - repayment" motif is quite popular as in the stories: "Chau Sanh", "Two brothers Previously, a number of individual works and the snake serpent" ... These motifs show the when researching on the Naga symbol mentioned the predestined karmic debt of Khmer Water element that meaning of this symbol in the temple or the meaning of the snake god is the symbol. Due to the influence of water, indeed the meaning of the ethnic origin of the Brahmanism, the Khmer worshiped Shiva with the Khmer in the South. During Ok-om-bok festival of image of a snake head linga. Until invaded Khmer people in the South, having a boat racing the Khmer society, the cult of water worship was festival (tuk-ngo) is one of the typical traditional integrated with the legend of the story of the Naga activities. According to the Khmer concept, the boat is serpent, lying on the body as a guardian for Buddha to the symbol of the Naga serpent, the god of water that sit on the river and rise 7 heads to spread shielding the gives life to the community. Buddha against the Maou's attack to conspire to break the decisive moment on his path of enlightenment. The With the meaning of water, the Naga symbol integration of the cult of religion into Buddhism is most of the Khmer in the South along with the dragon evident when there is a tower in the middle of the lake symbol of the Vietnamese people showed the Southeast in the city of Antennas, in which there is a bronze statue Asian culture layer on the common layer - the cultural of Buddha, at the navel of the water rising incessantly. . base of agriculture mainly cultivated wet rice. The This motif probably originated from the Brahmin residents of Southeast Asia came together to create the legend about Visnu sleeping on the Naga serpent, the symbol of the country, the origin of the crops, the lotus appearing from the navel of the god, and it was scenery ... and the naga of the Khmer in the South or from here that Brahma gave birth to the bright career. the dragon of the Vietnamese people is a symbol of create the world. If the concept of the navel is the center meaning for that desire. . On the basis of that wet-rice of life, then the image of the water coming out of the agriculture culture, each nation has built its own unique Buddha's navel assimilates the water with the vitality of culture and extremely unique symbol system. the Buddha . However, water - represented by the image of the Naga serpent - also has two sides: The wet rice civilization has directly and protecting the crop (as well as the dharma protector of strongly influenced the lifestyle, thinking, and emotions Buddhism) and destroying the crop, both helping people of the agricultural residents in general and the ethnic and harming people at the same time. Therefore, in the groups of Vietnam in particular. It is the life, the way of epic Ramayana, the story of Ravana's demons launching life of specific agricultural residents, that has weapons is frightening snakes that spit fire and venom, profoundly affected their spiritual life. And it can be with massive long fangs and Prince Rama using said that water is part of these spiritual concepts .... On thousands of eagles (). to destroy snakes. In the this level, the original meaning of the Naga symbol treasure of Khmer folk tales, there is a snake kill / when received by the Khmer people is the of python / human killer such as: "Chau Sanh - Chau nature, counteracting Khmer people's desire for a good and full life. It reflects the awareness of agricultural 294

Hoàng Sỹ Ngọc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu; IAR J Huma Soc Sci; Vol-1, Iss- 4 (Nov-Dec, 2020): 292-296 residents about the nature and habitat, of which water is symbol. Due to the influence of Brahmanism, the the most important factor. Khmer worshiped Shiva with the image of a snake head linga. Until Buddhism invaded the Khmer society, the 2.2. Naga means water in Southeast Asian and Khmer cult of water worship was integrated into the legend of Southern culture the story of the Naga serpent, lying on his side as a The legend of the founding of the Khmer people is guardian for Buddha to sit on the river and rise 7 heads related to the element of water as an expression of the to spread shielding the Buddha from rain against consciousness of water on the basis of wet rice Maou's attack to conspire to break the decisive moment agriculture civilization. The paintings or drawings on his path of enlightenment. The integration of the cult depict the image of a serpent curled from the top to the of religion into Buddhism is most evident when there is foot of Meru Mountain clockwise, to symbolize the a tower in the middle of the lake in the city of flow of life-giving water that God gives to humans. Antennas, in which there is a bronze statue of Buddha, Motip appears popularly in the flagpoles of the current at the navel of the water rising incessantly. . This motif Khmer pagoda architecture. The form of a solid motip probably originated from the Brahmin legend about that scrolls clockwise or vice versa, which was common Visnu sleeping on the Naga serpent, the lotus appearing in prehistoric coastal waters and mainland Southeast from the navel of the god, and it is from here that Asia. The ancients used them as ornaments on the roof Brahma gave birth to the bright career. create the world. or bow to symbolize the movement of the sun, stars, If the concept of the navel is the center of life, then the wind and oceans. image of the water coming out of the Buddha's navel assimilates the water with the vitality of the Buddha Like Vietnamese people, Khmer people are typical Dharma. However, water - represented by the image of wet rice farmers. Because living mainly on wet rice the Naga serpent - also has two sides: protecting the farming, after the land is the most important factor for crop (as well as the dharma protector of Buddhism) the Khmer. Preliminary survey of Khmer proverbs while destroying the crop, both helping people and treasure shows that out of 39 proverbs about the natural harming it at the same time. Therefore, in the epic world, there are 18 statements about water. Especially, Ramayana, the story of Ravana's demons launching when the irrigation system and science and technology weapons is frightening snakes that spit fire and venom, have not been developed, the harvest depends on the with huge fangs and Prince Rama using thousands of rainfall, leading to the cult of water. This belief in eagles (Garuda). to destroy snakes. In the treasure of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta is mainly Khmer folk tales, there is also a motive to kill snakes / expressed through the worship of the four dharmas (the pythons / rescues such as: "Chau Sanh - Chau Thong", four gods of Cloud, Rain, Thunder, Chop), and the "The two crows and the snake", "The python story" ... custom of worshiping snake - water god. Because the water element plays a vital role, the Khmer legend said Due to the duality of snakes, at the temple of Ang that from the very beginning, Prince Preah Thong from Thom, the image of Naga snake with the head 7 is India to marry Princess Thuy Te, the daughter of the 9- shown the most and most beautiful. At this temple, at headed snake king, that his father drank the sea water to the South gate, there are pictures of gods gripping one The nation of Cao Mien was founded. After that, every end of the Naga serpent, it symbolically curls around king of the kingdom of Gao Mian would have to marry Mount Meru (the sacred mountain in India that this the snake princess to repay him. The snake princess is temple is considered as a symbol) His tail went around the image of a naga snake that, according to legend, the North gate and was grabbed by some devils. Gods always lives inside the golden tower in the palace. Each and demons take turns pulling the snake towards night the serpent turned into a beautiful woman and the themselves and can turn the mountain in the middle, king had to make love to him before he could sleep with hitting the sea for food. Does this image imply: water the queen and concubines. If the king does not come has two beneficial sides, so in order to have a piece of every night to make love to the serpent, he will meet food, people have to fight for it? For the ancient Khmer, with calamity. Conversely, if the night of the serpent Naga snake is a magical bridge to enter the land of the does not appear, the day of the king's death has come. gods. Therefore, along both sides of the stone bridge to the ancient temple of Ang Co, there were pairs of idols The motif of the person who married the snake is and demons on each side hugging the Naga snake. repeated many times in the treasure of Khmer Previously, at this bridge, there were 54 idols and 54 such as the stories: "The snake has a ", "The demons holding Naga serpent on each side of the legend of a human being" ... These stories have been bridge, but now only a few statues remain. This 108 is created based on in the aforementioned "Prince Thong the sacred number in Hinduism. took the snake princess" motif, but changed it to suit the momentum of the patriarchal system: the snake acts as Previously, a number of individual works when the husband. In addition, a motif of "The serpent - the researching on the Naga symbol mentioned the meaning serpent" is quite popular as in the stories: "Chau Sanh", of this symbol in the temple or the meaning of water, in "The two brothers and the snake serpent" ... These fact the meaning of the ethnic origin of the Khmer in motifs show the predestined relationship of the Khmer the South. During Ok-om-bok festival of Khmer people people with Water element that the snake god is the in the South, having a boat racing festival (tuk-ngo) is 295

Hoàng Sỹ Ngọc and Bùi Thị Minh Thu; IAR J Huma Soc Sci; Vol-1, Iss- 4 (Nov-Dec, 2020): 292-296 one of the typical traditional activities. According to the become sacred, symbolic and meaning are continually Khmer concept, the boat is the symbol of the Naga enriched. Like many ethnic groups - other ethnic groups serpent, the god of water that gives life to the in the world, the Southern Khmer have inherent life and community. connection with nature - including snakes - can be said from the beginning in a natural and durable way. The With the meaning of water, the Naga symbol of the South is a region of many rivers and lakes; the climate Khmer in the South along with the dragon symbol of is hot and humid - the environment is consistent with the Vietnamese people showed the Southeast Asian snakes; Alluvial, rich creatures provide abundant food cultural layer on the common layer - the cultural base of sources for snakes so snakes abound. In that life, the agriculture mainly cultivated wet rice. The residents of snake is both a normal object (in food, medicine) and a Southeast Asia came together to create the symbol of spiritual object (in the cult of worship, worship; the country, the origin of the crops, the scenery ... and painting, sculpture; ..) becoming a mascot - the Naga the naga of the Khmer in the South or the dragon of the symbol has noble symbolic meanings: the symbol of the Vietnamese people is a symbol of meaning for that water source, the symbol of the origin; and at the same desire. . On the basis of that wet-rice agriculture culture, time with it are eternal values such as historical values, each nation has built its own unique culture and unique educational values, ... that accompany and interact with symbol system. human life. This cohesion has become an identity - a valuable cultural capital of the Southern Khmer. The wet rice civilization has directly and strongly influenced the lifestyle, thinking, and emotions of the EFERENCES agricultural residents in general and the ethnic groups of R Vietnam in particular. It is the life, the way of life of the 1. Chevalier. J., & Gheebrant, A, editors (1997). specific agricultural residents, that has profoundly Dictionary of world cultural symbols, compiled by affected their spiritual life. And it can be said that water Pham Vinh Cu, Danang Publishing House. is part of these spiritual concepts .... On this level, the 2. Tran Duc. (1999). Origin and development of original meaning of the Naga symbol when received by architecture, symbols and languages Dong Son, the Khmer people is the myth of nature, counteracting Vietnam Ethnology Association. Khmer people's desire for a good and full life. It reflects 3. Ernest Ingersoll. (1928). Dragons and his the awareness of agricultural residents about the nature knowledge of dragons, translator Do Trong Quang, and habitat, of which water is the most important factor. a document of the Museum of Fine Arts. p.2. 4. Dang Viet Bich. (2000). "The Dragon - the God of the River", Journal of Culture and Arts, No. 3. CONCLUSION 2/2000, pp.61-62. Snakes - one of the representatives of the natural 5. Luong, Ninh. (2009). "On Oc Eo Culture", world that come to humans - are the original model Proceedings of Scientific Conference "Oc Eo images, tied to the source of life and imagination. Culture - Awareness and solutions to preserving Going through different spaces and times, snakes have and promoting the value of relics", An Giang.

296