PERSISTENCE OF THE practitioners, the chanting text and objects RITUAL OF CALLING THE used in the ritual particularly at Don Pho Village, Tambon Chaina, Sena, KHWAN OF THE RICE Ayutthaya will be analyzed in the GODDESS IN DON PHO contemporary context of central . VILLAGE, TAMBON CHAINA, SENA , This paper argues that the ritual of calling 1 the khwan of the Rice Goddess still AYUTTHAYA persists because of three important factors; the existence of ritual practitioners, the Nammon Yoo-In2 persistence of the belief in the Rice Goddess and the location of the village.

Abstract Introduction

One might estimate that in Central Thai rice growers perform many rituals Thailand, especially in Ayutthaya, there because of their traditional belief that would not be rituals in the process of every living thing has khwan/. Khwan growing rice anymore because Ayutthaya is the life force that exists both in living is located near and things, for example, the khwan khwai/ modernization may have effected the persistence of the traditional culture. Data (khwai=‘buffalo’), khwan wua/ from my fieldwork, however, indicates that (wua=‘cow’) or khwan khao/ some parts of Ayutthaya such as at Don (khao=‘rice’), or in lifeless entities, such as Pho village, Tambon Chaina, Amphoe khwan rua/ (rua=‘boat’) and khwan Sena still retain rituals concerning rice. sao/ (sao=‘pillar’) (Sathienkoset 1963: 3). This paper explores and explains the persistence of and changes in the ritual of Focusing on beliefs related to rice held by calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess. the people of central Thailand, there is a Information about the ritual’s belief in the Rice Goddess named Mae Phosop/ ‘Mother Phosop.’ The Rice 1 This paper is a part of the author’s Ph.D. Goddess protects rice plants from all harm dissertation entitled “Persistence of Belief and allowing them to be healthy and Ritual Concerning Rice in Contemporary Thai prosperous. The persistence of the rituals Society: A Case Study of Don Pho Village, concerning rice is a result of the traditional Tambon Chaina, Amphoe Sena, Changwat belief in spirits and the Rice Goddess in Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya”, Department of particular. Specific rituals are performed Thai, Faculty of Arts, at certain stages of rice-growing. For University. The Ph.D. research is partially instance, the ritual of calling the khwan of funded by The Empowering Network for the Rice Goddess is performed when the International Thai Studies (ENITS) and The Strategic Scholarships Fellowships Frontier rice plants begin to produce grain; the first Research Networks 2008, Commission on harvest ritual is performed when the rice is Higher Education, Ministry of Education. fully ripe and ready for harvest; after the 2 Lecturer, Department of Thai, Faculty of rice is harvested and threshed, a ritual is Liberal Arts, Mahidol University

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carried out inviting the Rice Goddess to especially in Ayutthaya, has impacted the rice barn. All of these rituals are upon the persistence in the belief and performed in the belief that the rice will ritual of calling the khwan of the rice in grow well and provide abundant produce rice-growing. if the Rice Goddess continues to be well respected. Previous research has focused on the process and the economic aspects of rice Until now, Ayutthaya has been one of the growing communities in Ayutthaya with a large rice yield. As the (Ngampit Satsanguang 2002) or have province is located near Bangkok, provided an overview of all rituals modernization has been easily transferred concerning rice production in Thailand to Ayutthaya, and this has had an impact (Iam Thongdee 1994). This paper will on its agriculture, with advanced focus, rather, on the analysis of the technology and tools being utilized persistence and change in the ritual of throughout the province. Therefore, the calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess in use of modern technology in the farming Don Pho Village. The research examines of rice has certainly had an impact on the and identifies in what ways the rituals persistence of the beliefs and rituals have persisted or changed and what concerning rice today and has had a factors have contributed to this persistence noticeable impact on the performance of or change of the ritual. Field research was rituals concerning rice in Ayutthaya. conducted during 2008–2009 at Don Pho Village. The qualitative research method However, this research found that certain was conducted using in-dept interviews of remote in Ayutthaya still perform ritual practitioners and participant the beliefs and rituals in the process of observation of the rituals. growing rice. I chose to conduct my research at Don Pho Village, Tambon Persistence of the ritual of calling Chaina, Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya, the khwan of the Rice Goddess because the belief and the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess is still Rituals concerning rice are important in maintained in that village. Most of the rice-growing. In the past, Don Pho villagers still grow rice in their fields and villagers performed many rituals a large number of households still perform concerned with rice, such as for the first rice–growing rituals at Don Pho village. casting, the first ploughing, the first Out of 127 households, 75 grow rice and transplanting, the ritual of calling the 45 out of these 75 households still perform khwan of the Rice Goddess, the first the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice 3 harvest, and so on. However, as time has Goddess. passed and modern technology has replaced human labor, rice growers no Therefore, it is interesting to study how longer have to depend on nature as much the changing and modernized way of rice as they did before. Consequently, rituals cultivation today in central Thailand, concerning rice have become fewer. However, from field research in central 3 Interview, Thongpliw Tharamat, 30th June Thailand, it was found that rice-growing 2008 rituals, especially the ritual of calling the

