Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ramayanas'

This is a Sri-Lankan-oriented guide for college professors in teaching the Indian epic Ramayana, specifically featuring Sita, her poetic and historic connections to Sri Lanka, and teaching the Ramayana with a concentration on feminist/gender topics.

This thesis examines the role that the Hindu epic the «em»Ramayana«/em» plays in shaping the relationship between conservative Hindu Indian nationalism and gender in post-colonial India. It demonstrates how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has manipulated understandings of the Ramayana to best serve its political aims since 1980, and to further an inherently sexist and discriminatory agenda.«br /» «br /» Chapter One outlines the role of exclusionary narrative in constructing national identity along conservative and fundamentalist lines. Drawing from this, it goes on to present and expand upon the key research questions explored in this thesis. Chapter Two examines the various relevant fields of literature which are involved in this discussion. Chapter Three outlines the key methodological fields from which this thesis draws as an intersectional study. Chapter Four analyses Valmiki’s Ramayana in considering its depiction of gender constructs, and touches upon the significance of the 1987 Ramayan television serial by Ramanand Sagar. Chapter Five explores the role of gender in the Indian Independence movement and the development of Hindu nationalism. It then examines postcolonial secularism and nationalism, and women’s rights till the BJP’s founding in 1980.«br /» «br /» Chapter Six focuses on India, the rise of the BJP, and the shape of women’s issues over the past forty years. Chapter Seven focuses upon three separate endeavours to approach the Ramayana«em» «/em»from unconventional perspectives, one of which is my experience writing and directing the 2014 production Fire to Earth«em» «/em»with the UNSW Indian Society. Chapter Eight outlines the BJP’s attempts to moderate in recent years, summarises the current state of women’s affairs, and concludes by highlighting some of the lacunae that still need to be addressed in this field.«br /» «br /» This thesis situates itself at the intersection of Ramayana studies, Indian women’s studies, and postcolonial Indian politics. It takes a multifaceted methodological approach to answering its principal questions, incorporating narrative studies, politics, gender studies, and literature studies. I acknowledge the numerous perspectives in these fields and synthesise their various contributions to illustrate the deep-rooted connections between Hindu nationalism, gender exclusion and oppression, and the Ramayana.

This thesis is composed of two parts: creative and exegetical. The first part, my novel, The Queen's Play, tells the story of the origin of chess, linking it to the Indian epic, Ramayana, and in the process offers an alternative telling of the epic events. Although myths abound as to the invention of chess in the East, it is unclear whether it originated in India, China or Persia. References to a chess-like game in the Ramayana and the lore surrounding it refer as far back as the fifth century BCE. Using the game’s development as a narrative strategy in a time period which is immeasurably remote, this project probes perennial literary questions. The novel adopts the modernist technique of temporal and spatial disruptions in narration, even as the narrative at times seems to mimic the movement of certain chess pieces. The second part, the exegesis, is an exploration of my writing practice in the light of theories and disciplines including Narratology, Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Psychology, and Mythology; and writers/thinkers including Marcel Proust, J.L. Borges, James Joyce, Stendhal, John Hawkes, Gérard Genette, Mikhail Bakhtin, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Georg Lukács, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Joseph Frank, and C.G. Jung. It investigates, inter alia, how reading practices inform those of writing; how certain kinds of narratives (in this case, ‘free-indirect style’) come to be constructed; how qualities such as lightness, speed, and multiplicity are harmonized to create the unique atmosphere of a novel; how the disruptions of spatial and temporal forms in the modern novel inform my own practice and patterns of structuring material and help find the most suitable voice for the story; and, finally, why such disruptions are particularly important in a novel that branches out of the epic.

