| WAT PHRA RAM BY TACHARD |
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Extract of Guy Tachard's "A Relation of the Voyage to Siam", originally published in 1688. Orchid Press (Bangkok) reprinted the old book under its
"Iteneraria Asiatica", a series of reprints of books containing first-hand descriptions and narratives by travelers in Asia.
"Iteneraria Asiatica", a series of reprints of books containing first-hand descriptions and narratives by travelers in Asia.
| Web page by Tricky Vandenberg - January 2011 |
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Guy Tachard (Marthon 1651 - Chandernagor 1712), also known as Le Père Tachard, was a
French Jesuit missionary and mathematician. He was sent on two French embassies to the Kingdom
of Siam by Louis XIV.
The text here under is an account of his visit to Wat Phra Ram on the occassion of his first sejourn to
Siam from October till December 1685.
French Jesuit missionary and mathematician. He was sent on two French embassies to the Kingdom
of Siam by Louis XIV.
The text here under is an account of his visit to Wat Phra Ram on the occassion of his first sejourn to
Siam from October till December 1685.
About an hundred paces South of the Palace there is a great Park walled in, in the middle where-of stands a vast and high Fabric built
cross-ways in the manner of our Churches, having over it five solid gilt domes of Stone or Brick, and of extraordinary Architecture, the dome in
the middle is far bigger than the rest, which are on the extremities and at the ends of the Cross. This Building rests upon several bases or
Pedistals, which are raised one over another, tapering and growing narrower towards the top. The way up to it on the four sides is only by narrow
and steep Stairs of betwixt thirty and forty Steps three hands broad apiece and all covered with gilt Calin or Tin like the Roof. The bottom of the
great Stair-case is adorned on both sides with above twenty Statues bigger than the Life, some where-of are of Brass, and the rest of Calin and all
gilt, but representing but sorrily the Persons and animals for whom they have been made. This Pile of Building is encompassed with forty four
great Piramides of different form and well wrought, ranked orderly upon different Plat-forms.
On the lowest Plat-form stand the four greatest at the four corners of it upon large bases. These Piramides end at the top in a long very slender
Cone, extreamly well gilt, and supporting a Needle or Arrow of Iron, that pierces through several Cristal balls of an unequal bigness. The body of
those great Piramides as well as of the rest, is of a kind of Architecture that comes pretty near ours; but it has too much Sculpture upon it, and
wanting both the simplicity and proportions of ours, it comes short of its beauty, at least in the eyes of those that are not accustomed to it.
If we have time we may give a more perfect Idea of that Architecture upon the second Plat-form, which is a little above the first, there are six and
thirty other Piramides some what less than the former making a square round the Pagod, nine on each side. They are of two different Figures,
some taper into a point as the former did, and the rest are made round like a Bell on the top, after the manner of the domes which crown the
Building; they are so mingled that there are not two together of the same form.
Over these in the third Plat-form are other four Piramides on the four corners of it, which terminate in a point. They are less indeed than the first,
but bigger than the second. All the Fabrick and Piramides are inclosed in a kind of square Cloyster, above sixscore common paces in length,
about an hundred in breadth, and fifteen foot high. All the Galleries of the Cloyster are open towards the Pagod; the Cieling thereof is not ugly;
for it is all painted and gilt after the Moresko Way. Within the Galleries along the out Wall which is all close ranges along Pedestal breast high, on
which stand above four hundred Statues, rarely well gilt, and placed in most excellent order. Though they be only of Brick gilt, yet they appear to
be very well shaped, but they are so like one another, that if they were not unequal in bigness, one would think that they had all been cast in the
same Mould.
Amongst these Figures we reckoned twelve of a Gigantick Stature, one in the middle of each Gallery, and two at each Angle. These Figures,
because of their height are sitting upon flat bases cross-leg`d, after the manner of the Country and of all the Orientals.
We had the curiosity to measure one of their legs, which from the Toes to the Knee, was full six foot long, the Thumb of it was as big as an
ordinary Arm, and the rest of the Body proportionally big and tall. Besides these which are of the first magnitude, there are about an hundred
others that are as it were Demi-Giants, having the Leg from the extremity of the Foot to the Knee four foot long. In short between the first and
second, we reckoned above three hundred, of which none are less than the life, and these stand upright. I mention not a great many other little
pagods no bigger than Puppets, which are mingled among the rest.
