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The tale of Khun Chang-Khun Phaen
is a triangle
love story that the Thai people during the Ayutthaya era
composed as Khap Sepha - verse recitation by singing,
accented by the clapping of woodblocks - a pair of
wooden clappers - for rhythm. The Sepha singers only
sing the key episodes of the story from memory - without
writing them down. The story verses were eventually
compiled and written down in King Rama III’s reign, in
the Rattanakosin (Bangkok) era and was first published
during King Rama V in 1872 by Dr. Samuel John Smith’s
printing house. In 1917, a revision through a comparative
study of the royal version and the popular version
y i e l ded t he ed i t ed ve r s i on t ha t i s wi desp r ead
today and known as the Vaj irayana Library edition.
The story of Khun Chang-Khun Phaen depicts two
generations of people - from parent to children. Two men,
Khun Chang and Khun Phaen, contest for the love of a woman,
Phimphilalai. They lived in Suphanburi province. The story that
depicts the second generation involves the love triangle of
one man and two women. The love of one man - Phra Wai
Woranat, a young government official and the son of Khun
Phaen and Phimphilalai, is dramatically contested by his two
wives, one of whom uses magic to enchant him.
The plot of the story is striking in its similarity to the
courtship song, a type of folk song. The two-men-one-woman
triangle is similar to the Klon Tap Ching Chu, while the contest
between the wife and the other woman shares the same
theme with the Klon Tap Ti Mak Phua of the courtship song.
The theme is a favorite among the people and is found in
several folk plays. Khun Chang-Khun Phaen story is packed
with many different rasas (emotional flavors or essence) - love,
war, laughter, and tragedy. Several characters in the story
have a striking personality. Khun Phaen is a man of every
Thai woman’s dream - gallant, handsome, honey-tongued,
accomplished in martial arts and sorcery, and a warrior who
serves as a model for his loyalty to his superior. Khun Chang
is the kind of man that people dislike. He is ugly, bald, hairy-
chested, ill-mannered, cruel and represents a treacherous
man who is disloyal to his friends. Phimphilalai, or Wan Thong,
typifies Thai woman who fails to determine the course of her
life - the decision depends on other people.
The story of Khun Chang-Khun Phaen illustrates
the way of life of Thai men in the past through the example
The Tale of Khun Chang-Khun Phaen
of Khun Phaen - the way he was brought up, his education,
his search for magic charms and amulets, his search for magic
weapons, his service in the government, his action in
the war, his war merits, and his setence to prison. Khun Phaen’s
life so impresses the Thai people that they name the Buddha
statue after him. For example, the Reclining Buddha statue
at Wat Phlai Chumphon in Suphanburi province is named
“Nen Kaeo” (Khun Phaen’s nickname is “Kaeo”) and a series
of the Buddha amulets from Wat Phra Rup in Suphanburi
province are called “Phra Khun Phaen Khai Pha”, while another
one is called “Khun Phaen Taeng Kwa”, etc.
Khun Chang-Khun Phaen story has always been associated
withthewayof lifeof theThai people inthecentral regionbecause
the story has been adopted by several types of performing arts.
It began its life as a Sepha recitation during the Ayutthaya era.
BythetimeofKingRama II’s reign, intheRattanakosin(Bangkok)era,
a Pi Phat ensemble was added to accompany the recitation.
During the reigns of King Rama IV and V, the aristocracy added
dance to it and several theatrical forms were created such
as Sepha Ram, Lakhon Sepha and Lakhon Phan Thang. The
people added folk song to it, which resulted in Phleng Song
Khreuang. They also depict the story as a Li-ke performance.
Today, Khun Chang-Khun Phaen story has been produced
several times into television dramas and films - for example,
“Khun Phaen Phachon Phai” (The Adventure of Khun Phaen).
The tale has also been told in comic books and fairy-tale
books. Some episodes of the tale have been incorporated
in the textbook for Thai language curriculum for the primary
education by the Ministry of Education. In short, Khun Chang-
Khun Phaen story is well-known throughout Thailand.