Literature—Laos

The emergence of traditional Lao literature began after the founding of the first Lao kingdom, known as Lan Xang (1353–1694), during which many classic works, both secular and religious, were composed. The neighboring Hindu and Buddhist cultures influenced traditional Lao literature, which was composed in a number of poetic forms.

The early manuscripts consisted of accordion-style folded paper or palm leaves, onto which Buddhist monks engraved the text with a metal stylus. The manuscripts were stored in Buddhist temple libraries or in private homes of the elite. Today they are preserved in temples as well as in the National Library in Vientiane, Laos, the National Library in Bangkok, Thailand, and in libraries in Europe.

The temple was the center for Lao literature since both secular and religious festivals were held on temple grounds. Monks and village elders might spend several days reciting both secular and religious stories to the public at these festivals. All levels of society enjoyed traditional Lao literature in this public forum.

Secular Literature Secular literature was written in Lao script, and the content was mainly folk tales, legends, and historical annals. Secular literature began as an oral tradition, but over the years the stories and legends were recorded on paper, although the identities of the writers and the dates they wrote are unknown. For example, the legend of Khun Bhorom traces the life of Khun Bhorom, the founding father of the Lao people. Some folk stories were risqué and humorous, such as the tale of Xieng Mieng, a cunning, lazy man who loved to outwit the king; it continues to be a popular story of the Lao people. Historical records traced the founding of a kingdom, acts of a king, and major events affecting the kingdom. One example is the Muang Phuan, a historical record of the kingdom of the Phuan people.

Religious Literature Religious literature was based on Hindu and Buddhist works, which were transformed into Lao. Lao characters replaced the Indian characters in the stories, and the settings were changed to Laos, often near the Mekong River. Popular religious stories included the five hundred Jataka tales, or stories of the Buddha's previous lives. Another fifty tales of the Buddha's past lives that influenced religious Lao literature came from the literature of the Lanna kingdom (1259–1931) and indirectly from the Mon kingdom Haripunchai (660–1281), both located in present-day northern Thailand. The Vinaya and the Abhidhamma Buddhist texts also influenced Lao religious literature.

Popular religious stories were morality tales that focused on pious deeds. This type of literature aimed to teach people how to behave and how to accept their station in Lao society and in the greater Buddhist realm. The Indian Hindu epic Ramayana became Pha Lak Pha Lam in Lao literature; it was a favorite at the Lao court (as well as the Siamese and Khmer courts) and was portrayed in classical dance performances.

After the breakup of the Laos kingdom into three small kingdoms in the seventeenth century, classic Lao literature continued to be produced until well into the nineteenth century.

The Siamese and then the French, who came to dominate Laos, did little to improve education or the field of literature during the nineteenth century. The French began to introduce secular education with a Western-based curriculum in Laos during the 1930s, and the first lycée (French-model high school) opened in 1947. The French system moved away from the religious nature of traditional schools and literature and focused on teaching students that they were French subjects. Lao royalty and elite usually received a Western education in France and other European nations.

Fiction was introduced during this period. The first Lao novel, published in 1944, was a detective story, Pha Phoutthahoop Saksit (The Sacred Buddha Image), by Somchine Nginn. The first Lao newspapers—Lao Nhay and Pathet Lao—appeared during the 1940s, and the first Lao news agency was called Agence Lao Presse.

After World War II, Lao literature split into two camps, reflecting the political ideologies of the royalists and the Communists. Royal Lao writers included Pakian Viravong (who wrote under the pen name of Pa Nai), Dara Viravong (Duang Champa), and Duangdueane (Dok Ket) Viravong. These writers were children of Maha Sila Viravong, the famous Lao historian. Duangdueane Viravong married Outhine Bounavong (1942–2000), another royalist writer. Writers in this camp continued to be influenced by French writers and then in the 1960s by Thai writers. In the 1970s, Maha Sila Viravong founded a magazine devoted entirely to Lao literature, Phai Nam.

Literature of the Communists, or the Lao Patriotic Front (Neo Lao Hak Sat), such as Rains in the Jungle, was written in traditional Lao poetic forms in an attempt to reach the common people. The Lao Patriotic Front also began to publish a report with stories written by soldiers and party members. Seri Milamay (Seriphap) was a revolutionary writer who received the Southeast Asian Writers Award for his work.

Since the Communist takeover in December 1975, the government has strictly controlled Lao writers. Literary criticism is nonexistent in Laos, and anything of a critical nature is usually published anonymously in Thailand. Royalist writers spent time in reeducation camps before being allowed to continue to write for the new regime. Outhine was the first Lao writer to have his short stories published in English, and works by other writers have been translated into Thai, Russian, and Vietnamese.

Revolutionary writers still active after the revolution include Chanti Dueansavan and Sonvanthone Bouphanovong, while Saisuwan Phengphong and Bounthanong Somsaiphon are writers who became popular after the revolution. Their works have been translated into Thai.

With the introduction of the New Economic Mechanism (Jintanakan Mai), censorship has relaxed, but Lao literature faces many obstacles. One is the lack of funding for producing books. Printing presses are located in the nation's capital, Vientiane, and the costs of publication are high. The country's lack of infrastructure and its rugged terrain hinder efforts to send materials to all parts of the country. The inadequate number of schools affects the illiteracy rate, which in turn affects the dissemination of literature. These hindrances have, however, enabled traditional forms of Lao literature to persist. Palm-leaf manuscripts were used until the mid-twentieth century, and temples continue to be education centers for traditional Lao literature and settings for festivals where literature is still recited.

Anonymous. (1967) Rains in the Jungle. Vientiane, Laos: Neo Lao Hak Sat (Lao Patriotic Front).

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Xay Kaignavongsa, and Hugh Fincher. (1993) Legends of the Lao. Vientiane, Laos: Geodata Systems.