THE MYTHS OF CHAO PHO contexts? The analysis was based on PAK HUENG: THE symbols, symbolic meanings, concepts of sacred space and social space. DYNAMIC OF THE SACRED NARRATIVES AND THE 1. Introduction CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL SPACE IN THAI- The findings indicate that the myths of Chao Pho Pak Hueng were sacred narratives that LAO BORDER reflected their meaning through the 1 COMMUNITIES following symbols: 1) Person: Chao Pho Pak Hueng, the ruler of Payungporn Nonthavisarut2 3 Panjanakhorn, () was Chinese Pathom Hongsuwan (race: Haw). He played a significant role in bringing a sacred Buddha image into the Abstract community. This article is responding to 2 questions: 1) 2) Object: Phra Siangthaai, () or the what roles do the myths of Chao Pho Pak Buddha of prophecy, a Buddha image which Hueng (Chao Ong Luang) (ก was considered a sacred object. Phra ), the sacred narratives found near Siangthaai was believed to be a son of Chao the Thai-Lao borderland in the Pak Hueng Pho Pak Hueng. community of Chiang Khan District, Loei Province, Thailand and in the Pak Nam 3) Place: the estuary of Hueng River ( Hueng community of Ken Thao, Xayabouly ) and Wernkham () ; it was believed Province, Laos, play in constructing a that the estuary was the place where the physical sacred space and a spiritual sacred cave of Chao Pho Pak Hueang’s treasures space through personal symbols, objects, that were under protection of his son were places and rituals, and culturally, what do located; Wernkham was the place where they communicate?; 2) what roles do the Phra Chao Ton Luang () was dynamic sacred narratives on Chao Pho Pak Hueng play in constructing a social space sunk. for the Thai-Lao borderland people in relation to the social and the political 4) Sacred rituals: Bai Si Su Khwan ( ) (the ritual of welcoming), Liang Pee 1 This paper is a part of the author’s PhD () (the ritual annual feast for spirits) dissertation entitled Myths of Royal Spirit: The and Suang Huer () (the ritual of boat Dynamic of Sacred Narratives on the Creation of Social Space in Thai-Lao Border racing) were like meeting places between Communities. Chao Pho Pak Hueng and his followers. 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Thai These symbols helped to construct the Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social sacred spaces both physically and spiritually Sciences, Loei Rajabhat University through the concepts of Buddhism and 3 Associate Professor, Department of Thai and primitivism. They represented a sense of the Oriental Languages, Faculty of Humanities and cultural root of Lao: Lan Chang, Luang Social Sciences, Mahasarakham University Downloaded from Brill.com09/25/2021 12:09:40PM via free access The Myths of Chao Pho Pak Hueng: the Dynamic of the Sacred Narratives Phrabang. The concepts and the sense were Na Jaan, Ban Tha Dee Mee and Ban Khok reproduced through the narratives and Heet Ng-ew in the Pak Tom Subdistrict of Khong () (customs and traditions) for Chiang Khan District in Loei Province, the purpose of security in the community. Thailand. The Pak Hueng community on Moreover, it has been found that the myth of the left bank of the river consists of three Chao Pho Pak Hueng had some dynamics in villages: Ban Boung Kla, Ban Mai relation to the social context. The politics Wernkham and Ban Huay La which are all along the Thai-Lao border also played a role in Ken Thao District of Xayabouly in building a sense of history and ethnicity Province of Laos. which, in the early stage of settling the communities, concentrated the minds of the There are some myths concerning the people on the newly established space and estuary area of the Hueng River on the left tied them together. During the reign of King bank. According to a study by Rama V, there was a change of nationality to Saratassananan (1992: 37-43) on the Thai. Clues to the conflict and the argument myths and the history of Pak Hueng town, with the state authorities over the acceptance there was a deserted town called of the new nationality are also reflected in the Panjanakhorn () or Pengjaan town myths. However, the myths and the rituals () ruled by many rulers from concerning Chao Pho Pak Hueng were generation to generation; and there was a symbols representing the community identity. ruler who had a beautiful daughter named Such practices were passed from generation Khamkong (ก) One day, a weird to generation and tied the minds of people from both sides of the Hueng River together. phenomenon occurred when a huge As a result, the spiritual space and the social rainbow came and