El Rāmāyaa se originó en el norte de la India entre los siglos IV a.C. y IV d.C. Contiene elementos fantásticos, míticos, legendarios y religiosos. Los jainistas y los budistas escribieron sus propios rāmāyaas para criticar aspectos del brahmanismo y difundir sus doctrinas. La literatura sánscrita se inspiró en la leyenda de Rāma y la historia también se incluyó en los purāas. En el siglo V aparecieron las primeras narrativas visuales, paneles esculpidos en los templos que se leen como secuencias cinematográficas. La devoción y el culto a Rāma se popularizaron con el movimiento devocional (bhakti) y se compusieron rāmāyaas en prácticamente todas las lenguas indias y asiáticas. Entiendo el Rāmāyaa como una obra panasiática, un sistema textual (rāmāyaasfera) en el que diferentes actores, artes y culturas han hecho su aportación a lo largo de dos mil años. El objetivo de mi tesis es analizar la construcción de significados a través de los géneros artísticos en los que aparece el Rāmāyaa ante audiencias de diferentes lugares, épocas o grupos sociales. La tesis consta de cuatro capítulos, una introducción, un apartado de conclusiones y cinco anexos complementarios. En la introducción, hablo de la metodología y desarrollo de la tesis: mis estudios de semiótica, género, oralidad y cine y una base sociológica, lingüística y cultural que me han aportado los diez años que he residido y estudiado en Asia. En el primer capítulo, explico a qué se debe la popularidad del Rāmāyaa e incluyo los estudios y traducciones más importantes. Presento una nueva forma de abordar el conjunto de rāmāyaas con el concepto semiótico de rāmāyaasfera, inspirado en la semiosfera de Iuri M. Lotman. En el capítulo segundo, abordo la figura de Vālmīki, el problema de la datación y evolución de su poema y el género literario. Reflexiono sobre la importancia de la oralidad como modo de transmisión y trazo una historia cronológica de cómo aparecen los rāmāyaas más importantes en la India y en el sudeste asiático. El capítulo tercero presenta lecturas del Rāmāyaa por diferentes grupos religiosos. Defino el Rāmāyaa como mito, leyenda y dharmaśastra. Expongo el debate y las principales teorías sobre la divinidad de Rāma y ejemplifico tres formas de llevar a cabo la rāmbhakti: la recitación del Rāmcaritmānas de Tulsīdās; la representación en las rāmlīlās (especialmente la de Rāmnagar) y el culto a Hanumān. Explico cómo budistas y jainistas usan el Rāmāyaa como material "pastoral", predicando sobre la no violencia y la impermanencia y transformando a Rāma en un santo jainista o en un bodhisattva. Los primeros santos musulmanes también utilizaron las épicas como elementos didácticos para la expansión de su fe, añadiendo algunos capítulos o utilizando varias de sus enseñanzas morales. El Rāmāyaa contribuyó al proceso de "indianización" e "islamización" del sudeste asiático. El capítulo cuarto presenta la lectura que hacen las mujeres del Rāmāyaa. Ellas destacan los episodios en los que Sītā es protagonista y desarrollan temas y sentimientos que les incumben. Estudio también el uso que hace el nacionalismo hindú del Rāmāyaa y su héroe para reivindicar y reclamar el espacio que hoy ocupa la mezquita Babri de Ayodhyā. Por último, reflexiono sobre las características "épicas y orales" del cine de Bollywood poniendo el ejemplo de algunas películas contemporáneas que utilizan y reelaboran los temas y argumentos del Rāmāyaa.
Rāmāyaa originated in the north of India two thousand years ago but is a panasiatic work. Certain religious sects, political groups and social collectives have also composed and used rāmāyaas to spread their own doctrines, thoughts, ideas and perspectives. I understand the Rāmāyaa as a textual paradigm to which different actors, arts and cultures have made their contributions in the past two millennia and continues to be recreated and interpreted today. The objective of my PhD thesis is to analyse the construction of meanings through artistic genres in which the Rāmāyaa appears to audiences of different places, periods and social groups. My studies in Semiotics, gender, oral literature and cinema as well as the sociological, linguistic and cultural impact of ten years in Asia have contributed much to the evolution of this research. I present a new perspective to approach the variety of rāmāyaas through the semiotic concept of rāmāyaasphere, inspired by the cultural theory of Iuri M. Lotman. The thesis is composed of four chapters, as well as an introduction, the conclusions and five annexes.

