The Legend of the Royal Norodom Family in Cambodia

Ginger Staley

After reading the story of Kochinnenako, Sh-ah-cock, and Miochin (The Battle of the Seasons) translated into English by John Gunn from a Laguna oral tradition, I began to consider the differences of English and the native Laguna tongue in storytelling. In Gunn’s version, plot, details, tension, and resolution are the vanguard in his rendition. However a direct translation would be much different—more scattered with less forward momentum and simpler dialogue, etc.

Hence, being of half Cambodian decent, I researched my own Cambodian story about the origins of the Khmer Kingdom. With my mother as a narrator, I translated the story word for word from Khmer into English without any embellishments. I then reused the story and adapted it into the Western concept of storytelling as to notably prove the differences when English is used as a mediator between two cultures.

Every language has nuances and lingual subtleties which cannot be recreated in another language. It is especially hard to directly translate stories attached to a culture since, as Americans, we are not emerged within that culture. In the following stories, I would like the reader to explore the differences in both versions. In doing so, I hope the reader notices the different versions conveying different attitudes and cultural meaning, although in essence, they are the same story.

The legend of the royal Norodom family in Cambodia: Adapted English Version

Underneath the Bodhi Tree sat Buddha, in meditation. From a hole under the tree slithered a long snake looking for food. It stared at Buddha licking his lips wanting to consume him. Buddha fed the snake all the food he had—just a handful of rice. The animal rapidly devoured the freely offered rice but it failed to satiate his hunger. Once again he stared longingly at Buddha, licking his lips in desire. Buddha looked at his forked tongue and thought about the peculiarity of it. But instead of gobbling Buddha, the snake nobly crawled back into the hole from whence it came. The mythological Bodhi Tree of Buddhism is called the Plok tree in the Khmer language. Before the genesis of the Cambodian Kingdom in the Southeast Asian peninsula, the Cambodian people lived on an island in the Pacific Ocean near India called Kokok-Plok.

Centuries later, the snake that confronted Buddha during his meditation was reincarnated into the form of a human being. He was born a Prince of Kokok-Plok and was named Patoung. Upon reaching maturity, Patoung became increasingly jealous of his younger brother who won favor with their father, the king of Kokok-Plok. When the King fell ill, Patoung’s younger brother attentively nursed his father and was therefore promised the throne of the Kingdom. Patoung’s rage increased and the king was afraid for his youngest son’s safety. The king beckoned his son to meet with him to explain his decision but Patoung, in his anger, refused to arrive. The king therefore called a meeting of the entire palace. He asked the servants and guards to capture Patoung and execute him to prevent any potential fratricide. When the palace occupants heard the king’s plan, they begged him to reconsider.

“Please your majesty, don’t execute Patoung. He is true of heart, and a good man,” they told him.

“What shall I do then?” asked the king.

“Send him away,” they requested.

With that, a quarter of the palace occupants sheared their hair to neck length and followed Patoung on his quest, sailing the Pacific Ocean. The sheared hair marked them separate from others, as people who did not belong to a certain country.

While sailing the Ocean, Patoung encountered a Naga, a water-dragon. Her name was Nimneot Norodom, and they immediately fell in love. She was the princess of the Naga, a divine race of water-dwelling dragons. They wanted to be wed but the dragon-king Norodom forbade it, and was angry with his daughter for her ignorance. According to him, they could not marry because they were of different backgrounds, culture, language, and status. But in defiance, Nimneot eloped with Patoung. When exacting vengeance, the dragon-king spewed highly potent venom into Patoung’s eyes, forever blinding him.

Patoung had with him a prophet. The prophet predicted tragedy for the dragon-king for his actions. He said,

“Since you have thus insulted and blinded our King Patoung, the Naga race will vanish, and you with it, if you do not right your wrongs. For King Patoung has eaten from the hand of Buddha and carries a blessing from the gods.” Upon hearing this, the dragon-king healed Patoung and allowed his daughter to marry him. After the consummation of their marriage, Patoung traveled with his wife under the sea to the Naga dominion where he was formally recognized. He took on the name Patoung Norodom, his wife’s surname, and kept that name until his death.

After his adventures to the underwater civilization, Patoung and his wife Nimneot traveled back to the mainland and settled in Chipa-saat, now modern day Vietnam. Their neighbors, the Champas, were a belligerent group. Since Patoung was always visiting the royalty of Champa for diplomatic concerns, he frequently met with the King and his younger sister, the princess of Champa. She soon came to love Patoung obsessively. But Patoung had no romantic feelings for the princess, and regarded her as a sister. He loved his wife Nimneot like no other.

As time wore on, the people of Champa also grew to love Patoung. They wanted him as king. The king of Champa became severely jealous of Patoung’s ruling abilities. So when the Champa princess confessed her feelings for Patoung to her older brother, he was beyond distraught. In an effort to deface Patoung’s reputation in Champa, he told his countrymen:

“If all of you so desire to follow Patoung, heed my words: this country will suffer greatly under his hands. He will destroy the land upon which you reside.”

Upon hearing the Champa king’s retort to Patoung’s presence, the people in Chipa-saat, and the people of Champa waged war on each other. Patoung’s forces were greatly outnumbered and suffered a big loss. His people were forced farther west into Nakown-rrat Nasima, or present day Thailand. Here, he regrouped and reigned prosperously for four years.

