THAI FUNERAL RITE RITUAL PROCESS TO CREATE a NEW LIFE FOR THE DEAD (THAI FUNERAL IN PHU YEN, SON LA)

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

LO XUAN DUA

THAI FUNERAL RITE: RITUAL PROCESS TO CREATE
A NEW LIFE FOR THE DEAD (THAI FUNERAL IN PHU
YEN, SON LA)

Major: Folklore
Major code: 62 22 01 30

SUMMARY OF THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION IN
CULTURAL STUDIES

Ha Noi 2016


THE DISSERTATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Supervisors:
1. Hoang Cam, Ph.D
2. Nguyen Thi Phuong Cham, PhD. Associ.Prof.

Reviewer 1: Lâm Bá Nam , PhD. Associ.Prof.
Reviewer 2: Hoàng Nam, PhD., Prof
Reviewer 3: Võ Quang Trọng, PhD. Associ.Prof.

The Dissertation shall be uphold before the Examiner’s Board

Meeting hold at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences on
…………… 2016.

The dissertation is available for reference at:
- The National Library;
- The Library of Social Sciences


LIST OF THE AUTHOR’S PUBLICATIONS
RELATED TO THE DISSERTATION
1. “Worship rites and worship places in the religious beliefs of the
Thai people in Phu Yen, Son La”, the Folklore Magazine, Edition 4, Pages
77-83.
2. Sip Xi Tet of the Thai people in Phu Yen, printed in Traditional custom
of Thai, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities, the Folklore Magazine, H.
3.Some life cycle rites of the Thai people in Phu Yen, Son La,
financed by Vietnam Association of Folklore in 2012, accepted in 2013.
4.“Some changes in funeral rites of the Thai people in Phu Yen, Son
La”, the Folklore Magazine, Edition 3, Pages 10-20.
5.Some funeral chants of the Thai people in Phu Yen, financed by
Vietnam Association of Folklore in 2013, accepted in 2014.
6.Funeral ceremony of Lo family in Tat village, Publishing House of
Culture and Information, H.
7.Some funeral rites of the Muong people in Muong Lang – 3B prize
awarded by the Vietnam Association of Folklore.
8.“Phi Tay” in religious belief and funeral rites of the Thai people
in Phu Yen, Past & Today Magazine, Edition 453, pages 46-56.
9.“Traditional funeral of the Thai people in Phu Yen”, the Folklore
Magazine, Edition 2, Pages 68-73.

Introduction
1. Reason of choosing the topic
In the background that studies in funeral rites in general and Thai
culture and Thai funeral rites in particular have achieved significant
outcomes, increasingly both in quality and quantity, however such studies
have not overviewed ethnic groups and local Thai groups. Funeral rites are
mostly described as one of life cycle rites, or funerals are considered as
valuable cultural heritages that should be preserved, but what are their
functions have not been concerned.
On such spirit, it is to study in the dissertation “Thai funeral rite:
Ritual process to create a new life for the dead (Thai funeral in Phu
Yen, Son La)” to contribute to learning about nature, origin, process of
preparation and practice of funeral rites; further explain cultural values and
functions that are brought about in the social life to assist in orientation of
social policies.
2. Objectives and tasks of study
- Objective of study: To provide a case study to the panorama of
research and arguments in cultural and anthropological studies in terms of
the role and significant function of social culture in funeral rites in human
life in general.
To supply scientific data for local cultural managers to make policies
related to intangible culture in general and funeral rites in particular; to
contribute to maintenance, preservation and improvement of cultural values
of ethnic minorities.
- Tasks of study: To collect documents and written materials; to do case
study, field survey, summarization and comparison, completion of useful
manuscripts on the religious relief in funeral rites.
3. Object and scope of study
- Object of study: Funeral ritual process of the Thai people in Phu Yen

