Agni God of the fire, guardian of the Southwest, riding on a rhino
Airavan , Airavan, Airavata, one- or three-headed white elephant, mount of Indra
amrita magic potion of immortality.
Angkor recent name of the site of the capital of the ancient Khmer empire, original name Yasodharapura
angkor , nokor, nakhon city
Angkor Conservation (CA), the former French archaeological institute, now a depot of Angkor artefacts in Siem Reap
Angkor Thom “ big city ”, last capital in Angkor.
Angkor Wat “ city of the monastery ”, main temple of Angkor. Original name Preah Pisnulok, 'Sacred place of Vishnu'.
antefix a carved stone standing on a cornice
apsara celestial dancers see: devata
asura anti-gods, demons.
Avalokiteshvara the bodhisattva of universal compassion, see: Lokeshvara
avatar ‘descent', temporary incarnation of Vishnu to restore the harmony of the world.
avenue route of the royal procession to the state temple
banteay “fortress”, a temple enclosed by stately walls or galleries
barang “ Franconian ”, Western foreigner
barangsay French, France.
baray huge water basin
Bodhi ‘the Awakening'
bodhisattva “ enlightened being ”, 1. the future Buddha, 2. a Buddhist god
Brahma a Hindu god
Brahmins priests, highest Hindu caste
Buddha “Enlightened”, “Fully Awakened”
cakra circle, discus, the world
cella central room of a temple
colonnade long hall, covered with beams and tiles, opening to a long side by pillars
colonnettes “small columns”, flanking a door
columns are a stone imitation of wooden piles, supporting mostly bridges
cosmology teachings of the origins and the entity of the world
devaraja ‘god who is king'.
devata goddesses or deities, guardians; in Angkor commonly mixed up with (see) apsara
Durga “The Great Goddess”, consort of Shiva, in her terrible aspect. Also called: Kali, Chandi or Bhairavi.
dvarapala male guardians, gods, deities or demons
EFEO Ecole Française d'Extrême Orient, French archaeological institute
elephants symbols of stability
enclosures walls
or galleries framing a tower or a group of towers; enclosures are
counted with Roman numerals (I, II, III) from inside to outside.
fire shrine sheltering the Holy Fire, or a fire for ritual sacrifices. library
GACP German Apsara Conservation Project
gajasimha 'elephant lion', a mythical beast, shaped like a lion, with an elephant's trunk
Ganesha son
of Shiva, with an elephant's head, lord of Shiva's troops, sets up or
removes obstacles, god of knowledge, patron saint of educated persons
and voyagers. His mount is a rat.
Garuda king of the birds, mount of Vishnu
gopura gate tower or gate pavilion
hamsa sacred wild goose, mount of Brahma
Hanuman white faced monkey general in the Ramayana
Harihara Hindu god, half Shiva, half Vishnu.
Hariharalaya ancient capital in Roluos
Heritage Watch an NGO safeguarding the cultural heritage of Cambodia
Hinayana ‘ the small vehicle', a Mahayana Buddhist misnomer of Theravada Buddhism.
Indra god of the weather, riding on Airavan.
Kala head of a monster, representing the terrible aspect of Shiva
Kama the god of love
Kambujadesa land of the descendants of Kambu (the legendary founder of the Khmer kingdom).
Ketu comet, the tail of Rahu.
Khmer Cambodian
Krishna incarnation of Vishnu
Kubera god of wealth, lord of the yakshas and guardian of the North.
Lakshmana brother of Rama
Lakshmi consort of Vishnu, Goddess of luck, also called Sri (the beauty).
Lanka capital city of the demon king ð Ravana
laterite of non volcanic origin, a mixture of clay, loam, and bauxite
‘library' in Angkor, commonly fire shrines are called ‘libraries'
lingam , linga “ symbol ”, phallic symbol |
lintel sandstone block above a door
lions more mythical figures than animals; guardians
Lokeshvara ‘lord of the world' ; title of Shiva , and of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
Mahayana ‘the great vehicle' , later form of Buddhism, the Buddha and bodhisattvas are worshiped like gods
Mahendraparvata temple site of King Jayavarman II at the Phnom Kulen
Makara deity of the water, half a fish and half a crocodile, with a short trunk. The month January is called makara in Khmer.
mandala image of the cosmos
mandapa antechamber
Mara god of death, lord of the demons, enemy of the Buddha. His tail is Ketu.
mebon ‘supreme place for ceremonies or offerings' , temple on an artificial island. (Courtesy of CHIN Channa.)
Meru see Mount Meru
moats are enclosing temples or capitals; they are square, rectangular or U-shaped
Mount Maniparvata summit of Mount Mandara
Mount Meru abode of the gods in the centre of the world
Mukata conical hairdo of gods and kings
naga cobra-shaped snake with multiple heads; symbol of nature, water, and the earth
Nandi sacred bull, mount of Shiva
neak ta tutelary spirits of ancestors
NGO non government organisation
Nirrti god of misfortune, death, destruction, corruption, guardian of the Southwest, riding on a yaksha
“palace” four halls forming a rectangle with interior courtyard, the function is unknown.
phnom hill, mountain
Prajnaparamita female bodhisattva of universal wisdom
prasat temple, tower, sacred site
preah , brah sacred, holy
preah ang name of the Buddha; kings, royalties, venerated chiefs are addressed ‘preah ang'
quincunx five towers arranged like the five points on a cube
Rahu off-putting,
grotesque face of a monster, with two hands, transformed into the demon
of eclipses; often placed in the centre of a lintel and topped by a
sitting god holding a danda, a sceptre.
rakshasa demon
Rama incarnation of Vishnu
Ramayana Hindu epic, telling the story of Rama and Sita
Ravana powerful King of Lanka , friend of Shiva ; ð Ramayana
reachisey sea monster
redent gradation
rishis hermits, sages, gurus
Roluos temple site in the Southeast of Angkor
Shiva a Hindu god, national god of the Khmers
shrine chapel, small temple, sanctuary as a part of a temple complex
Sita consort of Rama ; ð Ramayana
Skanda god of war, son of Shiva, his mount is a peacock.
snanadroni gargoyle
Sokha Hotel Company a private company, selling Angkor tickets
state temple central place of worship, centre of the kingdom
stele inscription stone
stung river, stream
stupa a Buddhist monument, stone or brick representation of a burial mound, shelters relics or ashes.
Sugriva king of the monkeys in the Ramayana
Theravada is the Buddhism based on the teachings of the Buddha
Tonlé Sap large lake SW of Angkor, connected to the Mekong by the Tonlé Sap river
trimurti “ trinity”: Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma
tuk tuk, the Khmer ‘tuk tuk' is a motorbike trailer without breaks
Uma consort of Shiva
Valin brother of Sugriva , king of the monkeys, killed by Rama , in the Ramayana
WMF World Monument Fund
Varuna god of the ocean, the rain, guardian of the West
Vayu guardian of the Northwest
vihear Buddhist temple, ‘pagoda'.
Vishnu a Hindu god
wat Buddhist monastery
Yaksha semi-divine guardian of treasures, in the entourage of Kubera
Yama god of death and judgement, guardian of the South, riding a water buffalo
Yasodharapura capital founded by King Yasovarman I, now called Angkor
'Yoni' see lingam. |