Cette etude qui se veut comparatiste, se propose de mettre en lumiere les differents echos et correspondances qui existent entre le ramayana de valmiki et le cycle de guillaume d'orange dans le traitement du compagnonnage guerrier. Elle est composee de 4 parties successives : compagnon de guerre, ami, lignage et femme. Sur le champ de bataille le heros a interet a ne pas se retrouver seul. Ses adversaires s'acharnent contre lui et la mort le guette. Il choisit un allie militaire qui le pourvoit en armes, en montures et lutte a ses cotes. Guillaume et gui se battent de concert tout comme rama et sugriva pour vaincre la mort. Parfois il se ligue avec l'ennemi de son ennemi, lui promet des benefices politiques, militaires et sociaux. Rainouart et vibhishana trahissent les leurs pour assurer la victoire de guillaume et rama. Le compagnon de guerre comble la solitude physique du heros mais il continuerait a sombrer dans la solitude affective et morale s'il n'y avait pas a ses cotes son ami, cet alter ego qui le suit, fidele comme une ombre. Vivien et guillaume au meme titre que lakshmana et rama constituent un personnage collectif car chacun represente un des aspects de l'ideal heroique. Etre d'exception, le heros epique suscite de grands devouements a cote de l'amitie mutuelle. Girart et bertrand vouent un culte a vivien qu'ils adorent; hanuman et guha venerent en rama leur maitre. Souvent la parente fournit le cadre propice a l'eclosion de l'amitie. Le lignage est une unite de defense invincible et le heros et ses freres et neveux presentent un des plus saisissants exemples d'unanimisme. Les aymerides et les ikshvakus incarnent l'esprit de clan. Dans cet univers resolument male, les heroines epiques indiennes et leurs consoeurs francaises font piece a la personnalite ecrasante du heros. Ces nouvelles eves s'arrogent des fonctions plus visibles et s'adaptent aux circonstances ou elles se trouvent placees. Cela dit, la misogynie epique reste sous-jacente
This thesis is a comparative study of the theme of male solidarity and cooperation in the valmiki ramayana and the cycle de guillaume d'orange. It is divided into 4 chapters which study the role played by the military ally, the alter ego, the family and the women in the life of an epic hero. On the battle field the hero recognises that he is not in a position to win the battle all by himself. The enemy forces far outnumber his and he would do well to take on a military ally who will supply him with men and arms and also fight faithfully by his side. Guillaume choses gui and rama finds such an ally in sugriva. This ally may also be his enemy's enemy as is the case of rainouart or vibhishana, both of whom betray their own kith and kin in exchange for a kingdom and social recognition. However the ally remains a political contact who meets certain material needs, but it is only the friend who fulfills the emotional void within. Guillaume and vivien like rama and lakshmana together form the composite hero. The charismatic persona of the hero often attracts great devotion from secondary characters who worship him selflessly. Such is the love of hanuman and guha for rama, girart and bertrand revere vivien likewise. The family provides a favourable milieu for the flowering of such friendships ; vivien is guillaume's nephew, and lakshmana is rama's half brother. The aymerides like the ikshvakus provide each other with unconditional material and moral support. The uncle nephew bond rivals with the fraternal, paternal and filial bonds. In this very androcentric world, women characters of both the french and indian poems, namely sita, kausalya etc like guibourc, hermenjart and others play a very visible and public role as wives, mothers and daughters. They represent the voice of chivalric honour, provide wise political counsel and even battle with the hero. Yet the latent misogynistic attitudes never let these women characters disturb the conservative patriarchal set-up

Solo percussionist and composer Glenn Kotche has achieved international fame with his experimental percussion-based music, collaborating with and composing for renowned contemporary music ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, Band on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion, and Eighth Blackbird. One of his most celebrated compositions in recent years is Monkey Chant, which combines acoustic and electronic elements in a solo multiple percussion setting. Written and premiered in 2006, Kotche was inspired to compose Monkey Chant after listening to original field recordings in Bali from the Nonesuch Explorer Series. Found in these recordings is the popular Balinese music and dance drama known as Kecak. Monkey Chant showcases, through percussion, the intricate vocal patterns and recounting of the Ramayana Epic featured in Balinese Kecak. This monograph serves as an informational performance guide for Monkey Chant that simplifies and resolves performance questions and issues. It provides a contextual setting for the work with a brief biography of Glenn Kotche, including his musical influences and inspiration for the composition. Balinese Kecak is examined as well as the Hindu Ramayana tale as it relates to Kotche’s composition, revealing the function for its compositional form. This document also clarifies and details preparatory procedures for collecting and building the unique instruments required, also detailing schematics for electronic audio equipment and setup. Lastly, there is an analysis of compositional style and form, offering optional solutions to performance obstacles.