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khwan of the Rice Goddess, are still performed by the villagers.

The ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess refers to the ritual performed to call back the khwan of the rice, to thank the Rice Goddess (Mae Phosop). This ritual was normally performed at each stage of rice-growing, for instance when the rice plants begin to produce grain, Figure 1: Rice plants that have begun to when the rice is brought to the threshing produce grain place and when the rice is brought to the barn. Today, the only ritual that is still performed by the people of the Don Pho There are six elements in the analysis of community is when the rice plants begin the persistence of the ritual of calling the to produce grain, therefore, only this ritual khwan of the Rice Goddess: the occasion was analyzed. to perform the ritual, the ritual practitioner, the ritual offerings, the procedure of the ritual, the ritual text and The ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice taboos and beliefs concerning the ritual. Goddess refers to the ritual performed when the rice plants begin to produce grain. Rice growers regularly check their Occasion to perform the ritual fields to see if there is a swelling around the middle part of the rice stalk, called Don Pho villagers perform the ritual of khao klat hang plathu / ก. Then, calling the khwan of the Rice goddess in on the following Friday, the day of the their rice fields only on Friday. In the past, Rice Goddess, rice growers prepare villagers carried out the ritual in the offerings consisting of a variety of sweets, evening at around 3–5 p.m., but recently fruit and other articles. The ritual can be they have changed the time and now carried out either in the morning or in the perform the ritual in the morning or before evening. It is performed in the belief that noon, at around 8–11 a.m., as they believe at the start of grain production rice plants that the Goddess can only receive undergo a change figuratively known as offerings before midday. The change in ‘being pregnant.’ During the pregnant the performing time is one of the stage, the goddess of rice may leave the important revisions that have been made rice plants. Thus, the ritual of calling the to the ritual. khwan of the Rice Goddess is performed to bring back the spirit of the rice, as well Ritual practitioner as to please the Rice Goddess, in the hope that once the Rice Goddess is pleased, she The ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice will bestow prosperity on the rice plants. Goddess is a family ritual not a ritual of the community. Thus, each family carries out the ritual by itself, with a family member acting as the ritual practitioner. Within a family, the practitioner of the ritual of one generation will pass on the

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knowledge of performing the ritual to those of later generations through observation; there are no formal lessons or teaching.

From interview, it was learned that the ritual practitioner can only be female. The villagers believe that a man cannot perform the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess. According to the villagers, on one occasion in the past, Figure 2: Articles of offering when a man performed the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess, he abused 1) five or nine joss sticks; the Goddess. Consequently, the Goddess got angry and she forbade men to perform 4 2) one chaleo/ (a figure made of small the ritual ever after. The age of the ritual practitioner is not restricted as long as she strips of bamboo interlaced in such a way can recite the ritual text. At the time of the as to form a certain pattern, usually a six- research, it was found that the youngest pointed figure having open spaces practitioner was 29 years of age. The ritual between the slats) and a wooden stick to practitioner is the field’s owner; however, tie the chaleo and chalom/ (a kind of in certain families where the owner does coarse, open-meshed bamboo basket tied not know how to perform the ritual, the at the neck) mother of the owner can be the ritual practitioner instead. 3) one chalom for the articles of the offering, tied with a chaleo and a wooden Ritual offerings stick. Popular offerings are sour fruit, including star gooseberry, garcina, mango, The articles of offerings are the important pineapple, as well as bananas and coconut, element of the worship. The offerings which cannot be omitted. Seasonal fruits contain food and objects as follows: that can also be used in the offering include apples, rose apples, strawberries, sugar cane and oranges. Some ritual practitioners may use pickled fruits, such as pickled monkey apple, or pickled mango. Some practitioners also offer desserts, such as doughnuts, jelly and Thai desserts, a boiled egg, betel nut, betel, tobacco and charcoal

4) three, five or nine flags attached to the chaleo

4 nd 5) clothes for the Rice Goddess consisting Interview, Boonchauy Koetmontree, 2 of lace items, a lacework blouse or a October, 2008 ready-made silk dress. Other cosmetic

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objects, such as face powder, a mirror, The ritual offerings are things people use hair coat, perfume, body lotion and in everyday life, so they may change Vaseline gel, may be offered as well. according to each period. In the past, people used oranges, mango and tamarind, To sum up, the offerings in the ritual can but now they use many kinds of fruit, such be classified into two groups: ‘food as strawberries and apples. For garments, offerings’ and ‘object offerings.’ The food in the past, they offered two pieces of offerings in the ritual are any of a variety cloth—one to be used as a nether garment of fruit, as well as bananas and coconut. for the lower part of the body and another The object offerings in the ritual are betel, as a scarf for wrapping the upper part, but tobacco, clothes, and cosmetic objects. today they use ready-made dresses. In addition, many other articles of offering Most of the articles in the offering used in have changed too. For instance, white clay the ritual such as sour fruit and pickled and Thai perfume have now been fruits, are considered to be related to substituted by baby lotion and trendy body pregnant women, since during pregnancy, creams. The villagers even add doughnuts a woman often has strange appetites, with and jelly as offerings to the Rice Goddess. sour and pickled fruits being especially This shows that the traditional ritual craved. In addition, some women with objects and foods offered to the Rice morning sickness may also crave things Goddess have been replaced by that they do not normally eat, such as contemporary, modern merchandise. charcoal. The villagers compare the rice plants beginning to produce grain to a pregnant woman, so they take care of the rice plants as if they were pregnant women. They think of themselves as pregnant women and observe how they would feel or what they would like to eat. Then they offer all the foods craved by a pregnant woman to the Rice Goddess. Since they also believe that the Rice Goddess likes to dress beautifully when she is pregnant, they offer her beautiful clothes, perfume and beauty cream, spraying or smearing the ointment on the Figure 3: A contemporary offering leaves of the rice plants. Furthermore, since pregnant women often have morning Procedure of the ritual sickness and feel dizzy, some villagers also bring balm and medicine to offer to There are five stages of the ritual procedure the Rice Goddess in the ritual. They as follows: believe that by doing so they will please the Rice Goddess and, in turn, the Rice 1) Selection of the area for conducting the Goddess will be happy and bestow ritual. The ritual practitioner, typically, prosperity on the rice plants. will choose a ridge of a field where rice grows well.