is studied; rite practices in common funeral of old aged women are
reviewed, which are basis for analyzing function of ritual practice and
ritual symbols in funeral process.
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- Scope of study: Natural space, economy, society, customs and habits,
way of preparation and practice of funeral ritual process of the Thai
community in Phu Yen (Son La) with funeral rites occurred from the late
XX century to the early XXI century.
4. Sources of materials and study methods
4.1. Sources of materials
Materials are mostly ethnographic fieldwork data obtained from the
study locations of Phu Yen villages where the white Thai people are
populating. In addition we further extend scope of fieldwork on funeral
rites of some ethnic co-populating groups, especially the Muong ethnic
minority, for comparative data.
In the dissertation, previous outcomes of researchers at home and
abroad regarding funeral rites in general and Thai culture and funeral rites
in particular are also exploited and used.
4.2. Study methods
- Ethnographic fieldwork method (observation, interview, recording,
noting, taking photograph and filming, etc.); secondary material study
method; synchronic, diachronic comparison method; multidisciplinary
study method in cultural studies.
5. Significance and contributions of the dissertation
- The dissertation is a special work to further provide new fieldwork data
on preparation and practice of funeral rites, thereby traditional Thai funeral
rites restored in the period of national renovation and integration are
recognized.

- New concepts of the Thai people in Phu Yen on function of rite
practice, funeral chants and funeral ritual symbols are also interpreted to
create a new life for the dead, to establish a strong belief for the living to
make their personal life, family and society better and better.
- It has a part in affirming the cultural role and function of funeral rites,
contributes significantly to Thai studies, provides a case study to arguments
in cultural and anthological studies on the role and function of funeral rites,
which are basis for making appropriate cultural management policies.
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6. The dissertation structure
Apart from the introduction, the conclusion, the references and the
appendix, it is laid out in four chapters as follows:
Chapter 1. Overview on study, reasoning foundations and
location of study
Chapter 2. Thai funeral rite preparation process
Chapter 3. Process of funeral rite practice
Chapter 4. Role and function of rite practices in creating a new life for
the living
Chapter 1
OVERVIEW ON THE STUDY, REASONING FOUNDATIONS
AND LOCATION OF STUDY
1.1. OVERVIEW ON THE STUDY
1.1.1. Studies in funeral rites of ethnic groups in Vietnam and on the
world
The most plentiful quantity of works and authors includes works
compiled by authors of Viet (Kinh) ethnic group regarding funeral rites of
the Viet (Kinh) people (about hundreds of publications) affected by Han
culture.

Apart from works of such above mentioned authors, many other
authors are also interested in funeral rites of other ethnic groups in
Vietnam; majority is the Muong people and the Tay Thai language in
localities. These are important data helping the dissertation author approach
funeral rites in general and have comparative data of the Thai people’s
funeral rites.
Writings about funeral rites of ethnic people in the world are the classic
article of Robert Hertz, Death and the Right Hand, published in 1960,
regarding funeral ritual process of the Borneo people, Indonesia; especially the
article “From Death to Birth: Ritual Process and Buddhist Meanings in

Northern Thailand” by Keyes, translated by Truong Thi Thu Hang; edited by
Ngo Hoang.
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1.1.2. General studies on the Thai people
General studies on Thai people are diversified, but just focusing on
Thai culture and there is not any work mentioning in detail funeral ritual
process.
1.1.3. Studies on other Thai funeral rites and religious practice
Studies on other Thai funeral rites and religious practice are increasingly
plentiful and qualitatively. These are main data for the author to make
overall survey on funeral rite belief of Thai groups in Phu Yen district to
finalize this dissertation.
1.2. Reasoning foundations
Reasoning foundations, main approach for the author to consider the
issues in Thai funeral rite: Ritual process to create a new life for the
dead, are psychological function approach of Hertz and Keyes, indicating
that all cultural practices, of which are funeral rites, have psychological