We never saw a Fabrick no not in France, where Symmetry is better observed, either for the body of the Building, or the Ornaments about it, than
in this Pagod. The Cloister of it is flancked on the outside on each hand with sixteen great solid Piramids, rounded at the top in form of a Dome,
above fourty foot high, and above twelve foot square, placed in a Line like a row of great Pillars, in the middle whereof there are larger niches
filled with gilt Pagods. We were so long taken up with the sight of these things that we had not time to consider several other Temples.
References:
[1] Voyage to Siam (1685) - Orchid Press, Bangkok (1999) - Pages 181 - 184.
cross-ways in the manner of our Churches, having over it five solid gilt domes of Stone or Brick, and of extraordinary Architecture, the dome in
the middle is far bigger than the rest, which are on the extremities and at the ends of the Cross. This Building rests upon several bases or
Pedistals, which are raised one over another, tapering and growing narrower towards the top. The way up to it on the four sides is only by narrow
and steep Stairs of betwixt thirty and forty Steps three hands broad apiece and all covered with gilt Calin or Tin like the Roof. The bottom of the
great Stair-case is adorned on both sides with above twenty Statues bigger than the Life, some where-of are of Brass, and the rest of Calin and all
gilt, but representing but sorrily the Persons and animals for whom they have been made. This Pile of Building is encompassed with forty four
great Piramides of different form and well wrought, ranked orderly upon different Plat-forms.
On the lowest Plat-form stand the four greatest at the four corners of it upon large bases. These Piramides end at the top in a long very slender
Cone, extreamly well gilt, and supporting a Needle or Arrow of Iron, that pierces through several Cristal balls of an unequal bigness. The body of
those great Piramides as well as of the rest, is of a kind of Architecture that comes pretty near ours; but it has too much Sculpture upon it, and
wanting both the simplicity and proportions of ours, it comes short of its beauty, at least in the eyes of those that are not accustomed to it.
If we have time we may give a more perfect Idea of that Architecture upon the second Plat-form, which is a little above the first, there are six and
thirty other Piramides some what less than the former making a square round the Pagod, nine on each side. They are of two different Figures,
some taper into a point as the former did, and the rest are made round like a Bell on the top, after the manner of the domes which crown the
Building; they are so mingled that there are not two together of the same form.
Over these in the third Plat-form are other four Piramides on the four corners of it, which terminate in a point. They are less indeed than the first,
but bigger than the second. All the Fabrick and Piramides are inclosed in a kind of square Cloyster, above sixscore common paces in length,
about an hundred in breadth, and fifteen foot high. All the Galleries of the Cloyster are open towards the Pagod; the Cieling thereof is not ugly;
for it is all painted and gilt after the Moresko Way. Within the Galleries along the out Wall which is all close ranges along Pedestal breast high, on
which stand above four hundred Statues, rarely well gilt, and placed in most excellent order. Though they be only of Brick gilt, yet they appear to
be very well shaped, but they are so like one another, that if they were not unequal in bigness, one would think that they had all been cast in the
same Mould.
Amongst these Figures we reckoned twelve of a Gigantick Stature, one in the middle of each Gallery, and two at each Angle. These Figures,
because of their height are sitting upon flat bases cross-leg`d, after the manner of the Country and of all the Orientals.
We had the curiosity to measure one of their legs, which from the Toes to the Knee, was full six foot long, the Thumb of it was as big as an
ordinary Arm, and the rest of the Body proportionally big and tall. Besides these which are of the first magnitude, there are about an hundred
others that are as it were Demi-Giants, having the Leg from the extremity of the Foot to the Knee four foot long. In short between the first and
second, we reckoned above three hundred, of which none are less than the life, and these stand upright. I mention not a great many other little
pagods no bigger than Puppets, which are mingled among the rest.
We never saw a Fabrick no not in France, where Symmetry is better observed, either for the body of the Building, or the Ornaments about it, than
in this Pagod. The Cloister of it is flancked on the outside on each hand with sixteen great solid Piramids, rounded at the top in form of a Dome,
above fourty foot high, and above twelve foot square, placed in a Line like a row of great Pillars, in the middle whereof there are larger niches
filled with gilt Pagods. We were so long taken up with the sight of these things that we had not time to consider several other Temples.
References:
[1] Voyage to Siam (1685) - Orchid Press, Bangkok (1999) - Pages 181 - 184.
| Guy Tachard, drawn by Carlo Maratti (1625-1713) - Vatican Library |