"The Legend of Queen Cama," an early fifteenth century Pali chronicle written by Mahathera Bodhiramsi, recounts the story of the founding of the kingdom of Haripunjaya in the Chiang Mai valley of Northern Thailand in the seventh century C.E. Similar to other Theravada Pali chronicles, the legend integrates religious and political stories, namely Queen Cama's founding of a dynastic lineage and the fortunes of Buddhism within. "The Legend of Queen Cama offers revealing insights into the nature of Buddhism as a living tradition during one of the greatest periods in the history of Thai Buddhism. These insights include the symbolic structure of Buddhist cosmology, the close association of Buddhism and the founding of city states, the inter-relationship of popular Buddhist ethical teachings and devotional religion, and the inherently syncretic nature of Buddhism as presented in a text indebted to the folkloric traditions of Northern Thailand.

Legend of Queen Cama, Donald Swearer and Sommai Premchit, SUNY Press, Paperback, 195 pages, $20.95

Donald K. Swearer is Charles & Harriet Cox McDowell Professor of Religion, Swarthmore College. He has written and edited many books, among them The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia and Me and Mine: Selected Essays of Bikkhu Buddhadasa, both published by SUNY Press.

Sommai Premchit is a Research Associate at the Institute for Social Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and an Emeritus Professor, Department of Sociology. He is coauthor of The Lan Na Twelve-Month Traditions.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

MAP

SPECIMEN PAGE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

INTRODUCTION

PART I. INTERPRETATION

The Camadevivamsa and the Chronicle Tradition of Northern Thailand

The Structure of the Camadevivamsa

The Camadevivamsa as a Narrative Tapestry of Myth, Legend, and History

And History

Which Camadevi?

PART II. THE CAMADEVIVAMSA

1. The Buddha's Prophecy

2. Vasudeva and the Founding of Migasanghanagara

3. The Plan for Building Haripu�jaya

4. Camadevi Consecrated as Queen of Haripu�jaya

5.-6. Synopsis from the Jinakalamalipakaranam

7. Victory over Milakkharaja

8. The Coronation and Marriage of Mahantayasa

9. The Founding of Khelanga

10. Camadevi at Khelanga and the Founding of Alambanganagara

11. Camadevi's Reign at Alambanganagara, Her Return to Haripu�jaya, and Her Death

12. Royal Succession, Cholera Epidemic, and Flight to Hamsavati

13. Adittaraja's Reign and the Battle with Lavo

14. Victory over Lavo

15. King Adittaraja and the Appearance of the Buddha Relic

APPENDIX RULERS OF HARIPU�JAYA

GLOSSARY OF SELECTED PALI TERMS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX