DYNAMICS OF POWER OF investigate the arrangement of the spirit SPACE IN THE TAI-YUAN cult in contemporary Lanna context. CHAO LUANG KHAM DAENG The research results reveal the declaration SPIRIT CULT1 of the ritual space and arrangement by various parties, i.e., the state, the 2 community and the villagers. The Nittaya Wannakit 3 government supports the budget for the Siraporn Nathalang ritual, however, the control and running of the cult is under the power of local people. Abstract Local leaders have power in producing and publicizing the discourses of the cult. Some have knowledge of the ritual This paper aims to study the dynamics of performance and some have power in the power relations in the “Chao Luang Kham management and the control of the Daeng”/ spirit cult of the Tai performances including women who also Yuan people in Chiang Mai and Phayao have a certain space in the preparation of provinces. In the past, the spirit cult was the rituals. The spirit cult can thus be followed by the rulers of Chiang Mai city. viewed as a space for negotiation among Later on and nowadays, it has been various sides: the state, the community, downgraded to be the responsibility of the certain local leaders and women, all of district level. Therefore, it is interesting to whom declare their power in the ritual. Introduction 1 This paper is a part of a Ph.D. dissertation in Thai Folklore entitled, “Dynamism of the Chao In this paper, the word “cult” is defined as Luang Khamdaeng Spirit Cult of Tai Yuan the modes of belief and of rituals that and Tai Lue in Northern Thailand” produce narratives and present symbols of submitted to the Department of Thai, Faculty the person who is the centre of the belief; a of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. The author cult is normally not part of the main would like to thank The Office of Higher Education Commission for providing ”The religion of the society (Niti Eawsriwong Teacher Development Scholarships” for Ph.D. 2003: 61). studies and would like to thank Chulalongkorn University, “The 90th Anniversary Of The objective of this paper is to provide an Chulalongkorn University Fund” understanding and to explain the (Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund) phenomenon of the spirit cult of Chao and Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University Luang Kham Daeng among the Tai Yuan for partially supporting this Ph.D. field research. people in Lanna (northern Thailand) from 2 Lecturer, Department of Thai and Oriental an aspect concerning modes of power languages, Faculty of Humanities and Social relationships. The Chao Luang Kham Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Thailand. 3 Daeng spirit cults at Chiang Dao district, (corresponding author) Professor of Folklore, Chiang Mai province and Mae Chai Department of Thai and Director of Thai Studies Center, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn district, Phayao province have been University selected for case study. This paper analyzes the distribution of the power of the ritual space by the government, the Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 10:10:59PM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue No. 19, 2011 community and local leaders in the spirit Khon mueang also separated themselves cult. In addition, the paper analyzes the from the “inferior” ethnic groups, such as dynamics of the control of the ritual space the Lua, the Yang (Karen) or the Kha. The in the contemporary Lanna context. way they defined themselves as khon mueang had social implications since they Background to the belief and legend were the most powerful ethnic group who of Chao Luang Kham Daeng were the owners and had the rights to the city land. This definition was also used for ethnic discrimination. However, the Tai Yuan people are one of Tai ethnic definition of the identity of the khon group among many in Lanna or in the mueang has varied according to the social upper northern region of Thailand. context; therefore, the political and Nowadays, the Yuan seldom address historical background of the power space themselves as “Yuan” as in previous days that was the context of ethnic relationships but address themselves as khon mueang/ has been subjected to study for a better ‘city people’ instead. They have also understanding (see more details in Chayan named the language used for their Watthanaphuti 2006: 32–73). communication and writing as phasa mueang or ‘mueang language.’ The many According to Tai Yuan belief, the explanations from academics can be biography of Chao Luang Kham Daeng is summed up to explain that the word by detailed in two legends: the Chiang Mai which the “city people” have addressed Pang Doem Legend/ themselves for a long time was likely first (Chiang Mai University Social Research used at the start of the Rattanakosin Institute 1994) and the Suwankhamdaeng period, during the Renaissance of the Legend/ or the Sao Inthakhil Lanna. During the period known as Keb Legend/ (Sa-Nguan Chotisukarat, Paak Sai Saa Keb Kha Sai mueang/กก 1972: 117–160). These legends explain ก or collecting vegetables in the that Chao Luang Kham Daeng was a pre- basket and collecting people into the city, historic figure who was alive before King when war captives were herded into the Mangrai built Chiang Mai city in B.E city and became the citizens of Chiang 1839. In his past lives, he was born as Mai, the Yuan people, as the “real” Uttaracunda, the lord of the swine. Next, citizens, decided to address themselves as he was born as Chao Suwanna khon mueang in order to separate Khamdaeng, the son of Phaya Corani. The themselves from the collected and the god Indra needed a representative human herded captives. Later, this word became to work as a ruler teaching the humans in popularly used by other ethnic groups and the Jampu Dvipa who were not keeping to in other cities when referring to the Tai the fives moral precepts of Buddhism. Yuan people. (Suraphol Dumrikul 1999: Phra Vissukam volunteered to find the 96–105). representative. He eventually decided that Chao Suwanna Khamdaeng should take on Chayan Watthanaphuti (2006: 39) this duty. So, he transformed himself into explained that khon mueang were the a golden deer to induce Chao Suwanna words defining the Tai Yuan ethnic group, Khamdaeng. During the hunt, Chao who presented their social and cultural Suwannakhamdaeng saw Nang In Lao at relationship in the mode of city patterns. Doi Ang Song, where his counsellors also 88 Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 10:10:59PM via free access Dynamics of Power of Space in Chao Luang Kham Daeng Spirit Cult saw the lotus ponds. They decided to build possessing spirits, only spirits from the Lanna city on the low-lying plain of the first to the fifth level will descend to Ping River and Chao Suwanna possess the spirit medium in order to help Khamdaeng became the first king of this the people and the spirits in the fifth level city. At the end of his life, he abdicated are considered to be the highest in the and went with Nang In Lao to live in hierachy. Chiang Dao cave, but his descendants ruled the city for generations. During the Although the origin of the belief of the reign of Phaya Khrao, the city was ruined Chao Lang Kham Daeng spirit in Lanna is and sunk after his citizens ate a white soft- not specifically discussed, it is possible shelled turtle. After Chao that this spirit originally belonged to the Suwannakhamdaeng’s death, according to Lua, the indigenous tribe of the area. The the Chiang Mai Pang Duem Legend, the Lua in Chiang Dao city have a belief in the Chiang Mai citizens praised him and guardian spirits residing in the Chiang Dao placed him as the leader of the guardian cave. It was told that later on when King spirits of Chiang Mai city (Chiang Mai Mangrai built Chiang Mai city, he gave University Social Research Institute 1994: Chiang Dao city to his son, Phaya Chai 40). In another legend, Phra Chao Lieb Song Khram, to rule. Since then, the belief Lok Legend/ก ‘Legend of in the guardian spirits residing in Chiang the Buddha’s Visiting the World,’ the Ang Dao cave has been continuously preserved Song Legend/ and in several and transmitted in the Lanna Kingdom. versions of the Chiang Dao legends, it is claimed that Chao Luang Kham Daeng According to the Yonok Chronicle/ was the lord of the ogres guarding treasure ก (Phaya Prachakitkorachak 1972: 277), in the Chiang Dao cave (Phaitoon Phaya Chai Song Khram had three sons. Dokbuakaew, 2007). His elder son, Thao Saen Phu Rajabutr, was born at Wiang Chiang Dao. When his According to the beliefs of the spirit wife went into labour, they gave offerings mediums in the upper Northern region of to the deities and the guardian spirits of Thailand, the spirit of Chao Luang Kham Chiang Dao city. Moreover, according to Daeng was the greatest among all of the the Mueang Chiang Mai Legend/ spirits of Lanna. He had a network of and the Fifteen Dynasties Legend/ 4 many important spirit followers . , during the reign of Chao Chaladchai Ramitanond (2002: 38–39), in Sam Fang Kaen, he protected the city from his book, Phii Chao Nai ( Chao Nai enemies by providing offerings to the Protective Spirits), said that when the guardian spirits of Chiang Saen city and of spirits in Chiang Mai province were Chiang Mai city, including the guardian ranked in hierachy, Chao Luang Kham spirits along the path from Chiang Mai to Daeng was placed on the fifth-level (all Chiangrai and Chiang Saen (Venerable together there are nine levels), the same Teacher Sobhonkvivadhana, 2007: 60).