Ayutthaya Culture & Lifestyle
Customs:
o To the people of Ayutthaya, the human head is considered the most honourable
part of our body, while the feet are considered the lowest. A Siamese would put
his hat on the top of a pole instead of putting it on the floor.
o Ayutthaya’s ethnically diverse population brought about combined political
beliefs with several amalgamated ideologies. Some of them include different
forms of Buddhism, Chinese elements, as well as Brahman practices.
Animals:
o There were many crows and vultures in Ayutthaya. The people would even
feed vultures with the corpses of children who died before the age of three or
four.
o Cockfighting was common before King Narai abolished it. Monks
claimed participants who took part in cockfighting would be ill-fated with
fighting against each other in the netherworld. However, this abolishment didn’t
have much effect and cockfighting would continue to be a big part of Ayutthaya culture.
Culture:
o Gambling was a big problem, with some even giving away their children
away in slavery to pay away their debts. Men could also sell their minor wives
if they had any.
o Chess was played the Western way, or by different rules and figures, by Chinese
rules.
Literature:
o Classical literature included works such as:
- Maha Chat (The Great Birth)
- Lili Phra Lo (The Story of Prince Lo), Buddha’s penultimate life
on Earth, a tragic romance widely considered as one of the greatest Thai poetic
works
- Lilit Yuan Phai (The Defeat of the Yuan), a work that celebrates Ayutthaya’s victory against the northern Lan Na kingdom
o King Narai’s reign saw the golden age of Literature
- Writers were welcomed at royal court
- New forms of verses were developed
- Some highly regarded nirat poems were created in this era
The Destruction of Culture
o 1758: the Burmese attacked Ayutthaya. By 1767, Ayutthaya was sacked of
all its palaces, temples and libraries, taking as many as 10,000 POWs with them
back to Burma.
o The POWs included dancers and artists who merged into Burmese culture,
just as Khmer dancers and artists had done for Ayutthaya’s culture centuries
earlier.
o Much literature was lost. After Thai sovereignty was restored, much of
past destroyed literature such as law codes, religious works and literary texts
was rewritten.
o Surviving physical art included juxtaposed stone, bronze, brick or
stucco rows of Buddha figures.
Aftermath
o No palaces survived the great fire that destroyed the city as they were
built from wood.
The building of Wat Sao Thong, a structure that preserves the ‘Khurasan’,
a building originally erected for Persian ambassadors at King Narai’s court
during the Ayutthaya period.
o
The Sculpture
of U-Thong
U-Thong sculptures at the Thai Art History Museum.
- The U-Thong style had Khmer origins, but without slavish imitation.
- Sharp contrast between erect body and horizontal position of legs while seated
- Cubical faces, hair indicated by very small curls
- Every line of hair on face clearly marked
- 15th century: U-Thong style begins to morph into the
Ayutthaya or ‘national’ style, best seen in standing figures.
The standing U-Thong sculpture in the Ayutthaya style.
The face is longish, crowned by a broad diadem, and on top of the head a
cone of flat rings bears the traditional lotus bud. The ear lobes are adorned
with earrings, and the clothing falls from the shoulders so as to stand away
from the legs, giving the figures a bell shaped outline.
1. How can stories from other places and times relate to our current
lives?
We
can all relate to losing something in our life, be it something small or big.
Like Ayutthaya's post-destruction recovery, we should look back on what we have
left behind and strive to create better things. This way, we can improve not
only as artists, but as people.
2. What can the art forms and architecture of other cultures teach us
about ourselves and about life?
The
Siamese have a custom that the head is the most honourable part of our body,
and our feet the lowest. This teaches us to respect one's smarts, as that is
where one's brain resides. Not only does this tradition teach us about respect,
it also urges us to chase after intelligence over all else, to encourage the
notion that knowledge is power.
3. In what ways do the arts reflect as well as shape culture?
The arts can reflect a nation’s religion and beliefs. This can be seen
in for example the U-Thong sculptures, which directly reflect Thailand’s major
belief in Buddhism.
Another example of arts shaping culture is during King Narai’s reign; literature
was regarded so highly that it paved the way for Thailand’s ‘golden age of
literature’. This goes to show just how powerful the arts can be, given that it
has the right influence to strengthen it.
4. How does where we live influence how we live?
Our place of living influences our
lifestyle through our food, mannerisms, customs and traditions. For example, a
Singaporean may tend to be seen as passive and docile due to the conformative
ways we have been raised. However, a person living in America may be more vocal
and open-minded.
Sources:
Love your reflections!... They can be ideas for you to create your Treasures.
ReplyDeleteHi Rashidah, history teaches us what happened? So we won't repeat the same mistakes again. However, there are also good sides to history as well. The spirit of pride, enterprising and adaptability from the old to new are something we can learn from. Looking at your reflections, you can draw some concepts what you want to focus on, then pitch it to us. We will advise you further. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteBased on your reflection #3, you can consider this for your new treasure to work on - >"arts shaping culture is during King Narai’s reign; literature was regarded so highly that it paved the way for Thailand’s ‘golden age of literature’. This goes to show just how powerful the arts can be, given that it has the right influence to strengthen it." Discuss with your team whether they want to work on this or others or you can combine with their findings.
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