ate a lot of people in the space constructed a unity of the peoples town. The ruler and his people except for across the borders of Thailand and Laos. the daughter left the town. Her father put her in a big drum for safety. Panjanakhorn became a deserted town. Many days later, 2. Background of the Pak Nam a handsome young man called Thao Hueng Communities Khatanam (), who was originally Hueng river is an important river in the from Krung Srisattanakhanahut (ก northeastern region of Thailand. Some ) (Vientiane) came to the town. He was parts of the river in the Na Haeo District, a brave young man. Before leaving for the Dan Sai District, Tha Li District, and town he had killed a giantess who gave Chiang Khan District of Loei Province, in him a magic stick before she died. The Thailand and in the Bortaen District, Ken magic stick would bring death if its head Thao District in Xayabouly Province, were pointed; while the other end would Laos, are treated as the natural border bring life if it was pointed. Thao between Thailand and Laos. The river Khatanam found that there were no people originates from a mountain in the Na Haeo in the town so, he walked into the temple District of Loei Province in Thailand. It and beat the drum to see if anybody was joins the Mae Khong River in the Pak still there. To his surprise, he heard a Hueng community of Chiang Khan scream from the drum and when he District in Loei Province, Thailand. The opened it, he found a beautiful woman– Pak Hueng community on the right bank Khamkong - inside. He had saved her life. of the river consists of three villages: Ban 15 Downloaded from Brill.com09/25/2021 12:09:40PM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities Regular 16.2, 2013 When Thao Khatanam had killed the huge Anuphinard () (a ruler who was rainbow, before it had died, it had given the forefather of the Kruathongdee family) him a magic object. He used the magic to be the first Pak Hueng ruler and the stick to point to all the bones and the town was then renamed ‘Chiang Khan’. skeletons around the town to and bring Between B.E. 2417 and 2418 (1874-1875), them back to life and make them human the former Chiang Khan, which was on the again. When all the people who had left side of the Mae Khong River (in Laos), escaped from the town heard the good was invaded by the Haw ethnic group. A lot news, they came back to the town – of people from the former Chiang Khan Panjanakhorn. Later, Thao Khatanam moved to the new Chiang Khan (Pak Hueng married Khamkong and returned to rule town). However, it was not considered to be his own town: Vientiane. the right place, so the town was moved to Ban Tha Naa Jaan village and afterwards From the historical dimension, was given the name Chiang Khan, which Panjanakhorn town or Pak Hueng town exists in Chiang Khan District at present. was founded by Paya Julanee () who led his people from the north to establish In B.E. 2436 (1893) (year of 112 of their own town. The Lan Chang chronicle Rattanakosin Era), the land on the left side states that the town was set up in B.E. of the Mae Khong River was taken over 2225 (1682). In B.E. 2238 (1695), Luang by the French. People from ancient Chiang Phrabang and Vientiane split into two Khan did not want to submit to French kingdoms. Luang Phrabang established government, so some of them moved to Pak Hueng and Chiang Khan (the former settle in the former Pak Hueng town and Chiang Khan) as its border towns. some moved to the new Chiang Khan. Vientiane also appointed Chiang Khan Until the year 2446 (1903), the land on the (the former Chiang Khan) as its border right side of the Mae Khong River town. opposite Luang Phrabang was taken over by French. Pak Hueng town on the left In B.E. 2321 (1778), the late Thonburi side of the river was also taken over by the period (), Thailand merged all the French. The people then moved en masse towns in Lan Chang kingdom and directed to settle down in the new Chiang Khan more people to settle in Pak Hueng. and Pak Hueng became a deserted town. Afterwards, the king of Thailand designated Pak Hueng a colony of Nam According to myth, Pak Hueng is a town Paad (Uttaradit), which was a major town with long history and clues to its at that time, so that Pak Hueng would be settlement in each period. The town was free from Luang Phrabang. divided when Lan Chang was split into two kingdoms using the Hueng River as a Between B.E. 2369 and 2370 (1826-1827), natural border. During the Thonburi the King Rama III period, there was a period, King Taksin had merged the two Vientiane rebellion which was defeated by kingdoms into one.