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2) Preparation of the offerings. The ritual 4) Mrs. Phayoong Phinyathai, 29 practitioner will lay a mat or fabric at the years old8 chosen area and then arrange the articles of offerings on the mat. The analysis reveals that the four ritual texts contain both auspicious words in 3) Invitation to the Rice Goddess to take Thai asking the Rice Goddess to bestow the offerings. At this stage, the practitioner prosperity on the rice plants and chanting will recite the chanting text with the joss lines in Pali. The four ritual texts have the sticks to invite the Rice Goddess to take following structure: the offerings. Starting the ritual text 4) Worshipping the Rice Goddess. The ritual practitioner will put the offerings 1) Mrs. Boonchauy Koetmontree begins into a chalom and then tie it with a her ritual with a chant to request praying, wooden stick and a chaleo. followed by chants to worship the gods and the Triple Gems. 5) Dressing the Rice Goddess and asking for her blessing. Substituting the rice 2) Mrs. Prasit Roekkamon begins her plants for the Rice Goddess, the ritual ritual with a chant to worship the Triple practitioner will ‘dress’ the Rice Goddess Gems. by applying face powder and perfume to the rice plants, comb the rice three times, 3) Mrs. Wandee Othata begins her ritual show a mirror to the Goddess, and lay with a chant to worship the Triple Gems. clothes next to the rice. While dressing the Goddess, the ritual practitioner will also 4) Mrs. Phayoong Phinyathai does not use ask for prosperity and an abundant yield. an opening text. She starts her ritual by inviting the khwan of the Rice Goddess. Ritual text As can be seen from these four ritual texts, The ritual text used for this analysis the opening of the ritual is up to the ritual consists of four oral versions collected practitioner. However, if a starting text is from four ritual practitioners who are rice included in the ritual, the chant to worship growers, namely: the Triple Gems is an obligatory part; while other chants, such as a chant to 1) Mrs. Boonchauy Koetmontree, request praying and a chant to worship the 5 78 years old gods, may be recited as well. 2) Mrs. Prasit Roekkamon, 72 years old6 The reason the ritual practitioners start the 3) Mrs. Wandee Othata, 36 years ritual with a chant to worship the Triple old7 Gems is that the villagers regard the Lord

7 Interview, Wandee Othata, 29th February, 5 Interview, Boonchauy Koetmontree, 2nd 2008 8 th October, 2008 Interview, Phayoong Phinyathai, 25 6 Interview, Prasit Roekkamon, 4th March, December 2008 2008

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Buddha as the most sacred and the highest grain, a large ear and big and entity. Thus, they first offer their worship heavy grains, please provide a to the Lord Buddha for good fortune and grain per pot, a clump of rice success in the ritual. The reason Mrs. per cart.9 Boonchauy chants more prayers than the others, Mrs. Prasit and Mrs. Wandee, may O! Mae Phosee, Mae Phosop, be due to the fact that she observes the Mae Nopdara, please come and religious precepts and always recites her receive our special offerings. prayers. She, therefore, knows many Today is a good day, Mae different prayers and has incorporated Seechampa, please come down them into her ritual. At twenty-nine years and take the offerings, please of age, Mrs. Phayoong, the youngest give happiness and progress to us, practitioner, does not know many prayers Mae Seephosop, Mae Nopphara, nor can she recite the ritual chants by please give an ear of rice per heart. She has to depend on her pot, a clump of rice per cart, grandmother to tell her the ritual chants, please be happy and progress.10 while she writes them down as a reminder. As a result, she skips the opening and goes 2) Mrs. Prasit Roekkamon right into the part inviting the Rice Goddess. O! Mae Keanchan, Mae Khwanmueang, Mae Lueangkhamin, wherever you are, in a paddy in the north, in the south, in the near and Inviting the Rice Goddess neighboring fields, please stay with us forever, O! Khwan, please 1) Mrs. Boonchauy Koetmontree come, please flow over us, with no disease, no harm, please With respect to inviting the Rice Goddess, give a plant per pot, a clump of rice per cart, please have a heavy Mrs. Boonchauy wanted to teach her 11 daughter how to perform the ritual so she weight like a stone. uses two texts for the invitation—one to be performed by her daughter and the 9 other to be carried out by Mrs. Boonchuay ก herself. The texts are as follows: ก

