Hanuman Ramakien Traditional Thai Artwork

This Traditional Thai Artwork painting depicts one of the most famous and iconic episodes from the Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์), Thailand’s national epic adaptation of the ancient Indian Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

The scene illustrates Hanuman, the white monkey deity and general of Phra Ram’s (Rama’s) army, expanding his body to supernatural proportions to swallow and protect Phra Ram’s royal pavilion within his mouth.

This Traditional Thai Artwork captures a crucial dramatic turning point in the Ramakien:

In this painting, Hanuman determined to prevent any harm from reaching his beloved sovereign, so he offers his body as an impenetrable fortress. Using his divine powers of shapeshifting (itthi-rit), Hanuman grows into a colossal giant. He places the entire pavilion containing the sleeping Phra Ram inside his cavernous mouth and closes his jaws around it, leaving only a small opening while using his hands to secure the perimeter.

Despite Hanuman’s extraordinary sacrifice and vigilance, Maiyarap later uses dark sorcery—blowing magical sleep dust over the army and fabricating a fake morning star in the sky—to trick the guards, put everyone to sleep, slip inside Hanuman’s mouth, and abduct Phra Ram to the Underworld (where Hanuman must later journey to rescue him).

Hanuman dominates the center of this Traditional Thai Artwork, depicted as a massive white creature whose body spans nearly the entire width of the composition. His skin is decorated with delicate, repeating spiral line-work and circular swirls, a traditional Thai artistic convention representing white fur, divine breath, and cosmic energy.

He wears elaborate Thai royal attire and jewelry—gilded armlets (thaubian), chest bands, intricate wrist cuffs, and ornate ear ornaments painted in rich gold Thai style (lai thai). His jaw is stretched wide open to serve as the gateway to the hidden sanctuary. Sharp, curving upper fangs and rows of stylized teeth line the top of his mouth, framing the architectural interior within.