functions for the living, making them believe that their relative is not died,
but transformed to a new life; funeral helps the living overcome the
spiritual shock, stabilize social order and their family.
1.3. Overview on locality of study
1.3.1. Natural condition
Phu Yen is a mountainous district on the Northeast of Son La province,
180km far from Hanoi, 120km from Son La; adjacent to Van Chan district
of Yen Bai on the North, Tan Son district of Phu Tho province on the East,
Da Bac district of Hoa Binh province on the Southeast, Moc Chau, Yen
Chau districts on the South and Bac Yen district of Son La province on the
West. The overall area of the district is 123,655 ha, equal to 8.7 % of
natural area of Son La province.
There are about 100 small and big streams running over the district
from Da River; the climate is tropical monsoon; rainy season and dry
season are coincided with summer and winter respectively.
1.3.2. The Thai people in Phu Yen
Historically, Phu Yen was populated very early. It is a region acquiring
and integrating into the Northwest culture and is featured with local
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characteristics of the Northwest gateway, for which the bold mark is Thai
and Muong acculturation.
In terms of population, thanks to convenient location and fertile soil,
Phu Yen has become a population locality of the Thai people and other
ethnic minorities.
Before the revolution, Phu Yen was constituted with five communes
equivalent to 5 Muong Phia. Its population then was not statistic, till now is
96,778. Of whom Thai group accounts for 28.2 %, Muong group for 43%,
the remaining for Kinh, Mong, Dao and other ethnic minorities. There are

26 communes and two, with 319 villages and population groups.
Population is allocated in four main regions on uneven natural terrain, often
focused on low region and middle region.
Of Thai group living in Muong Tac, white Thai people are majority.
Their inhabitation concentrates in villages in middle or edge of basin fields
and they are considered as the first exploiters of Muong Tac fields.
Living on valley and being favored by the nature, the Thai people had
good command on field rice and farming for long time. They have an
irrigational system with muong, phai, lai, lin to water two rice seasons
naturally.
The Thai people are as same as the Muong people in that they often
drink alcohol firstly and take rice as additional dishes finally in a meal with
guest. Normally they often sit in six surrounding a food tray, like
traditional cooked foods such as glutinous rice, grilled fish, etc.
Villages of the Thai people and the Muong people are same in structure,
which is crowdedly populated; housings are close together without unified
gateway; gardens and fences are less. Majority of the Thai people in Phu
Yen are living in square-roofed houses on stilts.
Thai women are often in “xin” and “com” dress, Thai men in plaid
shirts, brown baggy pants with straps, T-shirt.

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* Sub-conclusion of Chapter 1
Materials on funeral rite studies are plentiful and qualitative, but no
work mentions what are funeral rites of the Thai people in Phu Yen and for
which purpose they are done.
Reasoning foundation and main approach of the dissertation are
psychological theory of Hertz and Keyes to review funeral rites of the Thai

people in Phu Yen, a mountainous district of Son La province, a Thai
cultural gateway at the Thai cultural region in the Northwest.

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Chapter 2
THAI FUNERAL RITE PREPARATION PROCESS
2.1. Thai world view and concept of death
The Thai people in Phu Yen says that the world is divided into three
layers in correlation, muong pha as the upper, muong bang (muong pieng)
as the middle and muong lum (underground) as the lower, each has
different region. Muong pha is a rich village of Then, Than, Phi, headed by
Then Luong (the Ruler of Heaven), managing and governing all inferiors
who are living and controlling villages, regions and areas.
End zone of Muong Pha (muong Then) is Dam doi ngoi pha (end point
of the universe) where the dead lives (i.e. the world of the dead). People
living in Muong pieng and having Khoan (soul) in head shall concentrate
into a Phi (ghost) after death and be taken to the heaven by a sorcerer and
live at Dam doi ngoi phai where they produce, do farming with buffalo,
dress and take meal and sleep like on the earth.
The Thai people also perceive the universe with two worlds, a living
world and a nihilistic world. The former includes existence of human being
and different things we can catch. The later is a world of other life
dominated in the human notions and governing the real life; it exists in
form of Phi (Ghost, Then, God, Soul, Life Priciple). Phi includes good Phi
and bad Phi, but all affecting on the life, thus they have to treat with all Phi
by worshiping in calendar and seasons and according to life cycle rites, of
which is funeral, for aspiring the good.
The Thai people further perceive that the dead is transformed to the

