Tug-of-War and the Khmer New Year

This year, Khmer New Year falls on April 14, 15 and 16. All over Cambodia, people play various traditional games in the days leading up to and on New Year days. A few are ritual games to be played only on those New Year days. Teanh prot (pulling the rope) is one such game. It is a game most people would understand as tug-of-war.

Teanh prot is to be played on the last day of New Year in the village square or on temple ground. According to old Khmer tales, the origin of this game can be traced back to samudra manthana, the Hindu myth of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. The myth tells of a time long long ago when gods and demons came together to churn the Cosmic Ocean in order to obtain amrita, the elixir of immortality. The Churning was an elaborate process. Mount Mandara was used as a churning rod and the serpent Vasuki (Lord Shiva’s naga) offered himself as a churning rope. Out of the Ocean, many treasures arose, including the apsaras (celestial dancers), one of whom would later become the progenitor of the Khmer race. Khmers view the Churning as chaos. We view ourselves as creation born of chaos. We also view New Year days as one chaotic period, betwixt the old and the new year.

The game of teanh prot requires a 30-foot rope as thick as a small wrist. The rope is usually made of water buffalo hide or braided vines and palm leaves. A drums is needed to signal the start and to accompany the game. The players are divided into two teams, males vs. females, of at least 10 people per team, though the female team usually has at least two more people than the male team. The rope is marked at the center by a color knot. When one team is pulled over where the color knot passes the marked line, the other team wins the game. The winners bump their buttocks against the losers’ bodies. In the past, a brahmin would cut off the rope at the end of the game, which symbolized the end of the old year and the start of the new. Also, the last day of New Year is known as pdach prot “cutting off the rope.”

If you ever find yourself in Cambodia around New Year, join in a game or two.

Happy New Year!