O! Mae Phosee, Mae Phosop, Mae Nopdara, Mae Chanthewee, ก กก Mae Soyseesuwan, Mae Phansuda, wherever you are, 10 please come and receive food and offerings; sour, sweet, salty food ก ก that I am offering, please receive กก food and offerings for good health, no pain, no fever, no disease, please be pleasant and 11 ก ก happy, please have a full ear of ก กกก

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with no pain, no harm to 3) Mrs. Wandee Othata disturb you. Please give us rice that has a good weight.13 O! Mae Phosee, Mae Phosop, Mae Nopdara, Mae Chanthewee, The substance of the text of the invitation Mae Soyseesuwan, Mae Phansuda, I of the Rice Goddess is to invite her to bring a beautiful cluster of receive the offerings. If she accepts and is bananas, young coconut, fruit, pleased with the offerings, villagers expect desserts for you, please come and that the Goddess will give healthy ears of receive our offerings for your rice and protect them from insects. health, with no pain, no fever, no disease, please be pleasant and Dressing the Goddess happy, please give us a full ear of grain, a large ear and big The part regarding the dressing of the grains, please provide a grain per Goddess consists of words to invite the 12 pot, a clump of rice per cart. Goddess to dress. To do that, the ritual practitioner must inform the Goddess what 4) Mrs. Phayoong Phinyathai clothing objects have been brought to offer to her. While they are inviting the O! Mae See Phra Phosop, Mae Goddess, they will perform the act of Nopdara, Mae Chanthewee, Mae dressing her until the ritual is finished. See Suchada, please come and stay with us. The ritual text is composed of both Pali and Thai words. The Thai text is Achatchaya Phutthasahi Mama composed of beautiful words with Mama Wirathayo Wirakhonayang auspicious meanings that the practitioner Wirahingsa Wirathasee can recall at the moment when she is Wiraitthiyo Phutthaya Manee performing the ritual. The beautiful words Mana Phutthasa Sawahom, the involve the calling of the khwan of the spirit of land, the spirit of the Rice Goddess, inviting her to receive the field offerings and granting a wish of prosperity in return. After informing the Goddess Please give us a good yield this what articles of clothing they are offering year, please provide an ear per to her, the practitioner will invite the pot, a clump of rice per cart. Please Goddess to dress. Throughout the ritual, come and stay with the ear of rice, the ritual practitioner will recite the same words repeatedly. Such repetition reflects the people’s hope and determination to ask กก กก 13 12 กก ก ก กก ก ก กก ก ก

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for healthy ears of rice and abundant Today, the occasions on which the ritual paddy yields from the Goddess. It was of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess observed that the ritual text tends to be is performed have decreased and it is shorter these days, as some of the ritual gradually disappearing due to the practitioners cannot remember the full changing practice of rice-growing in Don version of the text, while others need to Pho Village. That is, new technology has read from prepared notes. been brought into farming allowing people to cultivate more off-season than in-season Taboos and beliefs related to the ritual paddy fields, so that these days they can grow rice three times a year. In some The ritual of calling the khwan of the families, they hold this ritual every time Rice Goddess is performed to ensure they grow rice but in many other families they hold this ritual only once a year good productivity and is considered a during the first planting. sacred ritual. Therefore, there are many taboos and beliefs related to the Factors contributing to the persistence ritual. of the ritual