nihilistic world (Dam, Pang) of their ancestors to continue living. Funeral
rites shall “transform” the dead to the ghost (Phi, Khoan) by funeral rite
process.
2.2. Funeral rites for the new dead
2.2.1. Raising spirit of and washing the dead
Raising spirit of the dead, knifing the window, alarming, notifying,
bathing the dead with fragrant water, preparing coffin, hiring a funeral
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band, inviting a sorcerer; selecting daughter-in-law and son-in-law of the
dead; raisin chin; closing the dead’ eyes; dressing the dead; wearing new
shoes; hanging three corners of the mosquito net; preparing to chant and
putting the dead into the coffin.
2.2.2. Preparation of fabric
Preparing white, black, red, striped, flower fabric to sew new clothing
and to shroud the dead body (a great quantity is used)
2.2.3. Preparation of white funeral clothing
Various kinds of hand-made white brocade fabric are used for funeral
clothing for objects with 3, 2 or 1 layer(s) hierarchically.
2.2.4. Preparation of thread : White thread is used to tie on wrist for
funeral rite practice.
2.2.5. Inviting a sorcerer: The head of family appoints two or three
persons to come to invite a sorcerer. The sorcerer is in red two-top gown
without collar, with red tui khut (thong sach) across shoulders, a paper pan
on the left hand, a sword on the right hand.
2.2.6. Inviting a funeral band: The head of family appoints two or three
persons to come to invite a funeral band which shall be present before
putting the dead into coffin. The band is responsible for trumpeting and
drumming all days and nights of the funeral.

2.2.7. Preparation of coffin and putting the dead into coffin: Coffin is
made of round timber and was prepared previously by the Thai people.
When a person is died, such coffin is repaired timely for the ceremony of
putting the dead into coffin, taking back shirt, scanning soul and putting on
cap of the coffin.
2.2.8. Funeral rites for removing fate, putting the dead into coffin and
getting rid of offence: Such activities are carried out after the mo cao tay
behind the house, then the funeral rite for putting the dead into coffin and
getting rid of offence.
2.2.9. In the Mother Gratitude Ceremony, son takes meal by bare hand
and sits beside cooking fire
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Head of the family orders his sons to come to the mother altar and wind
her dress (pay xin em) surrounding their necks, to creep from inside the
house to the yard with a piece of bone in mouth, to wash her dress and to
dry it beside the cooking fire.
2.3. Preparation for funeral rites
2.3.1. Selecting daughter-in-law and son-in-law of the dead
2 to 9 persons are selected as daughters-in-law of the dead, in red and
yellow brocade clothing, tui khut on shoulders; the left hand holds an end
of a stick putting on their shoulders; other end of stick is tied with a thread
shuttle and palm leaf; the right hand holds a long-handle pan to fan the
dead.
2 to 3 persons are selected as sons-in-law of the dead, in casual funeral
clothing, sharp knife on back, tui khut on shoulders, doing some
instruments for daughters-in-law of the dead, arranging food trays,
guarding, pouring wines in funeral rites, in breakfast, lunch and dinner and
taking the sorcerer on road…

