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CONCEPTS AND FUNCTION OF COURT RITUAL DANCE AND FOLK DANCE IN THAILAND The Ritual Dance of Mainstream culture in Thailand is highly influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism in order to serve the philosophical concepts of these two major religions in the cultural area, while it still serves original beliefs of Thai people: Animism and Ancesterialism etc. Not only does the ritual serves existense of Religious and supernatural powers but also the political power Thai monarchy. In addition to the roles of the Ritual Dance of Mainstream culture investigated, the Ritual Dance of subcultural groups in Thailand has other functions such as healing practises, and other life–cycle ceremonies. |
CONCEPTS AND FUNCTION OF COURT RITUAL DANCE AND FOLK DANCE IN THAILAND
Panel: TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE IN THE CHANGING WORLD
Chawarote Valyamedhi, Dance Education Programme, Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University. Email: chawarote@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This article aims at the phenomenon of Thai Ritual Dance primarily by following the concepts in Anthropological theories of Mainstream Culture and Subcultre which mainly relate with the majority and minority people in a particular cultural group classified by linguistic methodology. The people in modern state of Thailand comprises the majority of those speaking Thai and the minority speaking other language families. The studies are hypothesized that the ritual dance of any race shares similarities in terms of functions and differ from the dance of other cultural groups in the artistic forms, as Ritual Dance is the dance which has ceremonial function.
The Ritual Dance of Mainstream culture in Thailand is highly influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism in order to serve the philosophical concepts of these two major religions in the cultural area, while it still serves original beliefs of Thai people: Animism and Ancesterialism etc. Not only does the ritual serves existense of Religious and supernatural powers but also the political power Thai monarchy. In addition to the roles of the Ritual Dance of Mainstream culture investigated, the Ritual Dance of subcultural groups in Thailand has other functions such as healing practises, and other life–cycle ceremonies.
A: Court Ritual Dance
1) Inao’s Dance Drama Performance: Auspicious Celebration
Inao is an Javanese old tale coming to court of Ayudhaya. Based on the original tale, Inao was recomposed by King Rama II to have Thai dramatic property. Says the final part of the book:
“ อันอิเหนาเอามาทําเป็นคําร้อง สําหรับงานการฉลองกองกุศล
ครั้งกรุงเก่าเจ้าสตรีเธอนิพนธ์ แต่เรื่องต้นตกหายพลัดพรายไป
หากพระองค์ทรงภพปรารภเล่น ให้รําเต้นเล่นละครคิดกลอนใหม่
เติมแต้มต่อติดประดิษฐ์ไว้ บํารุงใจไพร่ฟ้าข้าแผ่นดิน ”
Inao (newly) made to words of song for auspicious celebration,
For, in the old city, princess(es) composed but the work disappeared.
The king’s will to make play the story occurs the new poem,
For this work of well ornamentation is to cherish the people of the land;
Inao is like other Thai literary works, the story is based in court life and the leading characters are always royal family members. More oever, Inao is the work composed by the great Thai King, all the Thai court traditions and ceremonies were well notable. Portraying Thai life in the ancient Javanese story, Inao can be regarded as a very good ensemble of the story and the composing method.
Although the composer is said to be King Rama II, Inao and other literature in the same class are the work in collaboration of famous poets of the time. As it was Thai tradition and the greatest honor to poets to be working under the king supervision and for the work to be sealed as one of works by His Majesties. Among those poets who work on Inao there were Prince Maha Chetsadabodin(later King Rama III) and Sunthornphu.
As reading ability was limited to the learners in society, we can say that, at the time, more Thai people perceived the word or the concept of Botlakhorn, plays/dramatic literature, as the literature itself. It is record very clearly in the time King Rama I that Inao, along with other three stories Ramakien, Unnarudh and Dalang, was composed for the dramatic sake as it is called Botlakhorn Sarap Phranakhorn, dramatic literature for the royal city.
In one aspect it is interesting to note that these literary works convey philosophical values to the people. Enculturation is the main duty of these literary works.
All the World’s a Stage,
And All the Men and Women Merely Players:
They Have Their Exits and Their Entrances;
And One Man In His Time Plays Many Parts
As You Like It
William Shakespeare
Philosophy mainly deals with the activity of well knowing of the surroundings and value of the knowing, whether it is valid, whether it is truth. In one aspect, philosophy will portray truth of life.
Inao’s story is of the reality of life, especially love life. Love in Inao is not unconditional love but the love full emotion and desire or bodily relation. One of the composers, Sunthornphu, mentioned in Phra Abhaimanee, Sunthornphuu’s most famous work, his opinion on love and bodily relation;
ประเวณีมีทั่วทุกตัวสัตว์ ไม่ข้องขัดเข็ดขามตามวิสัย
ทั้งมนุษย์ครุฑาสุราลัย สุดแต่ใจปรองดองจะครองกัน
All beings have bodily relation naturally and regardless of anything,
Human, birds or angels, it is their hearts to say.
Inao’s behavior appearing in the story, being a womanizer and bad boy, is criticized by Thai Folklore as appearing in Thai aphorism with the close translation in English of “The pot calling the kettle black” which is an idiom used to accuse a person of being guilty of the very thing they are pointing out. The pot is Inao himself who despite the leading character in the story coming from heavenly family, he still does things criticized of non–merrit.
