MANI MEKHALA: MYTH OF ETERNAL RETURN

MANI MEKHALA: MYTH OF ETERNAL RETURN
Mani Mekhala is acclaimed as one of the most ancient and most sacred for its characteristic essence and is fundamental to the Khmer court dance tradition. The character can be portrayed by only the highest calibre performers who possess not only high technical skills but also physical beauty and a profound mental attitude, the attributes which are unique traits of the dance drama. Mani Mekhala contains elaborately intricate dance sequences combining the melodrama between good and evil.
Once upon a time, there were Ream Eysaur and Mekhala, both had served a magical and powerful hermit in order to learn magic skills. Both pupils were bright and talented while each had worked very hard to please their teacher, who also loved his pupils equally. After he had taught his students all the subjects, the hermit, wanted to test them to find out who was smarter, then said, "Whichever of you can bring me the first glassful of morning dew, I will make that dew into a Kaev Monorea (magic crystal ball) and with the possession of that ball the possessor can have everything he or she wishes" (Chan Moly Sam (1992)).
Ream Eysaur took a glass to gather the dew that hung on leaves and grass. He patiently did this every morning with no good result. Mekhala, who knew how to think better, took an inner part of a branch that was like a sponge to absorb the dew on the leaves and grass until it was fully soaked. Then she squeezed it into the glass and gave it to the hermit. The hermit then created a crystal ball and gave it to Mekhala, telling her, "This crystal ball is very powerful. When you have a wish, you simply toss the ball in the air, and at once your wish will come true. Moreover, this crystal ball can make you fly." Mekhala got the crystal ball, tossed it in the air, and flew into the sky.
Ream Eysaur, after much patience, brought a glassful of dew and handed it to the hermit. The hermit then told Ream Eysaur, "You bring this dew to me too late. I have already given the crystal ball to Mekhala; I can perform the magic to make the crystal ball only once." Upon hearing the bad news,

 Ream Eysaur was very upset and wept. The hermit then consoled him by saying, "Don't worry! I will give you an axe. With this axe you can go and chase Mekhala to get the crystal ball from her. When it rains, Mekhala likes to fly into the sky and take a rain shower. So, when it rains, you throw this axe at her, then she will toss that crystal ball. But during the antagonism, when you see her toss the crystal ball, you must close your eyes before you throw the axe."
After receiving the axe, Ream Eysaur went in search of Mekhala in an attempt to possess the crystal ball or Kaev Monorea. But when Mekhala saw Ream Eysaur, she, anticipating bad deeds from him, tossed the crystal ball in the air and flew away up high into the sky. Seeing the glitter of the crystal ball, Ream Eysaur closed his eyes and threw his weapon. The weapon flew extremely fast, with an enormous sound and noise, but did not hit Mekhala. Ever since, being the recurring myth of eternal return, when it rains, there are lightning and thunders as the result of the everlasting antagonism between Ream Eysaur and Mekhala (Sam-Ang Sam 1988: 250-251).
Myth as Oral Tradition
In the Preah Chonuok-based legend, Mani Mekhala appears as Goddess of the Waters, or the Water Guardian. Like other goddesses, Mani Mekhala had the power to fly. Her role was to rescue good people from drowning. After a shipwreck the surviving Preah Chonuok met the Water Guardian Mani Mekhala with the crystal ball, the jewel being her life-protective weapon to be used in life-threatening situations. Its glitter would cause her opponent temporary blindness to allow her to escape to safety.
The explanation of the myth of eternal return in the Ream Eysaur and Mani Mekhala dance drama, for instance, originates in the indigenous Khmer society's practices based on agriculture in which men and women took part. Peggy Sanday said, "An alternative explanation might emphasize magico-religious means by which women gain and maintain title to control. For example, women might gain power and authority in societies where maternity was viewed as a sacred or magic function" (1974: 203-204).