2.3.2. Selecting head of the family, one maternal head and one paternal
head.
2.3.3. Assigning worship for families appropriately
2.3.4. Establishing an funeral organizing board
Funeral organizing board - authority: Including head of the family,
daughters-in-law of the dead, midwife, sons-in-law of the dead, the eldest
son. The eldest son and the head of the family are representatives of the
family in the funeral organizing board established by the Party, local
government, village agencies or institution.
On the part of community, they are authorities, sorcerer, tum, persons
in charge of light, band (teams of digging grave, carrying coffin, now they
are veterans or militias), agencies, population groups, youth, neighbors, etc.
all come to help the funeral or just attend to encourage the funeral family.
On the party of family, they include maternal and paternal cousins,
alliances and close friends of the family members.
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Bo den means persons in charge of lighting for the sorcerer and the
tum, taking care for altar worship and arranging food tray for the sorcerer
together with sons-in-law of the dead.
Team of digging grave means healthy men who voluntarily dig grave,
make sepulchre, coffin house and soul house; cut big, straight and long
bamboo without broken top to carriage arm and framework for the coffin.
Male servants include males who know to cook ordinary dishes, to
slaughter domestic cattle and poultry, to cut and slice meat and to cook
meals and to arrange food trays…
Female servants include girls who are in charge of cooking rice,
carrying water, taking wirewood, bamboo leaves, cleaning leaves, picking
vegetable, cleaning bowls and chopsticks, measuring wine, etc. In addition

to female servants, females are also in charge of striking drums and gongs.
2.3.5. Slaughtering poultry and cattle for funeral rites and cooking meals
Main foods for funeral trays in breakfast, lunch and dinner are pork,
beef and buffalo meat for rich families; cattle meats are also addition.
Whenever a funeral tray is arranged, another tray for tay of the sorcerer,
or the tum is also prepared. After that food trays for the whole funeral are
prepared.
2.3.6. Digging grave
The funeral family or geomancer selects location of grave, holds the
ground breaking ceremony and hands over to the phe for digging the grave
properly and satisfactorily.
2.3.7. Doing objects in the funeral
Head of the family assigns descendents and attendants to prepare
facilities, utensils, objects in service of funeral rite practice such as the soul
house, sewing objects, etc.
* Sub-conclusion of Chapter 2
Preparation for Thai funeral rite practice is diversified and complex. It
includes all components; persons and works are assigned clearly; all must
be prepared, otherwise insufficiency may affection on religious belief
objectives of funeral rite practice for creating a new and good life for the
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dead in the new world of ancients; the living can keep peace in mind and
have good psychology.
Chapter 3
FUNERAL RITUAL PRACTICE PROCESS
3.1. Process of organizing funeral rites
3.1.1. Funeral chant in morning
Rites for which expenses are shared by daughters and sons-in-law often

occur in early morning. To prepare for funeral rite practice, there are fully
components. The sorcerer initiates parts of the funeral chant: getting up;
telling human life, bad dream, portents, illness, tale of cock-crow, inviting
to take meal, asking for help and support.
The chant is long, the most importance is telling about human life.
3.1.2. Funeral chant at lunch
The rite includes preparation of lunch, for which expenses are
contributed by maternal cousins, including four worship trays, tens of food
trays, which are constituted with all components as in breakfast. The
sorcerer practices the chant in which a long part tells about sons-in-law and
nephews-in-law who are hard to find the coffin, across three Man (Dao)
villages, deep forests and high mountains to cut a big tree and to take it to
the dead; it is also followed by a story about “death way”.
3.1.3. Rite for welcoming a cake feast
It is practiced alternatively by the funeral family before and after main
meals in morning and noon; with welcoming and entering rite for the
sorcerer to introduce the food tray, invite the dead to receive, to eat and to
drink, to take gift and request for help and support. Chants for inviting cake
feast are often identical.
While the sorcerer is practicing, head of the family (owner of cake tray)
and descendants of the dead implement the rite of greeting and blessing in
the middle of the house.
3.1.4. Funeral chant in the main dinner
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Before practicing the rite, a sub-rite is practiced: descendants of the
dead show gratitude to the sorcerer, the tum in the help of head of the
family and descendants presents remuneration, gift and encourages them to
help further; then practice rite of carrying tray, funeral chant with long