First, as previously mentioned, men are The analysis of the ritual of calling the prohibited from performing the ritual. khwan of the Rice Goddess in Don Pho Second, the ritual practitioner is forbidden Village reveals that there are three factors from turning back to see the place where that have contributed to the persistence of the ritual is being performed. If she does the ritual. These include the belief in the so, the Goddess will not come to receive existence of the Rice Goddess, the the offerings. Third, the ritual is mostly transmission of the ritual practitioner and performed on Fridays because the Thai the location of the village. word for Friday, wan suk/ก, has the same pronunciation as happiness, suk/, Persistence of the belief in the Rice and also has an auspicious meaning. The Goddess villagers, therefore, choose to perform this ritual on Friday because of the auspicious Not only the ritual practitioners but also undertaking and Friday is the day of the rice growers in Don Pho village still Rice Goddess.14 And finally, they believe believe in the existence of the Rice that the chaleo used in the ritual can ward Goddess. Most of the villagers of Don Pho off and protect the rice plants from insects still maintain their beliefs and they and malevolent powers. continue to pay respect to the spirits with regard to rice-growing, especially the Rice The above-mentioned taboos and beliefs Goddess, Mae Phosop. 45 out of 75 in Don Pho Village are consistent with households still perform the ritual of taboos and beliefs in other rice-growing calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess villages in central Thailand as recorded by because they have a strong belief in the Sathienkoset (1988). Rice Goddess.

In spite of the limited knowledge of the 14 Interview, Boonchauy Koetmontree, 2nd villagers regarding Mae Phosop, the data October, 2008 collected from them can be classified into

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two categories: the characteristics and duty of Mae Phosop and myths and other stories about Mae Phosop.

Characteristics and important duties of Mae Phosop

The perception of the villagers regarding Mae Phosop is that the Goddess stays with the rice plants to protect them. Some villagers think that Mae Phosop is the rice while others think she is merely the khwan of the rice (Interview, Prasit 2008); still others think that she is a sacred thing that 15 Figure 4: Mae Phosop they cannot see. The important duty and role of Mae Phosop with respect to rice- In the perception of the villagers of Don growing is to protect the rice plants, as Pho, Mae Phosop is real. Nevertheless, well as to control and guard the rice field they have only a vague idea of who the from insects and other afflictions. Goddess is, what she looks like or what her

background is. Most of the villagers said There is very little evidence to describe the that they did not know the characteristics characteristics of Mae Phosop clearly. of Mae Phosop and they had never seen According to Sathienkoset (1988)’s her. The villagers respect Mae Phosop description of Mae Phosop, she is a local because their grandparents communicated female Goddess of Thai society. The the belief in the Goddess to them. They Goddess has shoulder-length hair and have never explored or questioned who wears forehead ornaments and earpieces. Mae Phosop is or her origins. Today, they She squats and wears jewelry on her body. still believe that Mae Phosop can protect Mae Phosop has five sisters who are also their rice plants, so they pay respect to her. Rice Goddesses: Mae Phosi, Mae Phosop, Mae Nopdara, Mae Chanthewee and Mae Srisuchada. Mae Phosop has been In the interviews, the villagers gave three Mae Phosop Mae manifested in a statue that people have characteristics of . First, built to be worshipped. In that statue, Mae Phosop is a beautiful young woman Phosop has the appearance of a young wearing a green sarong, green breast cloth woman sitting, legs folded back to one and a headdress. Second, she wears a side, with a rice paddy in her hand. loincloth with a certain pattern and a lace top and is holding some rice plants in her hand. The interviewee did not specify whether she is young or old. Third, she is an old woman wearing a farmer’s hat with a crooked back and is walking.

15 Interview, Boonchauy Koetmontree, 2nd October, 2008

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Myths and other stories about Mae In the past, it was men who Phosop performed the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess. One There are many stories concerning the day while a man was performing the Rice Goddess narrated in Don Pho ritual, he saw a beautiful young Village. I will give examples of only woman at the ritual ground. He three stories, namely, a story describing seduced the young woman. That why rice growers have to harvest rice young woman was the Rice paddy; a story explaining why the ritual of Goddess. The Rice Goddess got calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess has angry. Since then, men have been to be performed by a woman; and a story prohibited from performing the about Mae Phosop coming from ritual and it has to be a woman to Suphanburi province. perform the ritual. (Interview, Boonchauy 2008). “Why rice growers have to harvest rice paddy?” “Mae Phosop coming from Suphanburi Province” In the past, rice grains had wings. When the rice was ready to be Mae Phosop took a bus from harvested, the rice grains would Suphanburi to Ayutthaya. She got fly to the barn. Rice growers only off the bus at the entrance to Don built the barn to wait for the rice Pho Village and disappeared into grains. There was one rice grower the rice fields. One night a woman who did not build a barn. As the in the village had a dream about grains were flying, they could not the rice goddess. The goddess said get inside the barn, so they that she had come to Don Pho dropped to the ground. The rice Village because she had not grower hit the rice grains until received any offerings from the they were spread out on the villagers in Suphanburi. She knew ground. The Rice Goddess got that many Don Pho villagers had angry with the rice grower. She performed the ritual and had given said that the grains would not fly offerings to her, so since that time to the barn anymore. Since then, Don Pho villagers have been rice growers have to grow and 16 granted success and prosperity in harvest rice themselves. 17 their rice growing.