After his four year stay in Nakown-rrat Nasima, Patoung, obsessing about his defeat in Chimpa-saat, sent spies to Champa. After receiving news that Champa was also regrouping and preparing to launch another attack, Patoung sent a message to the king saying,

“Come then, King of Champa. Make your war.” And thus commence a bloody war. During the onslaught, the King of Champa saw Patoung from across the battlefield. He took aim with his expertly designed Indian arrow. The Princess of Champa saw him aiming for Patoung’s heart and leaped in front of him just as her brother released the arrow. The arrow shot through her body in front of Patoung eliciting a primal cry as he doubled his efforts to win the war to avenge the princess he loved as a sister.

After winning the war, Patoung built a funeral pyre for the princess and burned her body according to Hindu practice. He conquered the Champa Empire and reclaimed his lands. His empire, the newly named Cambodian empire, stretched through present day Burma, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of Indonesia. Once his empire was established he began building projects. His most famous was the temple Angkor Vat (Wat) dedicated to Vishnu, which leads in with a procession of Naga statues and intricate bas-relief of traditional Hindu and Buddhist stories. The Cambodian people still believe that they are descendent of the Naga race. To this day the present monarch Norodom Sihamoni carries the name Norodom, as all his predecessors have since Norodom Patoung.

The Legend of the royal Norodom family: Literal Cambodian to English translation

Long time ago for Cambodian Country. When, I don’t know. Don’t have country yet. For start, Buddha that go to learn Samana under tree. That kind tree kind named Plok. After that, Buddha see reptile. The reptile came under tree look at Buddha. Buddha give rice to animal, one hand. Animal eat rice, hungry so much. Lick mouth at Buddha, look at Buddha, lick mouth, still hungry. Buddha don’t have enough. Only one hand. Animal not eat full. Buddha see tongue for animal have two tongue. Twin tongue. Buddha say,

“Oh, animal have two tongues.” Animal crawl back to hole under tree. That kind tree of Buddha for tree for Plok. Was on island. Ocean all around with middle, one tree. Plok tree.

After that, country not make for Cambodian yet. Called Nokok-Plok, not called Cambodian. Name for tree. Country, or city, or island of Nokok-Plok. Animal for Buddha you see, go to be person. He born from king. Called name for him Patoung. He prince. He grow up, Patoung, king, parent for Patoung, had four kids. Was jealous for his younger brother who get power. King was sick. Feel like he want to die. Brother stay with father of his, get power. Patoung angry to brother called jealous. King call Patoung to talk together like meeting. Patoung not go, he angry. Father get mad about Patoung. Tell people like servants take Patoung to kill. All people in palace for king come to talk to king.

“Don’t kill Patoung. He good man.”

“What I do?”

“Send him away.”

Patoung have people go with Patoung to ocean. Like one-quarter in palace. These people cut hair, put name say people-don’t-have-country. When hair cut circle around neck people know they are people-don’t-have-country.

Much moon later, he meet daughter for dragon. Daughter for dragon-king called Nimneot. Her father name Norodom. He love her, want to marry her. Dragon-king angry to daughter for love Patoung. He say, “Different people, different culture, different country cannot marry.” Dragon-king take away Nimneot go back. She love Patoung so much she run away come to meet Patoung. Father angry spit poison for dragon. Spit on Patoung. Patoung start to blind. Cannot see. He blind all. People from Patoung called prophet say, “If you not spit for eye for Patoung, people from dragon will all die because Patoung have power from god. Power from Buddha.” So father of Nimneot, dragon-king, Norodom, he come to fix eye for Patoung stop blind. He tell his daughter and Patoung to get married together.

Patoung and his wife have to go to the place of his wife under the water. Patoung have to hold cloth around neck. If Patoung not hold cloth of his wife, he cannot go underwater. Place for dragon. Father of his wife tell people from dragon all people know that Patoung is husband of his daughter. Patoung have to come back to Chipa-saat. Father for dragon, dragon-king, he let daughter come with Patoung.

Patoung take that people come stay in the border between Champa and Cambodia. Called Chipa-saat. He stay next to Champa. People from Champa, all people see Patoung he good guy they see. Daughter of Champa king, she princess, start to love Patoung. He love like sister, not like wife. Old brother for princess he start to jealous of Patoung. He say, “On future, he break country. All people will follow Patoung.” They start to have war for people from Champa, and people from Patoung. Patoung start war first time have not too many people. He lose war. Patoung stop live on place for Chipa-saat between Cambodia and Champa he come live place call Nakown-rrat Nasima, right now Thailand. Before it Cambodia.

Patoung live in Nakown-rrat Nasima three, four, years. He start to have a lot of people be soldier for king. Patoung he king. Patoung want start war again. He send people to be messenger to place of Champa. People come to tell Patoung Champa want to come Nakown-rrat Nasima. He know about. Tell soldier “Champa, come make war.” Daughter for kind of Champa fight with old brother. Old brother of her see Patoung and shoot Indian arrow, shoot Patoung. Champa daughter, sister for the prince, run to stay in front of Patoung because she love Patoung. It shoot her. Patoung he sad, he take her put place for burn.

After that, Patoung, he win war. Come to Chimpa-saat to be Cambodian place. Start to build all new palace, and city, all like that. Put new name called Norodom. New name, new place. Ankor wat place for Patoung long time ago. King is now Norodom Sihamoni. His father was Norodom Sihanuk.