content. All descendants are listening to the sorcerer and preparing to pour
wine.
Contents of starting and finishing are identical with the previous main
rites, with some supplementation. As the main content, the sorcerer invites
the dead to select field land for cultivation and farming; land for setting up
house, to find out leaves to ask other souls to help to construct houses, to
come to village of helpers to receive assets and properties supplied by the
descendants to live in a new place.
3.1.5. The sorcerer submits coffin, buffalo, soul house and other
properties
Offering to submit coffin is often combined in chant in the lunch, or it is
separated. Offering to submit buffalo can be made before or in the same
worship with buffalo meat. Offering to submit the soul house is made
before the main dinner; Other assets are worshiped to be submitted by the
sorcerer to take the dead on way.
3.2. Funeral rites
3.2.1. Preparing a offering tray for seeing off the dead and delivering
Two sons-in-law and servants proactively prepare objects for an
offering tray, a special tray with smoked chicken or grilled meat and some
offering trays. All utensils and assets are arranged in the middle of the
house to be delivered to the dead.
3.2.2. Funeral chant of seeing off the dead to the heaven
This is the most important and the longest funeral chant; for which rites
are of nature of seeing off and separating, etc. often in the midnight to early
morning of the final day – taking the dead to the cemetery.
The chant is comprised of paragraphs such as waking up, etc.
reminding, greeting people, greeting thing, seeing off the dead to ancestor
to take a new life. The seeing off delegation must be across various villages
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(the real world), muong pha (God village) to submit to Then (the Ruler of
Heaven) and to hand over the dead to live in eternity with ancestor (Dam,
Pang) in the new world. With long distance and across different places, it is
very complicate to come to the heaven. The delegation of souls is taken to
the earth on the short and straight way.
3.2.3. Memorial service and funeral
Head of the village conducts a memorial service, reads funeral oration
and thank-you letter on behalf of the family and starts taking the coffin to
the cemetery; prepares to lower the coffin down into the grave and backfills it. Descendants are assigned to bury the disposition stone, to plant
some trees, to bury a death flag; to search 9 fagots and 9 bundles of
bamboo leaves, etc.
3.3. Post-funeral rites
3.3.1. Rite of closing the grave door after lowering the coffin into the
grave
3.3.2. Rite of disinfecting to set up a temporary altar
The sorcerer and the people return to the funeral family to take the
pinnate leaf water to practice disinfecting to continue offering to call back
soul of the dead to the temporary altar for normal worship until the 100 day
death anniversary.
3.3.3. Rite of raising spirit of the dead, binding thread on wrist
After calling back soul of the dead, the sorcerer continues raising spirit
of the dead and removing live priciple for the living, then binding black
and white thread on wrist of each person in age hierarchy, saying reason
and good wishes with verses to the bound person who receives and replies.
Afterward, descendants shall bind more threads to old aged persons, etc.
*Sub-conclusion of Chapter 3
The main process for funeral ritual practice: removing fate, chants in
morning, noon, afternoon and travel in Thai funeral in Phu Yen is very
important, scaled, complicated, organized carefully, thoroughly and

properly in terms of customs as from starting to finishing.
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Sub-rites which are enclosed before, during or after the main rites such
as tay before and after the main rites, submitting the soul house and
buffalo, etc. have proved importance and scale of the funeral.
Chapter 4
ROLE AND FUNCTION OF RITE PRACTICE
IN CREATING A NEW LIFE FOR THE DEAD
4.1. Role and function of rite practice
4.1.1. The sorcerer
The sorcerer takes an important role as master of the ceremony, takes
care of all rites, gives instructions to descendants, directly initiates funeral
chants and protects safety of the dead and the living; There is a body of
servants (Tay). The sorcerer is inherently son of the God, with natural
power. He is a link between the human world and the soul world, between
the living and the dead; he can communicate with gods to protect and to see
off the dead as desired by the descendants.
In funeral and real life, the sorcerer is often trusted in the community
because he is the very person who can do extraordinary thing for
satisfying the spiritual desire of the funeral family and the community,
which is to take the soul of the dead to his/her ancestors, to a new world
with a good and eternal life.
4.1.2. Daughters-in-law and sons-in-law of the dead
They are useful servants helping the sorcerer practice well funeral rites,
complying with his instruction for fanning the dead, arranging offering
trays in funeral meals. They are also under direction of head of the family,
old aged persons, etc. to comply with regulated functions. According to
Thai customs, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law of the dead must support

