The Naga King’s Daughter

15 pages colour and 16 pages black and white illustrations

“Her name was ‘Willow Leaf’ and the Chinese Annals say that she was ‘clad only in  tropical sunbeams’. She founded a dynasty, and a civilization which lasted almost 2,000 years. From the small riverine cities of the Mekong, her kingdom of Funan spread its power and culture throughout the lands of South-East Asia. Among its conquests were the legendary kingdoms of Tambralinga and Langkasuka, Tun-Sun, Pien Tou, Tu-K’un and Chu-Li. In search of these kingdoms four members of a Cambridge expedition recently explored the colourful world of Malaya’s east coast and travelled slowly through the villages of South Thailand.
They discovered a world of fragile beauty, a strange world of spirits and spells, of exorcisms and trances; a world of demons and demi-gods and Naga serpents; a time-wrapped cocoon world where Kala reigns as king and unknowing disciples of Siva and Sakhti still shake areca nut flowers to the moon.

The Naga King’s Daughter is the story of the expedition’s adventures. The author makes no claim to having discovered the lost cities, but hopes that with this book he will persuade western archaeologists, in collaboration with Thai experts, to explore four unexcavated sites in South Thailand.  ‘When these have been uncovered’, he says, ‘the whole history of South-East Asia may have to be re-written.’

In the pages of The Naga King’s Daughter you will meet modern sultans, princes and dancing girls, magicians and ancient story-tellers, and masters of the shadow play. You will swim among the birds’ nest islands, climb jungle mountains and gaze upon the most beautiful buddhas created by the craftsmen of Sukothai. You will enjoy a girl’s  smile and share a monk’s prayer. You will be eternally on guard against love potions and bewitchment, and you wil believe all that has here been written.”