The Origins and Characteristics of Rituals and Ritual Offerings in the Devotion to Chao Pho Phaya Lae, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

This article aims to examine the origins and characteristics of rituals and ritual offerings arising from the devotion to Chao Pho Phaya Lae, Chaiyaphum Province. This study employed a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide with three key informants serving as caretakers of the Chao Pho Phaya Lae Shrine, in conjunction with documentary research. The data were subsequently analyzed using content analysis.

The findings reveal that the rituals and ritual offerings dedicated to Chao Pho Phaya Lae emerged and evolved through the integration of animistic, Buddhist, and Brahmanical beliefs. Chao Pho Phaya Lae has been elevated from an ancestral spirit into a sacred being believed to possess supernatural powers capable of granting blessings or imposing misfortune upon humans. Consequently, the performance of rituals and the offering of ritual objects function as instruments through which humans communicate and negotiate with the supernatural. The rituals identified in the veneration of Chao Pho Phaya Lae include spirit-feeding or soul-calling ceremonies (liang phi or liang khwan), spirit mediumship, vow-making, and the fulfillment of vows. The ritual offerings identified include savory and sweet food, Bai Si and Khan Mak Beng ceremonial arrangements, and sacrificial offerings. These rituals and offerings are employed by devotees to please Chao Pho Phaya Lae, consistent with an anthropomorphic worldview in which supernatural beings are believed to possess needs comparable to those of humans. The study further reveals that the forms of these rituals and ritual offerings continue to be shaped by the local cultural context and remain capable of adapting to changing eras without compromising their underlying traditional beliefs.