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Humans Are Neat …

… because of the Ramayana Monkey Chant.

This chant, more prominently known as “Kecak,” is a form of dance and song from Bali. It depicts a story out of the sacred Hindu text, Ramayana, where ape-like humanoids (called Vanara) assist the hero of the story, Prince Rama, in an epic fight against the story’s central antagonist, King Ravana. The theatrical and spiritual performance first began in the 1930s, but has its roots in ancient Balinese rituals, such as the sanghyang.

The Ramayana Monkey Chant has been adapted the world-over in a variety of mediums, largely through popular culture. For example, it inspires the ending credits of the popular animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it was utilized in at least one popular video game (The Secret of Mana). These adaptions can be heard in the Resources, below.

Humans are neat because of their ability to cooperate in choreographing performances like the one above, and because of their ability to adapt localized, ancient traditions to worldwide cultural consciousness.

Resources:
Check out the closing theme of Avatar: The Last Airbender, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmqDdXbSLjY

Check out the Kecak’s adaption in Secret of Mana, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX-s41D3Dc

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