The Poem of Angkor Wat

Summary

The poem tells of Prince Ketumala, son of the god Indra in a previous existence, who cannot remain in the divine realm because his human smell offends the devata. Indra, out of compassion, sends his architect Preah Pisnukar to build a palace for Ketumala on earth. Preah Pisnukar clears the forest around Phnom Bakheng and brings high-quality stones to construct the complex. Ketumala then enters his new palace, Intapras, and rules as a great king.

Analysis

The poem was originally inscribed on the temples of Angkor Wat and first written in modern script in 1878 by French khmerologist Étienne Aymonier. In 2009, Sokha Thoum, Horm Chhayly, and Hay Vanneth reorganized it into easier-to-read scripts with a glossary. According to Grégory Mikaelian, it is a cosmogonic text of a new literary genre commissioned by the royal government of Oudong after the fall of Longvek to the Siamese in 1594. A philological study by Pou Saveros established its composition date as 1620 and attributed authorship to Pang Tat.

The poem uses three different meters and is rich in alliteration and rhyme, though much of it defies intelligence, contrasting with the clarity of Khmer inscription IMA 38. It reflects the cultural shift after Longvek's fall and the harmonization of Brahmanic heritage with Theravada ideology. The character Ketumala corresponds to King Suryavarman II, the 12th-century builder of Angkor Wat, who had vanished from memory by the 17th century.

Influence

Preah Pisnukar, the poem's main hero, is still invoked as a patron by carpenters, artists, and builders in Cambodia and has also been invoked by alien theorists. The poem has had a lasting influence on Khmer culture and literature. Etiologically, the name Ketmealea gave rise to the monument Beng Mealea, the pagoda Wat Beng Mealea, and the village and commune Phum Beng Mealea in Siem Reap province, as well as the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital in Phnom Penh.

The poem is often referenced by Khmer people in popular plays, pastiche, and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. It revealed the poetic potential of Angkor Wat's ruins, reflected in works by generations of poets, including American poet Allen Ginsberg's "Ankor Wat." The legend illustrates a popular creation composed from Indian Hindu and Southeast Asian Buddhist traditions; according to Saveros Pou, the poets' talent rooted the legend in the Khmer people's heart, bordering on genius.