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Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
From the existential conflict between I vs False ego, as enunciated by ancient mythology, this work investigates the interpretation s possibility of this duality nowadays. This way it is examined on these two temporal contexts the conflict between the man element, or even his soul, often designed as I, and his false ego, or false perception of himself. It starts with the analysis of an antiquity s literary source whose narrative explicitly shows this topic, the Bhagavad-Gita, and sequentially it is taken as object a mediatic verbal-visual-spatial text of the present time, the graphic novel Ramayan 3392 AD. By exploring this question on the first text it is aimed to identify it in the graphic novel, therefore examining the theme s continuity, which according to this point of view is originated in antiquity and kept in nowadays media. Thus it is looked forward to prove this interpretation s possibility in mediatic texts, to prove how this opposition can be considered a connection between different mythologies; and to analyze how the duality is structured at the present times, through comic books research. As important points are considered the changes that occur in the value of sacred, whose investment is existent in the ancient mythology connected to religiosity, but not in comic books generality, not explicitly at least. As theoretical basis to this problematic s analysis on the study corpus, it is used the referential of Greimas discursive semiotics and its development on Landowski s socio-semiotics, while for observations regarding mythologies, beyond these semioticists works and others , it is mainly taken this question s approach by Cassirer. It can be pointed that there is dissolution of the value of sacred, represented in ancient mythology by emphasis and detailing of the mystical and religious theme, while the subject hero s characterization by a duty is kept, in a way that the mystical religious value becomes an ethical value in the nowadays text, being kept in both texts the modalization by should as invariable. Furthermore, mediatic texts bring a differentiated appeal to sensible experience, through plastic components, which alongside with the verbal plane add another meaning s dimension to the narrative; a meaning that is also considered from the ancient text s prescription concerning the existential conflict examined, leading to the formation of a chromatic schematization connected to this opposition. As conclusions it is obtained a possible interpretation of the euphoric subjects as attached to cognitive instances, and of the dysphoric subject as associated to the somatic actancial instance precisely, in an assemblage constitutive of a single macro-subject. From myth to media rises the main change which is the passage from the direct holy s revelation to the detachment of aesthesic sensibility as key piece on the subject s formation. This mechanism allows the sensibility s perception as responsible for making feel the new proposition of the existential conflict that is undeniably of all times
A partir do conflito existencial definido como Eu vs Falso ego, conforme enunciado pela mitologia da antiguidade, este trabalho investiga a possibilidade de interpretação desta dualidade em textos midiáticos da atualidade. Desta forma, examina-se nestes dois contextos temporais o confronto entre o elemento homem, ou mesmo sua alma, frequentemente denominado Eu, e seu falso ego, ou falsa percepção de si mesmo. Parte-se da análise de uma fonte literária da antiguidade cuja narrativa apresenta explicitamente este tópico, o Bhagavad-Gita, e em seguida toma-se como objeto um texto midiático verbi-visual-espacial atual, a história em quadrinhos Ramayan 3392 AD. Explorando esta questão na primeira obra, busca-se identificá-la na história em quadrinhos, abordando assim a continuidade do tema, que de acordo com este ponto de vista surge na antiguidade e se mantém nas mitologias e mídias atuais. Procura-se então provar a possibilidade dessa interpretação nos textos midiáticos, provar como esta oposição pode ser considerada uma conexão entre as diferentes mitologias; e analisar como a dualidade é estruturada na atualidade, por meio da pesquisa sobre histórias em quadrinhos. Como ponto importante são consideradas as alterações que ocorrem no valor sacralizador, cujo investimento é presente na mitologia antiga ligada à religiosidade, mas não nas histórias em quadrinhos em sua generalidade, ao menos não de forma explícita. Como base teórica para as análises dessa problemática nos objetos do corpus de estudo é utilizado o referencial da semiótica discursiva de Greimas e o seu desenvolvimento na sociossemiótica de Landowski, enquanto para observações referentes a mitologias, além dos estudos desses e de outros semioticistas, é tomada a abordagem desta questão por Cassirer, principalmente. Pode-se apontar que há a dissolução do valor sagrado, representado na mitologia antiga pelo enfoque e detalhamento do tema místico e religioso, enquanto é mantida a caracterização do sujeito herói por um dever, de forma que o dever místico religioso passa a ser um dever ético no texto atual, sendo em ambos os textos a modalização por dever mantida como invariável. Além disso, os textos midiáticos trazem um apelo diferenciado à experiência sensível, por meio dos componentes plásticos, que junto ao plano verbal conferem outra dimensão de significação à narrativa; significação esta que é considerada também a partir da prescrição do texto antigo em relação ao conflito existencial abordado, levando à formação de uma esquematização cromática ligada a essa oposição. Como conclusões obtém-se uma interpretação possível dos sujeitos eufóricos como ligados às instâncias cognitivas, e do sujeito disfórico como associado à instância actancial somática propriamente, em um conjunto constituidor de um macrossujeito único. A principal alteração que emerge do mito na mídia é a passagem da revelação direta do sagrado ao destacamento da sensibilidade estésica como peça chave na constituição do sujeito. Esse mecanismo possibilita a percepção da sensibilidade como responsável por fazer sentir a nova proposição do confronto existencial que é incontestavelmente de todos os tempos

