Palm-leaf manuscripts are important objects in Southeast Asia. Their value often goes beyond the meanings of the written texts. They also have historical, religious, literary, symbolic and ritual importance. This paper investigates textual materiality as it applies to a story about palm-leaf manuscripts owned by the ethnic Heuny (Nha Heun) group in Paksong District, Champasak Province, southern Laos. This story links material texts to oral history, rituals and efforts by the Nha Heun to legitimize their culture. It demonstrates how palm-leaf manuscripts can serve to legitimize claims handed down through oral traditions and ritual practice.
目次
The Material and Sacred Importance of Scripts 262 The Nha Heun of the Bolaven Plateau 267 William Sage's Story 268 Elder Nha Heun, Forty-five Years Later 279 Conclusion 283 Acknowledgements 284 Notes 285 References 287
