The Mask of the Gods: A History of Cambodia's Lakhon Khol

The Mask of the Gods: A History of Cambodia's Lakhon Khol
Chapter One: The Ancient Stage: The Origins of Lakhon Khol in the Khmer Court Among the great classical performing arts of Cambodia, Lakhon Khol (ល្ខោនខោល) stands as a testament to power, drama, and sacred history. It is a majestic masked dance-drama, an art form that brings the heroes, demons, and monkey warriors of the nation's great epic, the Reamker, to vibrant, energetic life. Traditionally performed only by men, Lakhon Khol is not mere entertainment; it is a profound ritual theater, a sacred offering with ancient roots believed to stretch back to the magnificent courts of the Angkorian Empire. Its origins are steeped in the same Brahmanic (Hindu) worldview that inspired the great temples, making it a direct, living link to the glory and spiritual fervor of the ancient Khmer civilization. Echoes in Stone: Tracing Origins to Angkor While the precise date of Lakhon Khol's birth is lost to history, its spiritual and aesthetic origins are widely held to be in the courtly life of…