У статті аналізуються давні релігійні й міфічні тексти народів Далекого Сходу, на основі яких автор намагається з’ясувати реальне підґрунтя переказів про астронавтів цих країн у далекому минулому.
The article examines ancient religious texts and mythical of the Far-Eastern nations on the basis of which the author tries to find out the real foundation of the astronauts transfer of these countries in the distant past.

Le Kutiyattam du Kerala est un théâtre épique qui entremêle drame et récit et dont le jeu d’acteur, central, se caractérise par une constante distanciation. Cette hypothèse d’ordre esthétique – l’« épique » renvoie à Brecht – est démontrée dans une approche pluridisciplinaire, ethnoscénologique. Tout commence par une « première scène » et un enfant jouant un rôle d’Acteur, puis devenant acteur-conteur. Fil conducteur de la thèse, cette cérémonie contient « tout », tous les fondements et les ingrédients de l’esthétique épique, ensuite explicités par l’exemple du Ramayana, l’épopée que le Kutiyattam porte en scène, entre autres œuvres anciennes en sanskrit. Le Livre I traite des « compétences », et tout d’abord du je des concepteurs et maîtres du Kutiyattam, les Cakyar (première partie). Après cette ethnographie, il s’attache aux apprentissages sous-tendant la formation du corps-acteur, véritable enjeu en soi par son extrême codification (deuxième partie). Le Livre II, dédié aux « performances », étudie les textes en jeu (troisième partie) dans les cinq cycles performatifs ramaïques représentés dans les temples : cinq actes dramatiques en sanskrit et les longs récits en malayalam qui s’y enchâssent, consignés dans les manuels scéniques des praticiens. Ces textes forment un répertoire unifié présentant des structures d’emboîtements multiples où se combinent des principes d’arrêt du temps, de changement de perspective et de retour en arrière générateurs de distanciation. Le jeu scénique (quatrième partie) exalte cette dramaturgie : performeur aux multiples fonctions – personnage, conteur, danseur et surtout régisseur –, l’acteur jongle en maître avec ces principes lorsqu’il entre dans la « substitution », jeu de rôles aux saisissants effets de simultanéité. Les annexes (vol. 3) contiennent des analyses complémentaires (annexes I) et les textes (annexes II) et supports audiovisuels (3 DVD-DL avec livrets) nécessaires à l’étude des performances. La forme de la thèse et le montage des films reflètent la dramaturgie étudiée en procédant à des arrêts et à des extensions du temps. Note : Les titres, résumés et mots clés figurant sur version originale de la thèse portent une accentuation qui, pour des raisons techniques, n’a pas pu être reproduite ici
Kutiyattam of Kerala is an epic theatre that interweaves drama and narrative, characterized by an acting technique wherein the performance of the central actor makes constant recourse to a distancing effect. This hypothesis – esthetic in nature while "epic" refers to Brecht – is demonstrated through a multidisciplinary, ethnoscenogical approach. Everything begins with a so-called "first performance" in which a child plays at being an Actor-character, and then becomes a storyteller. This ceremonial, which serves as a common thread throughout our study, contains "everything", i.e. all of the foundations and ingredients of the epic esthetic, which we go on to explain using the example of the Ramayana – one of the numerous ancient Sanskrit texts that Kutiyattam brings to the stage. Book I first proposes an ethnography of the Cakyar-masters of Kutiyattam (first part), emphasizing their unique skills. It then analyses the training that underpin the codification of the actor’s body, demonstrating the challenge of being an actor in itself, before even assuming a character/persona (second part). Book II is dedicated to the performances. It begins by examining the texts (third part) of the five Ramayana cycles that are performed in the temples: five acts in Sanskrit into which are interwoven narratives in Malayalam, written in performers’ acting manuals. Taken together, these texts form a unified repertoire characterised by iterative embedded structures that interlock the principles of stop-in-time, change in point of view and flash-back. The acting (fourth part) enhances this dramaturgy. The performer who has multiple functions – character, storyteller, dancer, and director – juggles these principles, especially when he enters into the "substitution" process, a role-play that engenders striking effects of simultaneity. The annexes (Book III) contain the additional analyses (annex I) and the texts (annex II) and audiovisual materials (3 DVD-DLs with booklets) related to the performances. The thesis itself, including the montage of the films, is structured in such a way that it reflects the dramaturgy of Kutiyattam, and notably its use of stop-in-time. Note : Titles, summaries and keywords appearing in the dissertation contain accents, which, because of technical reasons, could not be reproduced here

