TRA VINH PROVINCE PEOPLE''''S COMMITTEE TRA VINH UNIVERSITY HOANG SI NGOC NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTH KHMER CULTURE Major Cultural Studies Major code 9229040 DOCTORAL THESIS SUMMARY OF CUTURAL STUDIES TR[.]
TRA VINH PROVINCE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE TRA VINH UNIVERSITY HOANG SI NGOC NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTH KHMER CULTURE Major: Cultural Studies Major code: 9229040 DOCTORAL THESIS SUMMARY OF CUTURAL STUDIES TRA VINH, 2022 The research was completed at : TRA VINH UNIVERSITY Science instructor: Assoc.Prof.Dr Tran Van Anh Reviewer 1: Reviewer 2: Reviewer 3: The thesis will be defended before the Review Board school-level thesis at : Tra Vinh University At o‟clock on Thesis can be found at the library of : Tra Vinh University PREAMBLE REASON FOR CHOOSING TOPIC Being an animal in the natural world, however, very early on, the snakes has entered the cultural life of many people around the world with different manifestations The snakes not only appear in legends (beginning, founding a country), present in traditional beliefs, architecture, and sculptures but also become inspiration in application design (from building bridges and roads to household items such as furniture, jewelry, clothes, fashion, etc.) of many ethnic groups from ancient times to modern society, including the Southern Khmer in our country The southern Khmer people have a brilliant and unique culture in the common cultural space These cultural values are reflected in social life, customs, religion, beliefs, literature and art For the southern Khmer people, (accounting for 8% of the population in the region and ranking the 5th out of 54 ethnic groups in our country) Naga God Snake, since being imported from India until now, has existed throughout history and imprinted with the Southern Khmer people‟s cultural identity The Naga God Snake is not only a symbol of totem but also bears many profound imprints in the tangible and intangible culture the Southern Khmer people: presented in customs and festivals; in folk tales, expressed in almost all architectural and fine art works in Khmer Temple with images that have become symbols with many meanings; There are many different ways of expressing decorative and sculptural motifs such as: motifs of God bird holding snakes, Naga snakes on the stairs leading to the main hall of the temple, Naga snakes on the fences, pagoda gates, and Naga Snake and Mko motifs Through the survey, we found that there are certain similarities and differences between the Naga God Snake in the southernKhmer culture and the God Snake in the Vietnamese culture By researching the Naga god snake in the Southern Khmer culture and at the same time comparing it with the snakes in the Vietnamese culture and snakes/dragons in some other countries, the thesis clarifies some cultural values of the Southern Khmer people Thereby, it is possible to exploit and decipher the cultural underground circuits hidden in traditional cultural mascots, contribute to preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of the southern Khmer people in particular and the Vietnamese people in general The phenomenon of cultural mixing has been taking place strongly in the Vietnamese - Khmer - Hoa - Cham community Some traditional cultural elements are gradually disappeared, instead, new cultural elements are adopted, as a result, Naga god snakes in Southern Khmer culture is not out of that common source The phenomenon of "Dragonization" of the Naga God Snake has been mentioned by some researchers Currently, NagaGod snake is not only an image decorated in the Temple as it is, but also found in many places, in the cultural institutions of other ethnic groups; typically, the decoration of the Naga Snake on sculptures at Tay An Pagoda - An Giang, frescoes on columns in the main hall (which can only be found in the columns of the Northern Buddhist Temple)…; Even in the Khmer community, determining the Dragon or the God Snake is still quite confusing and inconsistent A part of the Khmer people think that there is no distinction, the rest make a very clear distinction between the Naga God Snake and the Dragon God / Neak Crit In the rituals related to the God Snake in the current Southern Khmer culture, there are a number of rituals that have gradually disappeared or changed due to many reasons such as: the custom of dyeing the bride's teeth, the son going to the priesthood to pay filial piety This shows that it is very necessary to systematically study the Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture in order to ensure the preservation of cultural identity values of the Southern Khmer people – the blood brother on our S-shaped strip of land Currently, the organization of sightseeing tours at some Southern Khmer temples has been increasingly interested by the State and has been done very well, typically, sightseeing and tourism activities at Ang Pagoda (Tra Vinh), Ta Pa Pagoda, Xa Ton Pagoda (An Giang), Bat Pagoda, Cup style pagoda (Soc Trang), have attracted many visitors in domestic as well as abroad In addition to the outstanding features of the pagoda's architecture, the images in the Pagoda and the Naga God Snake always especially attract tourists‟ attention to admire and take souvenir photos Besides, the Ngo boat racing activity among the pagodas