Lao Literature

Lao literature is the writing of the people of Laos in the Lao (or Laotian) language, which is closely related to Standard Thai. Throughout the people’s history, Buddhism has had a central role in public and private life, a fact that is evident in the significant body of classical literature. Modern Lao literature did not appear until the mid-twentieth century, and nearly all of the important works prior to the latter half of the century were written by men. Women were discouraged from pursuing literary careers. The Lao people have experienced colonialism, communism, civil war, and rapid social change. These and other issues are reflected in the literature of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, although such works are not often published in Laos because of censorship by the communist government. Short forms such as novellas and short stories are popular in Laos, but romance stories draw large readership in modern times.

Background

Laos in Southeast Asia is bordered by China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its official language is Lao, but the people also speak other languages, including French and Hmong. The most common dialects are Vientiane Lao, Northern Lao, Northeastern Lao/Tai Phuan, Central Lao, and Southern Lao. The vocabulary is based on Vientiane Lao. Lao is a tonal language, which means that the meanings of words changes based on the tones used in speaking them. For example, Vientiane Lao uses six tones: low, mid, high, rising, high falling, and low falling.

The Lao people are a branch of the Tai people and originated in modern Yunnan, China. In the thirteenth century, invading Mongols forced them south to the edge of the Khmer Empire. They established Muong Swa, later Louangphrabang, a principality.

Warrior Fa Ngum founded the first Lao kingdom with the assistance of the Khmers. According to legend, Fa Ngum was raised in exile in Angkor after his father displeased his grandfather, the king of a small state. Years later, he married a Khmer princess. Beginning in 1350, he conquered a series of Lao principalities in the Mekong River Valley. He forced his grandfather from power in 1353 and took his ancestral kingdom, which he called Lan Xang, meaning “land of the million elephants.” He conquered nearby regions and expanded his kingdom significantly. He learned Therevada Buddhism from Khmer missionaries and spread it throughout his territories as a means to unite the various ethnic groups throughout the kingdom. The majority of literature was kept in the temple libraries, although wealthy households also owned tomes.

Over the next three centuries, the size of the kingdom fluctuated often. Despite its significant size in the seventeenth century, it faced internal political upheaval when the king died without a male heir. Eventually, Lan Xang was divided into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang in the north, Vientiane in the middle, and Champassak in the south. However, ongoing strife weakened the kingdoms, and the Siamese (modern Thais) controlled much of the region by the end of the eighteenth century. Later Siam handed the territory to French Indochina, which largely ignored the Lao people and territory because it was of less economic consequence. The three kingdoms were reunited by France as the protectorate of Laos in 1904, but for most Lao, life changed relatively little until after 1930.

The twentieth century was marked by strife, including Japanese occupation during World War II, resistance groups, and the Vietnam War. Laos was heavily bombed during the latter. Laos gained independence in 1954 but devolved into civil war in 1962. The United States supported the Royal Lao government, while Vietnam and the Soviet Union supported the Lao Patriotic Front. North Vietnam conquered Laos in 1975, deposed the king, and established the communist Lao People’s Democratic Republic as the only political party. Although the communists abolished Buddhism, a form of it was reintroduced in the 1990s.

Overview

Folk tales and poetry of the Lao-speaking people predate the written literature, which first appeared during the Lan Xang period in the sixteenth century. Fa Ngum’s mission to share Buddhist teachings throughout his kingdom included literature that explains the faith and how individuals and society should behave. For example, more than one thousand Jataka tales, which are also known as life stories of the Buddha, impart moral lessons. Early literature included both poetry and prose. Works typically focus on the upper classes, especially royalty. The epic poem Sang Sinsai, written by Pang Kham in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, is a highly regarded quest story of the hero prince of the title. Thao Hung Thao Cheuang, another epic poem, is about a warrior-king.

Literature of the nineteenth century was strongly affected by political and social changes in the region, notably the presence of the French in modern Vietnam and pressure on the Lao people to submit to French control. As a colony, Laos’s literature changed little. Many people lacked secular education, and printing technology did not arrive in the country for some time, so few works were produced or disseminated. Even in the 1930s, monks hand-copied stories onto palm leaves to help circulate them in rural areas. The first regularly printed Lao-language newspaper did not debut until the 1940s.

The government gradually instituted secular education across the nation in the middle of the twentieth century, but high school-level education did not arrive in many areas beyond the capital for some time. However, the influence of the colonial era remained; for example, students studied French literature. As a result, young, educated Lao writers began using Western forms rather than recreate old epic poems. The novella Phaphutthahup saksit, or The Sacred Buddha Image (1944), is the first work of modern Lao prose fiction. The detective story by Somjin Nginn is about an investigator tracking down a missing Buddha image.