Art has been a form of communication used to convey religious lessons in Thailand (formerly the Kingdom of Siam) since ancient times. While present-day Thais are still intensely committed to religious practices, many understand less and less of the precise information embedded in this art form. Moreover, religious artworks in Thailand do not reflect current society and do not have much in common with contemporary art. Therefore, this research investigates the potential causes that have disconnected religious art from Thai society and explores possible ways to utilise elements from the Thai religious art style in a contemporary painting practice. This research is primarily a studio-based investigation, but is supported by traditional discursive research practices, including a historical and contemporary analysis of the original functions and the evolution of painting styles of religious art, specifically Ramayana-inspired paintings across periods of times and regions. Relevant theories regarding iconology and visual representation are employed to guide the understanding and interpretation of these religious paintings. This research also investigates the interrelation between art and nationalist ideology after the political regime change in Thailand during the 19th century. The new state system intensely sought to promote national identity and imbued religious art with a new meaning that supported this nation building. What is now known as Thai “traditional” art has strict rules in place in terms of preservation, reproduction, and standardisation. Also, part of the pre-studio research was a visual survey I undertook of relevant artworks, including a range of contemporary paintings which utilise elements from traditional art to create works that reflect contemporary society. In the studio section of this creative research, I have created four series of paintings that experiment with the artistic value inherent in traditional art and attempt to modernise Thai traditional painting, making it meaningful to contemporary audiences. This may not only offer another way of creating religious painting but could also possibly be another method of preservation, ensuring the longevity of Thai traditional art.
Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Doctor of Visual Arts (DVA)
Queensland College of Art
Arts, Education and Law
Full Text

Le Râmakîen est une des œuvres littéraires les plus importantes du royaume thaïlandais. Reprenant l’épopée indienne de Vâlmîki, le Râmâyana, il revêt une grande importance à la cour royale et sa popularité est considérable dans toute l’Asie du Sud-Est. Au Wat Phra Kèo, ses épisodes ont été intégralement illustrés sur le mur de la galerie. La thèse ne prend en compte que les parties figurant les dix incarnations de Viṣṇu et la naissance des dieux hindous et des personnages de l’épopée. Ces épisodes nous amènent au prélude du Râmakîen et l’étude s’arrête au moment du retour du roi Jânaka à Mithilâ. Il nous a fallu opérer des rapprochements entre ces peintures et le Tamrâ Thewarûp, les albums d’iconographie brahmanique, ainsi que le Tamrâ Thewapâng, recueil de légendes sur la naissance des dieux et les incarnations de Viṣṇu. Ces rapprochements étaient nécessaires car tous les épisodes représentés à Wat Phra Kèo ne sont pas racontés dans le Râmakîen tel que le relate la version du roi Râma I. L’omniprésence des scènes empruntées à l’épopée, en particulier celles des dix incarnations de Viṣṇu et des dieux hindous dans les temples importants de Bangkok fondés par les rois ou par leurs proches au début de la période de Ratanakosin, s’explique par la grande importance accordée par ces souverains à l’incarnation de Viṣṇu en Râma. Le royaume thaïlandais adopta par ailleurs les rites brahmaniques pratiqués à la cour khmère. Une récapitulation des témoignages iconographiques sur l’épopée au Cambodge, au Laos et au Myanmar complète notre étude
The Râmakîen is one of the most important literary works in Thailand. Derived from the Indian epic of Vâlmîki, it became very important at the royal Thai court, and is one of the most popular texts in South-East Asia. At Wat Phra Kèo its episodes are represented on the four sides of the gallery. This thesis aims to study the parts illustrating the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu, the birth of the Hindu Gods and the main characters of the Indian epic. These episodes lead us through the Râmakîen’s prelude and our study stops at the moment of King Jânaka’s return to Mithilâ, his kingdom. The comparison between the paintings, the Tamrâ Thewarûp, the iconographic albums of Hindu Gods and the Tamrâ Thewapâng (the book of legends containing the god’s creation and the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu) proved necessary to understand some of the painted scenes which do not relate to the Râmakîen, as told in the version composed by King Râma I. The omnipresence of a number of scenes borrowed from the epic (particularly the ten incarnation scenes of Viṣṇu and the Hindu God images) in the temples founded by the kings or their families around Bangkok’s Grand Palace can be explained by the great importance attributed by the sovereigns to the Râma avatâra of Viṣṇu. Besides, the Thai Kingdom borrowed from the Khmer court their Hindu rituals. A review of the Râmâyana images in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar completes our study

