Rahu – of Indian origin and the changes in the Southern Khmer culture

Abstract

Rahu is a god of darkness that originates from the myth of Churning Milky Ocean (Samudra Mantha) of Hinduism. However, when entering the Southern Khmer culture in Vietnam, Rahu’s name, beliefs and legends were reformed. The paper focuses on researching Rahu’s origin, analyzing and valuing the changes in the Southern Khmer culture and in the nations located in the sphere of Theravada Buddhism.