in Soc Trang is organized in a very orderly and boldly traditional manner, attracting thousands of people to visit Therefore, preserving the national identity values in order to promote the inherent precious traditions is an urgent necessity today; since then, developing the region's tourism industry as well as in Vietnam „s For these reasons, we choose Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture as the research topic of the thesis RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND TASKS 2.1 Objectives To learn the meanings, characteristics and values through the Naga God snake‟s manifestations in many fields of the Southern Khmer culture in order to contribute to understanding their unique cultural features 2.2 Tasks - To establish the theoretical basis, concepts related to the research problems ; - To systematize the existence‟s forms and influence of the Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer‟s cultural life in terms of intangible and tangible culture such as religion, customs, practices, festivals, architecture, painting, costumes, performing arts and folklore; -To decipher the meanings that the Naga Snake conveys through its manifestations in the Southern Khmer cultural fields; - To survey and system characteristics and values of the Nage God Snake the Southern Khmer‟s culture - Compare the similarities and differences between the Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture and the beliefs of worshiping snakes and dragons of some ethnic groups; - Give some comments on preserving and promoting the Southern Khmer‟s cultural values from the symbol of the Naga God Snake RESEARCH’S SUBJECTS AND SCOPE - The thesis selects Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer‟s culture as the main research object There are expandation and comparison with the image of snake/naga/dragon in Vietnamese culture and some other countries as well - The thesis is researched within the cultural scope of the Southern Khmer people This cultural space is chosen because this is the largest living place of Khmer people in Vietnam In which, the thesis focuses on four provinces: Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, An Giang, and Kien Giang for fieldwork, interviews and in-depth research The time of fieldwork is from 2016 to 2021 (because this is the time to conduct the thesis, go to the field many times to have the appraisal process and in-depth research) RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS 4.1 Research questions (1) Why does the Khmer people choose Naga God Snake as a typical mascot in their national culture, even though the worshiping snakes custom is likely to have been popular before the time of interaction with Indian culture? (2) What fields of the Southern Khmer‟s cuture are the Nage God Snake expressed ? (3) What are the meanings of Naga God snakes in Southern Khmer culture? (4) What are the characteristics and values of the Southern Khmer culture and what changes have been made in the current context? (5) What are the similarities or differences in manifestations, characteristics, and values of the Naga God Snake in Southern Khmer culture compared with the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cham people's beliefs in worshiping snakes and dragons? 4.2 Research hypothesis (1) The Naga god snake in Southern Khmer culture is a mascot imported from India through a long history, now a mascot that is extremely revered by the Khmer (2) The Naga god snake has many specific manifestations with specific characteristics through the fields of tangible and intangible culture in the Southern Khmer culture (3) The Naga God Snake is a mascot symbolizing unlimited power; symbol for prosperity, luck; symbol for the link between the mundane world - the realm of Nirvana (4) The Naga God Snake in Southern Khmer culture through exchange and acculturation has some specific characteristics; has many values, contributing to preserving the Southern Khmer ethnic The Naga god snake has had many changes in characteristics, expression and values compared to traditional cultural elements in the current context (5) In addition to the similarities in some characteristics and manifestations, but especially the symbolic value of water of Naga compared to the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cham people, The Naga in the Southern Khmer culture also has many different features that create the unique cultural identity of Southern Khmer people such as: origin, some expressions in the fields of culture, religion RESEARCH APPROACHES AND METHODS 5.1 Research approaches 5.1.1 Interdisciplinary approach 5.1.2 Systematic approach 5.2 Research methods - Qualitative research methods (fields, observations, indepth interviews) - Type comparison method THE THESIS’ CONTRIBUTION 6.1 In terms of science - The thesis has gathered a system of documents related to the Naga Snake in the cultures of some countries in the world, in Vietnam and the Naga God Snake of the Southern Khmer people; - The thesis is a systematic, relatively comprehensive study of the Naga in the mind, aesthetic conception and its expression in the traditional culture of the Southern Khmer people; - The thesis indicates the manifestations of the Snake God Naga in the cultural fields of the Southern Khmer peopel are extremely rich, which has been integrated into the cultural identity for generations; - The thesis points out the basic and distinctive characteristics of the Naga in the Southern Khmer culture by comparing the characteristics of the Naga in India, Southeast Asian countries, the Dragon of the Vietnamese, the Chinese ; - The thesis affirms that the cultural values of the Naga Snake is accepted by everyone as a common denominator of the precious identity of the Southern Khmer in particular, and our country in general At the same time, this symbol also carries with it great values in terms of preserving and preserving the cultural identity of the Southern Khmer ethnic group 6.2 In terms of practice - Provide some scientific data related to the Naga God Snake in preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Southern Khmer people - Contribute some comments on promoting and enhancing the value of the Southern Khmer cultural identity through the Naga God Snake mascot; - The thesis can be referenced as a basis to support the cultural development policies in line with Southern practice, contributing to preserving and promoting the unique cultural values of the Khmer people THE THESIS’ STRUCTURE In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, References, List of research works of the author, Appendix, the thesis includes chapters: Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation, theoretical and practical basis of the topic Chapter 2: Expression forms and meanings of Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture Chapter 3: Characteristics and values of the Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture Chương 1: OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION, THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BASIS OF THE THESIS 1.1 RESEARCH SITUATION OVERVIEW 1.1.1 Research works on symbol theory 1.1.2 Research works related to snakes, naga and dragons 1.1.2.1.Works related to the Naga in India 1.1.2.2 Works related to snakes and dragons in China and some Northeast Asian countries 1.1.2.3 Works related to snakes, dragons and the Naga in Southeast Asia 1.1.2.4 Works related to snakes and dragons of Vietnamese people 1.1.2.5 Works related to the Naga God Snake of the Southern Khmer people 1.1.2.6 Works related to the comparative study of snakes in the Southern Khmer culture with snakes in the Vietnamese‟ culture and some other ethnic groups in Southeast Asia as well 1.1.3 General comments on the research problem 1.1.3.1 Evaluation of the achievements of the researched projects There are variety of works related to the Naga God Snake symbolisim The study continues the logic of research and confirms the view of decoding symbols on an interdisciplinary basis, symbolic research plays a role in deciphering cultural elements in people's lives These are solid theoretical foundations to help the thesis go into the study of the Naga in the Southern Khmer people‟s culture to decipher the cultural elements Specifically about the Naga God Snake and related to this symbol, there have also been many research works in India, China, some countries in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Vietnam and even the Southern Khmer in particular Research works have confirmed that the worshiping custom and myth of the god snake appeared from ancient times, present in the cultural life of many peoples around the world Many research works also go into the commonalities and differences of the Naga God Snake with the snake and dragon symbolism in Chinese and Vietnamese culture 1.1.3.2 Some issues needed to further study in the thesis On the basis of inheriting the research results of the authors, from the actual study of culture through cultural symbols related to an ethnic group, the thesis continues to develop the basic issues: Firstly, determine the name and variations of the Nage God Snake in the Southern Khmer culture from the thesis‟s perspective , since then, systematize research materials on the Naga God Snake Secondly, survey, research, and systematically present the existence and related forms of the Naga Snake in Southern Khmer culture Explore some changes of the Naga God Snake in the current Southern Khmer culture with its manifestations in traditional culture Thirdly, study and clarify some typical characteristics and values of the Naga in the Southern Khmer culture: The Naga God Snake in Southern Khmer culture, in relationship with snakes and dragons of Vietnamese culture; water value, educational value, aesthetic value, value and meaning of preserving ethnic cultural identity (spiritual and identity) Fourthly, gather the opinions and evidence of some previous researchers about the relationship between the names and properties of the elk and the Naga ; make a judgment about the shape change when the Naga Snake combines with other mascots as Makara, Jehbla 1.2 THEORETICAL BASIS 1.2.1 Related Concepts 1.2.1.1 Cultural concept - A brief overview of some cultural concepts in the world and in the country; From the above study, from the point of view of symbolism, we conceive: Culture is the transformation of things and phenomena in nature into symbols with many noble values and meanings in the cultural life of an ethnic group; It's a set of icons This symbolic system has a transformation that changes the symbolic meaning and interpretation over time Given this concept, the thesis wants to emphasize the perspective