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1990.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71).

碩士
東吳大學
英文學系
97
Abstract The concept of karma derives from the universal principles of the natural cycle. Human beings’ fate is interwoven and formed by their desires, ignorance and attachments. In the epic of the Ramayana, Ravana, the destructive force, driven by his desires and caused lots of curses. Vishnu, the creator of the cosmos, was reincarnated in the mortal prince of Ayodhya, Rama, to annihilate Ravana. In Indian perspective, the opposite forces of creation and destruction form a natural cycle. People gain and lose according to one’s own karma. In the hundred-chaptered The Journey to the West, the cause derives from the mistakes that the five pilgrims made in the past. The five pilgrims respectively symbolize the body, mind, volition, sensuousness and conceptions. The journey of searching for the Buddhist canons symbolizes that human beings can transform their inner desires into spiritual strength and escape from the effect of the original bound karma through the power of mind. Though the two texts were written based on the concept of karma, through the influence of different cultures, the thinking logic is different. The similarities of the narrative structure and the concept of karma suggest that there must be some intertextual relation between the two texts must exist. In exploring the cause and the nature of the relationship, we come to human beings’ instinctive nature of imitation. A literary text can be transmitted from generation to generation and induce people to imitate. Except for the engaging plot, various elements in both can touch human beings’ mind and develop transcending wisdom. Through the way of imitation, the essence of a text can migrate to other texts. The way of repeated representations, in the end, will produce a force of influence. The process from imitation, representation to influence manifests causal relationship in literature and other arts as well. When a later text reinterprets the wisdom in the original text and presents the content as a brand-new creation, the later text will bring about the result as marvelous as the former text. The text of The Journey to the West is the best exemplum. Key words: The Ramayana, The Journey to the West, Karma, Transcendence, Intertextuality, Imitation, Representation, Influence

This feminist analysis addresses Lindsey Collen’s intertextual use of myth in The Rape of Sita and how her reformation of the parodied texts becomes a resistance to patriarchy. Collen’s examination of possible counteractions against patriarchy is analysed and it is determined whether or not she posits writing, especially demythologization, as the best resistance to patriarchal discourse. Also, her assertion that transformation and a unity of the sexes are needed to bring about equality is studied. The methodology used is qualitative and inductive. The sources are examined and interpreted through close-reading strategies which reveal the complexities of the text and the way in which Collen subverts myth. Classical and Hindu myths and other texts, such as T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, are re-read and re-examined to investigate to what extent they have challenged or championed patriarchal ideology, through which it is hoped that a greater understanding of the way in which mythology contributes to attitudes to rape is gained. Three other texts dealing with rape are also studied, in order to better place Collen’s novel in context of the genre. Primarily, feminist criticism, particularly with an African feminist viewpoint, is used. However, because a conflation of post-colonial and postmodern approaches is embedded within feminism, these concepts are dealt with also. Theorists drawn upon include Michel Foucault, Roland Barthes, Mircea Eliade and Margaret Atwood.
Dissertation (MA (English))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
English
MA
unrestricted