We can say that Inao is not a teaching literature as it does not have the leading character in such a way that Ramakien has. From this point it is worth considering Inao as works with the other purpose, the purpose of love with valuing nature. The collection of Thai literary works of the similar class is known as Nirat. With the same theme of love and special reference to the nature reviewed by the characters, Nirat and Inao share the same method of admiring the nature. The method called in Thai as “chom nok chom may”, admiring the birds and admiring the woods. Inao is very rich in portraying such beautiful picture to the readers and to the audiences. This more or less in parallel with Asian philosophy that respect to nature is of utmost important.
Inao’s Mural Painting, painted in the reign of King Mongkut(Rama IV), at Sommanas Temple, Bangkok
Portraying the beautiful nature based on the literature
2) Concept of Apsaras and Gandharvas and Supernaturalism in Thailand Situated in the mainland Southeast Asia, Thailand has been highly influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism since their arrivals in the region. The two religions well merged with the indigenous beliefs i.e. Animism and Ancestralism. It is well accepted by scholars that Hinduism has special characteristic here and Buddhism has better flourished in the region than in the Indian subcontinent.
One of the identical concepts Hinduism and Buddhism discuss is the idea of beings. The two religions divide beings into categories including those heavenly ones. Among various kinds of beings noted in the canonical literature and the commentaries, found a class of the performers, Apsaras and Gandharvas.
Apsaras, nymphs, are those mentioned, in Natsasastra, of being taught the art of dancing by Bharat, the mythic author of the textbook while Gandharvas, male celestial beings,were repeated many times during the chapters concerning life of the historical Buddha in the Tipitaka. As a society valuing both Hindu and Buddhist culture, Thai society has reflected the reverence of the concepts of philosophy and the practices of the two religions in various ways, as well as in the performing arts.
Concerning Hinduism and Buddhism a mainstream culture influencing Thai culture, performing arts are partly supernatural activity. This is more or less similar to etymology of the word music, it is the adjective of Muses.
3) Ritual Dance and Beliefs in the court of Siam
The idea of dance to satisfy or glorify Hindu gods or indigenous gods is found in the royal court For the god Sayamdevadhiraj in particular, the practice has been continued since the image was created since the reign of King Rama IV (Mongkut) (ruling 1851–1868). This special event is annually held in early April, the exact date is the 1st day of the 5th month according to Thai lunar calendar.
The Phaisanthaksin Throne hall housing Sayamdevadhiraj Image (from http://th.wikipedia.org)
In the reign of King Rama IX, the king annually presides over this ceremony at 10:00 a.m. there are 3 sets of performance i.e. 1) Sadhukarn dance at Chakrabartibimarn Throne hall 2) Berk Rong dance of Jayajestha from the Wandering to the Forest episode, these first 2 sets follow the royal court tradition, the third set not only can be a dance drama originally either Lakorn Nai or Lakorn Nok, but also other types of newly invented Thai dance dramas.
Since dance is believed to have special power to communicate to supernatural being, in some ritual and ceremonial practice the use of dance is observed. In March 2012, when the royal chariots were to be moved for duty in the cremation of Princess Bajraratana Rajasuda, the only daughter of King Rama XI, angel dancers were dancing to give blessings for the event.
Angel dancers giving blessings during the move of chariots used in royal cremation 2012 in Bangkok (www.m–culture.go.th)
Apart from court–related ceremony it is royal duty to sponsor supreme Thai traditional dance pedagogy of Phra Phirap. The king will preside over the related ceremony.
King Bhumiphol presiding over the pedagogical ceremony of Thai dance in October 1984 at Dusidalai Hall, Chitralada Royal Villa, Dusit Palace. (http://student.swu.ac.th/hm471010506/culture.htm)
B: Folk Dance
Folk dances as investigated in this dissertation are of two characteristics i.e. a religious function in Buddhism and other functions in society and culture.
1.) Function in Buddhism
One of a very good examples is dances from Phra That Phanom Temple. Phra That Phanom is the sacred precinct in Nakhon Phanom Province, northeastern Thailand. Concerned as one of the most important Theravada Buddhist structures in the region, this structure is believed to contain Buddha’s breast bone. It was originally built in the 16th century by the Laotian King Jesthadhiraj of Lanxang.
Each year, at the festival held in That Phanom to honor the temple for one week, thousands of people make pilgrimages to honor the temple; folk dancers from various tribes bring 6 dances with different themes mainly on their cultural identities but the themes on prosperity of Lanxang kingdom and history of the Temple are also included.
One of the dances in front of Phra That Phanom precinct during the festival (http://wiki.moohin.com)
2.) Other functions in society and culture
Phi Khon Nam or water–bringing ghost dance is a ritual dance in Na Sao village Loey province, Northeastern Thailand. This tradition has animism and ancestralism origin. The villagers believe that good offerings will bring back good thing to their lives. This rite in particular believes in the existence of the spirits of livestock which will help bringing water to villagers’ agricultural areas. Phi Khon Nam is held in early May for 3 three days. The rite is merged into Buddhist event of Visakha.
Phi Khon Nam in Loey.(http://touronthai.com)
References
Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures (1973), Basic Books 2000 paperback
Geertz, Clifford. Local Knowledge: Further Essays in Interpretive Anthropology (1983), BasicBooks 2000 paperback
Madison, D. Soyini. The Sage handbook of performance studies. Thousand Oaks, Cau : Sage, c2006
Schechner, Richard. By means of performance : intercultural studies of theatre and ritual. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1990
