The mahori ensemble of Ayutthaya

Texts, photos, videos: © Patrick Kersalé 1998-2019, except special mention.

Introduction

Why does a research on chapei require investigation in the Ayutthaya's mahori? The Thai krajappi and the Khmer chapei were part of both cultures' royal court orchestras. Understanding the structure and origin of orchestras as far as we can go back, should allow us to better understand the relationship between the musical instruments of the court orchestras of the Angkorian era and those of “traditional” Khmer and Thai ensembles, going through the Ayutthaya Kingdom era (1350-1767).

Sources

The sources on which we rely are iconographic and, to a lesser extent, textual. We also refer to the publications of Thai researchers, especially that of Professor Udom Arunrattana. We also use our knowledge about Bayon's court orchestras, most of which are published on Sounds of Angkor.

Origin of mahori

According to the Thai Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the mahori was created by the ancient Khmer people.

World music history shows that ancient musics have become permanent because they have adapted to their time. This is probably the case for mahori: the old Angkorian culture would have been the basis for the development of a new court art in Ayutthaya. The Khmer instruments, of Indian origin (zither and harp), were gradually replaced by Thai instruments of the time, but also by instruments or technology from China (krajappi) and Middle East (saw sam sai fiddle, thon drum). Then these instruments were adapted to the needs of the court. In his article “Music in Persian and Thai Courts In the Early Ayutthaya Period” Professor Udom Arunrattana tried to demonstrate, with good reason, the contribution of Persia in the Siamese culture. We strongly support his proposal.

A priori, we know nothing about the court music of Bayon era. However, cross-searching and deepening the structures and concepts of “traditional” court music from Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar may perhaps fill this gap. Recall here that everything is connected: if the structure of the music and the architecture of the Angkorian temples and / or temples of Ayutthaya find convergence points, then it would be possible to formulate hypotheses that would take us out of nothingness. If we accept the idea that the structure of the Khmer Angkorian language is roughly the same as that of Modern Khmer, why would it be different for “traditional” music?

Bayon and Ayutthaya court orchestras

The iconographic and historical sources are lacking to understand precisely a possible continuity between the court orchestras depicted on the Bayon's bas-reliefs (last and only testimonies dating from the late 12th and the early 13th centuries) before the sack of Angkor in 1431-1432. It is not unlikely that the Thai army captured Angkor court performers, including male and female musicians, and took them to the Ayutthaya Court. We have no proof, but such practices were common at these times.

We don't know the precise structure of the mahori orchestras over time, but we will try to compare the orchestral structure: on the one hand the Bayon's Court orchestras, and on the other hand the mahori ones depicted in the Buddhaisawan Chapel of Bangkok (late 18th century). Recall that these paintings date from the beginning of the Rattanakosin period (1782-1932, King Rama I), that is to say just from the end of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350-1767). They are a precious testimony to life in Ayutthaya as they show ensembles and instruments played during ceremonies. We must, however, weigh their reality.

The instruments depicted at Buddhaisawan are certainly not those of the Bayon era, but there is a structural logic that we will try to bring closer:

