ANGKOR and I

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117 Mishima Yukio visited Cambodia from Bangkok in 1965, along with a person in charge of a publishing company. After having visited certain major stone temples like Angkor Wat, he spent a few hours on this terrace. At that time did any notion arise within his mind? It is said that directly after that he returned to his hotel and wrote down the “Terrace of the Leper King.” The setting for this play was the court of Jayavarman VII (who ruled from 1181-1218), who created the glory days of the Angkor dynasty. It is a story wherein the formidable king was ultimately stricken by disease, visited by the tragedy of fate, and passed away while witnessing the decline of his kingdom. Mishima declares in the epilogue, “this is not a play that pertains to leprosy but to an ‘absolute illness’ (a beautiful and brawny body).” This play was recently directed (in March 2016) by Miyamoto Amon. Starring Suzuki Ryohei, it was enacted at the ACT theater in Akasaka, and was particularly well received. Yet, the truth of the issue is we have no knowledge at all as to whether the king in fact suffered from leprosy or not. All we can say is the king at that time built “free hospitals” in 102 places within the nation, where they prescribed medicinal stones. This act appears to have had something to do with this illness. The places where the hospitals are believed to have existed have already been located in over 50 places, ranging from modern Cambodia to northeastern Thailand. Also, Zhou Daguan, the aforesaid visitor from the Yuan dynasty, made reference to “leprosy.” Relief endorsing the “Terrace of the Leper King” legend was carved in the eastern chambers of the second gallery of the Bayon temple. According to the illustrations, the king once encountered a large snake (Naga) in the jungle, and on slashing the snake with a sword he was bathed in its blood and fell ill. The ailing king is presented lying on the floor and dying, while servants rub his limbs. His feet are placed on the lap of a maid, and just beside him an ascetic monk prays hard for a complete recovery. The relief was created on the basis of folklore.