“Why the ritual of calling the khwan of the The story explaining why the ritual of Rice Goddess has to be performed by a calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess has woman?” to be performed by a woman is known to most villagers, although there are many versions of the story. This story has obviously had an influence on the

16 th Interview, Nipha Srichumphon, 17 17 Interview, Thaem Koetmontree, 29th January, 2009 February, 2008

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performance of the ritual, in that only the rice plants and treat them with women are allowed to perform the ritual. gratitude.

The fact that there are many stories Many rice growers have statues or pictures concerning the Rice Goddess indicates of the Rice Goddess to worship at home. that the villagers are still bound to the The villagers say that since they are rice Goddess and respect her. These stories growers, they should have statues or continue to be transmitted to the younger pictures of the Rice Goddess. In some generation as is evident in the fact that families, people place the ears of rice on Don Pho villagers still perform the ritual their shelves instead of on the statues and and the ritual practitioners are always pictures. Some put the ears of rice in a women. plastic bag or bowl and leave it on a shelf with an image of the Buddha. Others Beliefs concerning the Rice Goddess arrange ears of rice in the shape of a nicely dressed woman and place it on a shelf In addition to the beliefs mentioned with a Buddha image. Importantly, most previously, there are other beliefs of the Don Pho villagers know the stories concerning the Rice Goddess. They are as of the Rice Goddess and the ritual of follows: calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess and have kept performing the ritual up to the - The Rice Goddess exists in present. reality and is visible, so people can see her. The practitioners who conduct the ritual of - People should not criticize or calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess in condemn the Rice Goddess Don Pho Village are, naturally, those who otherwise they will not be still believe in the Rice Goddess. They affluent. believe that the ritual can generate courage - One should not to make pipes and confidence among rice growers so that from rice stubble left after the they will achieve a good yield after the harvest because this action will ritual. They also believe that the Rice frighten the Rice Goddess. Goddess will protect both the rice plants - One should not to dig a canal or and the growers. During each rice- make a new road in an area where growing season, growers encounter natural rice is grown because one will not disasters, such as flooding after heavy rain have prosperity in life. or other uncontrollable phenomena, like pests. The growers want to get a sufficient The beliefs concerning the Rice Goddess rice yield to compensate for their observed at Don Pho Village reveal that investment, both physically and the people there are closely tied with the financially. Accordingly, some rice- Rice Goddess. This may be because the growers boost their self-confidence by growing of rice is their life and soul, so conducting the ritual, in the hope that the rice is very important to them and Rice Goddess will protect the rice and something they must respect. Since the help them get a good rice yield. rice growers believe that the Rice Goddess protects the rice plants, they pay respect to

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Transmission of the ritual practitioner the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess has persisted.