We know that the principal instrument of the mahori orchestra is the saw sam sai trichord fiddle. This fact is attested even in contemporary “traditional” orchestras in Thailand. In the Angkorian period, we believe that the conducting instrument was the kinnara monochord zither, since the hierarchical lists of Lolei musicians (K. 324-327-330-331, 9th century - see table below) mention this instrument in head of the chordophones [zithers, harps, lute(s?)]. On the other hand, in the donation lists of Preah Ko (K. 318) and Prasat Kravan (K. 270), the kinnara is the only cordophone to be mentioned, which proves its importance.
In the Bayon orchestra, the harp is always shown beside the monochord zither. It is named viṇā in Old Khmer. The instrument that takes the place of the second stringed instrument in the mahori as represented in the Buddhaisawan Chapel is the krajappi lute; its old name was phin, a term still used in the Thai region of Isan and in Laos to designate a low frets long-necked lute.
Cymbals, large or small, are the “beating heart” of the mahori ensemble. They are present in all Angkorian orchestras, whether martial, religious or palatine. They represent the Sun and the Moon. As such, they structure time. In Angkorian iconography, they are sometimes represented alone; in this case, they symbolize music itself .
An instrument — which is controversial in the world of the archeomusicology of the Bayon era — is the one we call scraper and polemists see as the trichord fiddle or a mouth resonator fiddle! One will find the demonstration of the relevance (or the impertinence) of the subject here. For everyone to judge ... The oldest musical practices of mainland Southeast Asia, including those of so-called mountain populations (Montagnards) bordering the borders of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, demonstrate a complementarity / opposition between metal and wood/bamboo. The best residual example is probably that of Myanmar with its percussion couple si (metal) and wa (wood). The only phonation of the words si / wa is already the tinsel of the metal (bronze) and the heat of the wood or bamboo. There is no doubt that this complementarity / opposition existed at the Bayon Court, and probably much earlier, in the pre-Angkorian period, since unspecific percussions were part of the Lolei temples donation lists (see below). In the mahori orchestra of Ayutthaya, the metal materializes by the bronze small cymbals and the “wood” by the krap phuang percussion whose blades could be made of wood or ivory.
Angkorian iconography represents no other percussion in court orchestras. However, we strongly believe that drums are used. First, the iconography of Sambor Prei Kuk (7th century), Champa (8th century) or that of Borobudur (9th century) show drums in orchestral formations that could have been both religious and palatine. This double belonging is confirmed by Bayon's iconography. Secondly, the space available on the walls of the Bayon led the bas-reliefs' designers to make strategic and symbolic choices, notably to exclude the drums. Thirdly, throughout Southeast Asia, the drum is the head instrument of the orchestra; it controls starts, cadence and stops. So why would not it be the same in the Bayon Court Orchestra?
The flute is the great absent of Angkorian iconography. There are some rare examples in pre-Angkorian iconography and nothing after. We think, however, that this instrument continued to exist, in its form commonly called transverse (lateral mouth) or right (mouth terminal arranged) that we find on a bas-relief of the sixteenth century in the north-east gallery of Angkor Wat.
Finally, let's not forget the singers who are present in both Angkor and Ayutthaya.

The hierarchy is here perfectly demonstrated since the dancers, singers, percussions and small cymbals have crossed the time. As for the original chordophones, namely the zither and the harp, they are replaced, in the mahori orchestra, by the saw sam sai fiddle and the phin / krajappi four-stringed long-necked lute.

Other instruments, of less importance, are mentioned beyond the harp in Lolei's list. If, however, they found continuity in the Angkorian era, they were never represented or cited. Some seem to be lutes if we refer to the etymology of terms. This is particularly the case for trisarī, which is a trichord lute of Indian origin appearing in the iconography of the same period in Borobudur, Champa and Siam. In any case, in this hierarchical logic, the phin / krajappi didn't follow the lute(s) of secondary importance. It is indeed the harp called vīṇā in Old Khmer. (Originally vīṇā is a Sanskrit term but a false friend because he designates various kinds of zithers in this language!). The terms pin ពិណ in Modern Khmer and phin พิณ in Thai derive from vīṇā.

In addition, there are two percussion quotes in the Lolei's list. Some of them had to be considered as major (conducting drum?) and others minors (wooden blocks?). For the moment the mystery remains.

There are several configurations of the mahori orchestra including chordophones but also melodic drums such as the gong chimes that can be seen on an 18th century cabinet at the National Museum in Bangkok.

Now the illuminators of the Buddhaisawan Chapel seem to have represented the oldest and most delicate form of the mahori ensemble, excluding melodic percussion. Since these orchestras are directly related to the life of the Buddha, popular belief is probably traced back to its time. We must therefore rather see it as a metaphor - with real structural links - than a tangible reality. The artists included the nostalgic part of the vanished worlds, in the faith of the time of the Buddha and the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Websites

Ayutthaya Historical Research (AHR)

Historic City of Ayutthaya (UNESCO)