of culture is a cultural symbol Symbols are considered as one of the basic elements that creating each nation‟s cutulre and the transformation of meaning over time 1.2.1.2 Symbolism concept - Symbols are formed from images Therefore, the thesis first summarizes the concept of image - Introduce some symbolic concepts in Vietnamese Dictionary, World Cultural Symbols Dictionary; some symbolic concepts according to Pham Duc Duong, Hoang Phe, Dinh Hong Hai, Ju Lotman, Nguyen Van Hau, … Chương 2: EXPRESSION OF THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURAL ASPECTS 2.1 THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER INNOVATIVE CULTURE 2.1.1 The Naga God Snake in the Southern Khmer religion 2.1.1.1 The Naga god snake in the existence of Balamon beliefs The motifs of the snake god Naga combined with other mascots in Hinduism are very popular in the temple architecture of the Southern Khmer people today In addition, vestiges of Balamonism are also shown very strongly in a number of customs activities of the Southern Khmer that are directly related to Naga 2.1.1.2 The Naga god snake in Theravada Buddhist Naga is a mascot with an extremely important role and position in Buddhism, appearing in most of the stories from the Buddha's birth to the time of Nirvana, is the enlightened mascot in Buddhism and a protective mascot in the Buddhist concept 2.1.2 Naga snakes are associated with customs, practices, and festivals 2.1.2.1 The Naga god snake associated with the wedding ceremony 2.1.2.2 The Naga snakes associated with funerals 2.1.2.3 The Naga god snake is associated with the custom of going to the priesthood 2.1.2.4 The Naga god snake is associated with the custom of boat racing 2.1.2.5 The Naga god snakes are associated with the custom of building houses 2.1.3 The Naga god snakes in the performing arts of the Southern Khmer people 2.1.4 The Naga god snakes in Southern Khmer folklore 11 2.2 THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER PEOPLE’ TANGIBLE CUTULRE 2.2.1 Naga snake in the architecture of Southern Khmer Theravada Buddhist Temple 2.2.1.1 The Naga snake‟s image The general image structure of Naga snakes in visual art in Southern Khmer culture is mainly in the form of Naga snakes with or more heads equal to odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, ; there are very few cases where the number of heads is even except for the case of Naga snakes with heads, each head has a direction symbolizing the cycle of life and death Regardless of how many heads appear, visually, we can classify typical shapes of the Naga God Snake in Southern Khmer culture as follows: Type 1: Naga retains the image of a large cobra in the head of Indian culture Image 3.1 Naga remained in the original form Type 2: The body shape and combination with the Mko are the same as the outer body shape of Type 1, however, the description of the head is completely different Image 3.2 A variation on the Naga form 2.2.1.2 Materials and genres of representation of the Naga God Snake image 12 The image of the Naga Snake is shown in the architectural works of the Southern Khmer Temple by many types and genres showing: Materials and types of sculpture, Materials and types of sculpture, Materials and types of hanging paintings, Materials and types of murals, Types of decorative patterns 2.2.1.3 Existence space of the Naga god snake image Naga snakes are almost exclusively used to decorate architectural works in Khmer pagodas (except in the case of the Tavoda altar) Through surveys at a number of Southern Khmer temples, we found that the Naga Snake is always shown in the following positions: fence, temple gate, flagpole, stairs leading to the main hall, on the top of the main hall, the doors, on the roof, on the hearse in the temple, decorated in the temple yard 2.2.2 The Naga god snake is reflected in the costumes of the Southern Khmer people Sub-conclusion of chapter On the basis of overview and research theory in Chapter 1, Chapter of the thesis presents the forms of manifestation of the Naga God Snake in Southern Khmer culture in a number of typical fields, including: The Naga is one of the evidence for the Balamon belief‟s existence in Southern Khmer culture, it is absorbed almost completely from Hinduism.In Theravada Buddhism, Naga is a sacred animal associated with many Buddhist stories, appearing in most of the stories Almost in a life cycle of the Southern Khmer people , from reaching adulthood - becoming a monk; then get married (wedding); settle down and establish a business (building a house); activities associated with a happy life (festival); until death (funeral), the Naga snake has a close attachment and shows an important role and position of this mascot in the Southern Khmer people „s cultural life The Ba Ba shirt and bandana of the Khmer in general and the Southern people in particular have become a precious cultural symbol reaching out to the world Combined with the unique performing arts of “Ro bam” and “ Du ke” - the presence of the God 13 Snake in these art forms further proves the existence and meaning of long and widespread promotion The Naga in the Southern Khmer folklore is considered an important factor in crystallization and preservation of ethnic culture Through thousands of years of cultural crystallization, the Southern Khmer have built up a treasure of folklore (here mentions myths and legends) about the Naga Snake has proved its worthy position in the social thinking of the Southern Khmer people about world perception in the process of long-term living From the unique image structure, the Naga Snake has been shown in many forms from casting materials, sculptures, wall paintings, decorative patterns appearing in many different places in Khmer pagodas which are both sacred, ancient, and closed Chapter 3: CHARACTERISTICS, VALUES AND MEANINGS OF THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURE 3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NAGA IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURE 3.1.1 Associated with the water element The dragon‟s concept with the meaning of water is the most common in the East The refraction between Southeast Asian culture and Vietnamese ethnic groups, including the Southern Khmer, creates a very unique way of behaving In such a large living space, the Southern Khmer have built for themselves a separate culture, which is both distinctive and has many similarities to create a diverse culture In there, the concept of water between the Vietnamese Dragon and the Naga Snake is a similarity based on the cultural cohesion and thinking of the two nations Thereby, on the basis of the wet rice farming civilization, the two symbols of the Dragon of the Vietnamese people and the Naga God Snake of the Southern Khmer people have common features of the constant of the Dragon concept in the East, that is "water" ” However, from the origin and the cultural exchange in the different historical process, these two mascots have many different features, creating a picture of cultural diversity in the cultural unity of Vietnam In short, the concept of the Eastern inhabitants of the 14 dragon - naga in the early days was the mascot that ruled or distributed water 3.1.2 Diversity First of all, the universality of snake worship is clearly reflected in the cultures of many nations around the world The most common point in the snake's image is that all ethnic groups in the world have similar characteristics in terms of natural environment and geography is water, cosmological conception of the opposition between Heaven - Earth, water - fire The universality of the Naga in Southern Khmer culture is first expressed in temple architecture Besides, the Naga Snake is also associated with many traditional customs and festivals of the Southern Khmer people that the thesis has mentioned, such as: wedding ceremony, funeral, Ngo boat racing, the son goes to pay filial piety , in building houses, building pagodas, in fine arts 3.1.3 Variation Variations of the Naga in the Southern Khmer culture can be divided into two forms: variations in shape and variations in nature The Naga - Makara - Jehbla complex is a variation on the shape of the Naga Snake from Indian culture, carrying many meanings about fertility, showing the characteristics of the wet rice farming area‟s inhabitants Chan is a variation on the name of Naga in Southern Khmer culture in terms of nature Chan also has the bipolar characteristic of snakes (Good - Evil) After being introduced to the East, after a long history, Buddhism received the meaning of internal struggle between Good and Evil, reminding everyone to fight against the Evil to direct the Good 3.1.4 Localization imprint The imprint of localization is clearly shown through the variations and some manifestations of the Naga Snake in Southern Khmer culture The other shape of the Naga in the image (I.3.2) further imprints the immutable character of this Naga Snake symbol "the immutable nature of the symbol is realized through variations", and the Naga God Snake has been shown most brilliantly in Southeast Asian culture in general and Southern Khmer in particular The 15 Naga - Makara - Jehbla complex, which is popularly represented in the Southern Khmer pagoda architecture, is the product of the integrated way of thinking - the inhabitants of the wet rice farming area in general and the Southern Khmer in particular.This image clearly shows the elements that create the cultural identity of the Sotuhern Khmer in the overall picture of snake worship of the Cham and Vietnamese people in Vietnam Three mascots all have the characteristics of water in Indian culture, they are combined into a complex with the meaning of fertility and proliferation in the Southern Khmer culture In the current Southern Khmer culture, the two-faced element of the Naga Snake is not really clear compared to the meanings of rebirth - destruction as in the cultural context of Balamonism This can be explained for the following reasons: 1/ In the Southern Khmer's concept, the Naga God Snake is Neang Neak – their mother, who taught people to grow rice and cultivate agriculture From the conception of that great sacredness, the Naga is the Good mascot in the concept and mind of the Southern Khmer people 2/ The Naga god snake was acquired by Theravada Buddhism from Balamonism over a long history In the context of Theravada Buddhism, the Naga Snake is a transformed and enlightened mascot, has great power, is the protector of Buddhism The original destructive factors of the Naga Snake gradually faded and were replaced by the good beliefs of the Southern Khmer about the Naga in Theravada Buddhism In our opinion, this destructive element has been transformed into