Data from fieldwork shows that ritual practitioners at Don Pho Village are of Location of the village different ages. Don Pho is a village in Tambon Chai Na, Table 1: Indicating range of age Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya. Don Pho is distribution of ritual practitioners at Don located about 15 kilometers from Amphoe Pho Village Sena and 40 kilometers from Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. When Range of age Number of ritual compared to the villages that are located practitioners closer to main roads and Amphoe Sena, 21–30 1 Don Pho Village conducts the ritual more 31–40 7 often. So, it is likely that one of the factors 41–50 8 influencing the persistence of the ritual in 51–60 9 Don Pho is the fact that this village is 61–70 12 located farther from the more developed 71–80 2 areas. 81–90 1 Conclusion At the time of the field study in 2008, the youngest ritual practitioner was 29 years Data from the fieldwork leads to the old. Most of the practitioners fall into an conclusion that the ritual of calling the age range between 61–70 years old and khwan of the Rice Goddess is still the fewest practitioners were between 21– conducted because rice growers at Don 30 years old and 81–90 years old. Pho Village believe that there is a Rice Goddess of rice plants. This ritual From our observations, families that demonstrates the gratitude of villagers to perform the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess and their respect for her. the Rice Goddess tend to continue doing When the rice growers conduct the ritual, so, transmitting the ritual from generation they feel comfortable and confident that to generation. It was also discovered that productivity in the rice field will provide people in the same family generally have for a good return. The ritual of calling the the same beliefs about the ritual and that khwan of the Rice Goddess is a way for the most important thing for them is to the rice growers to express their belief in teach or to pass the ritual on to their the Rice Goddess. successors; otherwise, they feel that the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice Many other rituals relating to rice are Goddess will disappear. being performed less and less. These include the ritual of the first casting, the Thus, the fact that there are still ritual ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice practitioners and that they continue to pass Goddess to the threshing grounds and the on their knowledge of performing the ritual of opening–closing the barn. The ritual is one of the factors explaining why reason these rituals are being performed less often is that the rice growers currently

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Downloaded from Brill.com09/27/2021 12:31:58AM via free access Persistence of the Ritual of Calling the Khwan of the Rice Goddess

use more machinery and technology in central Thailand. Even though the world is their fields. moving forward with modern equipment and high technology and chemicals can The ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice control and overcome insects, the ritual of Goddess is still conducted because the calling the khwan of the Rice Goddess has ritual is performed when the rice plants not been forgotten. Rice-growers rely on begin to produce grains, a period in which the ritual to generate confidence because no technology is needed to enhance rice growing is faced with many risks that production. At this stage, the rice grains the growers cannot predict, such as natural depend mostly on nature, which is beyond catastrophes or unanticipated pests. human control and the rice plants are Consequently, in order to succeed in rice- prone to ruin and damage from disasters growing, the ritual plays an important role such as drought, flood or insects, which in providing confidence to the rice- will prevent the rice growers from reaping growers. the harvest on time. When they lack confidence they have to depend on References supernatural powers and since the basic belief of the rice growers has long been Iam Thongdee. 1994. Rice Culture: Ritual bound to beliefs about the Rice Goddess, Concerning Rice and Rice Growing they still perform the ritual to boost their (: กกกก). confidence. Bangkok: Saha Dhammika Limited. (In Thai) The persistence of the ritual of calling the khwan of the Rice goddess in Ngampit Satsanguang. 2002. Rice Culture contemporary central Thai society is in Thai Society: Persistence and dynamic. Thai rice growers have Change (: ก conducted this ritual since a long ago until ก) Bangkok: Text and now. As time has past and social . conditions have changed, the rice growers General Publication Ltd. (In Thai) have adjusted the ritual offering in each period. The aspect of this ritual that we Sathienkoset. 1963. The Khwan and Its can see clearly is the articles for the Ceremonies (ก). offering. Most rice growers offer objects Bangkok: Kawna Publisher. (In Thai) they use in their daily life, such as powder, perfumes and sweets. Some items widely ---. 1988. The Life of the Farmer (). used in the past, such as areca nut, betel Bangkok: Mae Kham Phang Publisher. and tobacco, are rarely used today, since (In Thai) most rice growers no longer use these items. They have also modified some clothing items to suit a certain period. For instance, brocade has been replaced by ready-made sarongs.

The continuing performance of the ritual by the Don Pho villagers confirms the beliefs of the society of rice-growers in

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