Phra Lak Phra Ram: The Lao Ramayana
Phra Lak Phra Ram is the national epic of the Lao people, a distinctive adaptation of the Indian Ramayana that thoroughly Lao-izes the story. Unlike the Indian version, the Lao epic explicitly frames the tale as a Jataka — a previous life story of the Buddha — making it entirely compatible with Theravada Buddhism. The story follows Prince Phra Ram and his devoted brother Phra Lak as they journey along the Mekong River, encountering local spirits, Nāga serpents, and Lao landscapes. Their beloved Sida (Sita) is abducted by the demon king Ravana, but the setting shifts to cities along the Mekong