Khon Ramakien, episode "Sakotthap"

Synopsis of the Khon performance by the Foundation for the Promotion of the Arts and Crafts of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit Ramakien, Episode “Sakhot Thap” Phra Ram led the army of monkeys across the ocean to approach the city of Lanka. Thotsakan thought of a way to get rid of the war by having Vaiyavik and Vayuvek, two giants, invite Maya Ravana, the lord of the underworld, to consult on the war. When Maya Ravana heard the news that the war was approaching the city of Lanka, he led his army into the city of Lanka to volunteer to perform the ceremony of cooking all kinds of medicine and use it to capture the army and take Phra Ram to be killed in the underworld. Maya Ravana then went out to set up a ceremony to cook all kinds of medicine until it was complete and prepared to enter to capture Phra Ram’s army. When Phra Ram fell asleep, he dreamed of Rahu chasing the sun. He dreamed that he had captured an umbrella in the Brahma world and his feet had reached the underworld. The next morning, he asked Phipek, the astrologer, to interpret his dream. Phipek predicted that Phra Ram was in trouble and that tonight a giant would come to capture his army and take him to the underworld. But to win the battle and his fame spread to the Brahma world and the underworld, Rama ordered Sugriva to arrange the monkey soldiers to be on guard until the morning when the star rose. Hanuman volunteered to transform into a large figure to hold the pavilion in his mouth for additional protection. At night, Hanuman held the pavilion and the monkey soldiers were on guard strictly. Maiyarap came out to observe and transformed into a young monkey disguised as a monkey to spy on the news in Rama's army until he learned that Vibhishana had predicted that a giant would come to secretly capture Rama. He waited until the star rose in the morning. Maiyarap flew to Mount Solas and waved a glass camera to trick him into thinking that it was the star. The monkeys saw the star rise and fell for the trick, thinking that Rama was free from his planet in the morning, so they did not continue to patrol as usual. Maiyarap saw an opportunity, so he transformed himself and disguised himself to blow a spell to put the monkey army to sleep and kidnapped Rama and took him to the underworld. In the morning Hanuman woke up and went to help Phra Ram as Phipek had instructed. Hanuman had to pass through various checkpoints: the elephant in madness checkpoint, the mountain clash checkpoint, and the mosquitoes as big as hens. Hanuman met Macchanu who was guarding the checkpoint and they fought. Hanuman asked Macchanu and found out that they were father and son. Macchanu gave Hanuman a hint. Hanuman broke a lotus stem and went down to the underworld. In the forest outside the underworld, Nang Pirakwan, the mother of Vaiyavik, who was imprisoned by Maya Ravana, was going to boil her with Phra Ram. Nang Pirakwan was demoted to a servant and was told to come out and fetch water outside the city to boil Phra Ram and her son. She was there, weeping. Hanuman went to ask her and found out that Phra Ram was locked up in the forest at the end of the underworld with Vaiyavika. Hanuman transformed himself into a lotus stalk with a shawl and went into the city. In front of the gate of the underworld, there was a large scale that weighed people coming in and out. Nang Pirakwan was invited to step on the scale, but the scale could not handle the weight and broke it. Nang Pirakwan used a trick to get Hanuman into the underworld. When he reached the underworld, Hanuman entered the palace of Mayarap and fought with Mayarap. Mayarap tricked Hanuman into fighting at the palm grove at the end of the city. Mayarap challenged him to make a palm tree into a club and take turns hitting him three times. Mayarap would hit first. Hanuman accepted Mayarap’s challenge and hit Hanuman three times. Hanuman woke up and mocked Mayarap. When Hanuman hit Mayarap three times, Mayarap did not die. Hanuman stepped on Mayarap’s chest and asked Nang Pirakwan why Mayarap did not die. Nang Pirakwan said that Mayarap had left his soul in a bee on Mount Chakraval. Hanuman transformed into a large body with four faces and eight arms to catch the bee and kill it. Mayarap died. Hanuman carried Rama back to his pavilion. Angels and fairies came out to dance and celebrate Rama’s honor. This Khon performance Held from 30 Oct - 5 Dec 65 at Thailand Cultural Center #DriveAwayWhenTiredTakeABreak #mind_madge #thailand