the duality of Chan - the mascot that is both Good and Evil - a variation on the nature of the Naga Snake in Southern Khmer culture (Chan - variation on the name and nature of the Naga Snake) 3/ The geographical factor is also a factor that fades the destructive nature of the Naga in the Southern Khmer culture Unlike the obsession of permanent floods of the ancient Vietnamese in the Red River Delta and other river basins, Southern Khmer people in the Mekong Delta have little idea about this issue because floods not happen often in this area 16 These variations are all products of the process of cultural exchange and acculturation It shows the mentality of the inhabitants of Southeast Asia in general and the Southern Khmer in particular, they receive new cultural elements on the "trails" of their national culture The geo-cultural imprint recognizes the interlaced environment of rivers, canals, canals in the Southern region, creating an obsession with the image of a quick snake when wriggling in the immense water, engraved in the mind of the Southern Khmer people The process of settlement, long-term productive labor in the Southern region creates the industrious, enthusiastic Khmer people who are also extremely intelligent and creative to adapt to the geographical and natural conditions here Ghe Ngo is one of the vivid example for that Through this, we see that the water is the "eternal" element of the Naga Snake It‟s immutability gives rise to the transformation of the symbol into variations 3.2 THE NAGA GOD SNAKE ‘S MEANING IN SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURE 3.2.1 Meaning of infinite power In the Southern Khmer's concept, the Naga Snake is a symbol of powerful power to protect human life and property Especially, it can help people avoid invisible enemies and fierce demonic forces Or in times of trouble, especially when there is an invasion from the outside, the Khmer believe that at some point, the Naga God Snake will appear and dispel all evil from their lives As a descendant of the Naga Snake, one thing is for sure, the Naga Snake will never leave the Khmer people 3.2.2 The meaning of prosperity, peace and luck With the meaning of prosperity, water - brings bountiful crops, makes life full, happy, prosperous, Naga Snake is the protective mascot, bringing good luck, peaceful life to Southern Khmer people The Naga snake of the Southern Khmer people along with the Dragon of the Vietnamese people have shown the Southeast Asian cultural layer on the common basis - the wet rice agricultural culture The inhabitants of Southeast Asia together created a symbol with the element of water, the origin of crops, wind lanterns, etc and 17 the Southern Khmer‟s Naga or the Vietnamese people‟s dragon are symbols for that wish On the basis of that agricultural culture of wet rice cultivation, each ethnic group has built its own unique culture and extremely unique symbol system 3.2.3 The meaning of the connection between Heaven Earth, Earth – Nirvana The Naga in Southern Khmer culture is associated with Theravada Buddhist religion, it is a "substitute" to act as a bridge between human beings on earth and Buddha in Nirvana With this meaning, the Naga god snake assumes the role of a mascot conveying the wishes of the Khmer people for a prosperous, peaceful and lucky life in the physical world while still alive and to return to the realm of nirvana when lost That is also the original meaning of the universal conception, the connection between Heaven and Earth of agricultural areas‟ inhabitants 3.3 THE VALUE OF NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURE 3.3.1 Historical value The Naga god snake in Southern Khmer culture is the product of the process of cultural exchange and acculturation; Therefore, in terms of historical significance, this symbol was originally from India - one of the oldest civilizations in the world The Naga god snake, which has existed throughout history from the beginning of the country's founding to the present, is incorporated and closely associated with Theravada Buddhism in the Southern Khmer culture The long-standing historical feature of Naga is a bridge among cultural regions, an important part of a colorful cultural picture between ethnic groups in Southeast Asia in general and Vietnam in particular 3.3.2 Aesthetic value The decorative motif of the Naga Snake is one of the typical features in the art of architecture, sculpture, and painting at Southern Khmer temples Influenced by the Theravada Buddhist worldview and dualistic thinking, the Khmer have created architecture, sculptures, and assemblies that make the pagoda palatial, besides the motifs of round statues and four-faced god Maha Prum, the god bird 18 ... 2.1.3 The Naga god snakes in the performing arts of the Southern Khmer people 2.1.4 The Naga god snakes in Southern Khmer folklore 11 2.2 THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER PEOPLE’ TANGIBLE... manifestations of the Naga Snake in Southern Khmer culture The other shape of the Naga in the image (I.3.2) further imprints the immutable character of this Naga Snake symbol "the immutable nature... the Southern Khmer people 10 Chương 2: EXPRESSION OF THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN SOUTHERN KHMER CULTURAL ASPECTS 2.1 THE NAGA GOD SNAKE IN THE SOUTHERN KHMER INNOVATIVE CULTURE 2.1.1 The Naga God Snake