During the civil war, literature was primarily available to the small, educated population in the capital, Vientiane, which was under the Royal Lao government's control. Authors were familiar with American, French, and Thai fiction and thus produced works of humor and romance in similar styles. Their works suggested that moral and social values were declining and that the government was corrupt. Meanwhile, literature in communist-controlled areas was produced anonymously to establish and strengthen communist society and support the Lao Patriotic Front.

After the communists took control in 1975, literature likewise praised communism, the revolution, and party leadership. However, within a few years, such works were rarely read outside of educational settings. Instead, Lao readers devoured romance stories. For example, Hak Lae Phukphan, or Love and Ties, by Duangsai Luangphasi, follows a woman whose parents insist she rejects the man she loves to marry a rich man. She becomes ill and when the rich man learns she is expected to die, he leaves her, freeing her to be with the man she loves after all.

Government control and the high cost of publishing severely limited the number and size of books printed near the end of the twentieth century. As a result, authors had little chance to address social and political issues.

Although women were largely discouraged from writing or translating literary works, among the most famous modern Laos writers are the Viravong sisters, Duangdeuan Bounyavong and Dara Kanlagna (writing as Dauk Ket and Duang Champa, respectively). With their brother, Prakiane Viravong, they published a literary magazine, Vannasin, which they founded in 1979. Dara Kanlagna is known for her poems, novels, short stories, and screenplay. Novelist and poet Duangdeuan Bounyavong operated a publishing company, Dokked, which focused on women’s and children’s literature.

Outhine Bounyavong—husband of Duangdeuan Bounyavong and a journalist, editor, and translator—was one of Laos’s most famous writers and among the small number whose works have been translated into other languages. His first works appeared in newspapers and magazines. He was one of the first authors to publish fiction in Lao, and like other authors of the mid-1960s, he had to finance printing and distribution. His second book of short stories, Mother’s Beloved, was the first Lao collection published in English. The tales focus on changes in society and the importance of traditional values and morality. Another well-known novelist, poet, and short story author, Bounthanong Somsaiphon, came to prominence in the 1970s. His works offer insight into life and culture under communism.

Modern Lao literature is primarily produced by civil servants. Many write for government newspapers and magazines. In addition to writing reports for these publications, they are also employed to create fiction. Those who wish to write any social criticism send their works to Thailand or elsewhere to be published. Additionally, several Laos authors self-publish their works or utilize small literary presses with small print runs.

Lao verse is characterized by the use of alliteration and parallelism. Parallelism is the repetition of words or grammatical structure, such as “in for a penny, in for a pound.” AAB narrative patterns are typical in Lao verse. These consist of two sections that are parallel in meaning and often employ similar grammatical structures. Frequently, authors create multiple layers of patterns. The third section consists of the conclusion.

Many authors of Lao origin write outside of the country, with many families having fled the communist regime. Lao-Canadian author Souvankham Thammavongsa was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after her family escaped Laos. Her poetry has been recognized internationally and her debut novel, How to Pronounce Knife (2020), won several awards.

Bibliography

Beach, Regina. "11 Fascinating Lao Folk Tales and Legends." Culture Trip, 7 Nov. 2018, theculturetrip.com/asia/laos/articles/11-fascinating-lao-myths-and-legends/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

Epstein, Steven Jay. Lao Folktales. Silkworm Books, 2005.

Hu, Harriet. "Outhine Bounyavong's Mother's Beloved: Stories of a Post-Revolutionary Laos." Culture Trip, 26 Jan. 2016, theculturetrip.com/asia/laos/articles/outhine-bounyavong-s-mother-s-beloved-stories-of-a-post-revolutionary-laos/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

Igunma, Jana. "Inspiring Women Writers of Laos: (1) Dara Viravong Kanlagna and Douangdeuane Bounyavong." British Library Asian and African Studies Blog, 11 Jan. 2021, blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2021/01/inspiring-women-writers-of-laos-1-dara-viravong-kanlagna-and-douangdeuane-bounyavong.html. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

Koret, Peter. "Introduction to Lao Literature." Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 5 Feb. 2004, www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/laoliterature/Introduction‗to‗Lao‗lit.htm. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

"Laos Literature." Vietlong Travel, vietlongtravel.com/news/laos-facts/laos-literature. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

Souksavanh, Ounkeo, and Richard Finney. "In Press-Restricted Laos, Reporters Self-Censor, Cover Only 'Safe' Topics." Radio Free Asia, 30 Apr. 2020, www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/reporters-04302020091028.html. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.

Tossa, Wajuppa, et al., editors. Lao Folktales. Bloomsbury, 2008.

Wolfson-Ford, Ryan. "Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Lao Literature in Diaspora at 50." Library of Congress, 30 May 2023, blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/2023/05/looking-back-looking-ahead-lao-literature-in-diaspora-at-50/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.