parents-in-law until they die; they must be good supporting daughters-inlaw and sons-in-law so that the dead salvation is easy.
Tui khut, thread shuttle, scissors, sharp knife and palm leaf are
protection instruments of daughters-in-law and sons-in-law of the dead
when doing funeral practice. A thread shuttle has two smooth ends for
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knitting fabric, which indicates that the dead shall come to his/her ancestors
easily.
According to the Thai customs, big offering trays must be prepared,
guarded, wine poured by daughters-in-law and sons-in-law so that the dead
may take meal to get good health for travel, otherwise it may be affected;
sharp knife, scissors and metal wares are symbols of resourceful men,
hardworking and industrious women so that the dead easily comes to the
new world.
4.1.3. Persons practicing other rites
Directly or indirectly, they have emotional relationships, good deeds
and right actions to participate in well performing the rituals, make the
descendants keep rest in mind and create a new life for the dead.

4.2. Roles and functions of funeral chants
4.2.1. Funeral chant of removing fate
Funeral chant for removing fate to break the relationship between the
living and the dead, completing the rite, the dead knows his/her death and
descendants just organize the funeral when the soul is tender. Thus, the
funeral family must protect with anti-ghost objects, drive away arresting
evil spirits.
Village gate opening ceremony is also performed to ask guards to open
the village gate and welcome the dead.
4.2.2. Funeral chants in breakfast, lunch and dinner

To practice such main rites, meal trays and offerings must be prepared;
all components of carrying trays and imitating funeral music must be well
arranged to show emotion, hardness, industriousness and wholeheartedness of descendants in taking care of parents when they are healthy,
old aged and died, so that religious objectives of funeral chants in funeral
meals are successful and subject to customs.
- In the funeral chant in breakfast, the sorcerer start to wake up the soul
of the dead, to give the soul water and betel to listen to the story on human
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life cycle (Tay oan oc), rules and customs with target of "advising" the soul
of the dead all development history of a person so that the dead may have
good command on Thai culture, know how to behave and deal properly
with moral code, to entrepreneur and to take a good life in the world of
his/her ancestors; to prevent to become an "ignorant person".
The following is Telling about dream, ill omen, illness and treatment.
According to Thai concept, when an old aged person becomes seriously ill
or dying, Then shall make such person encounter with bizarre, and bad
phenomena in dreams so that his/her live priciple is too afraid that flying to
the heaven; The body starts degrading, the descendants shall prepare
offerings and ask for treatment, but the ill person is not recovered, thus the
sorcerer is invited to practice Fate asking rite or One rite to catch the dead
from the heaven but fail because this person's fate is over, then died.
The following is the part of inviting the sorcerer¸ while waiting for the
sorcerer, the descendants are not entitled to cry out, otherwise they are
likely to be caught and induced by the dead.
The sorcerer has power to communicate with gods, evils and souls when
practicing rites; religious objectives which are to ask gods to support the
dead, to prevent surrounding evils from harming the dead and to assure
safety during taking the dead to the new life in the soul world are

successful.
The funeral chants in the morning describes how the sorcerer uses the
super natural power to prevent evil spirits¸ to tell the tale of cock to "crow"
on road. By ending this funeral chants or others, the sorcerer often asks the
dead to take rest and wait next invitation from his/her descendants; travel is
impossible to prevent from catching soul, affecting on religious objective
of the people. For such belief, Thai people have to wrap up the dead in
fabric, cover the feet to guard the dead from interference by other evils.
- It is followed by the funeral rite of lunch as a long story about his/her
descendants' finding coffins, making a dragon board or a horse with wings
on which the dead could fly to the heaven, otherwise the dead may not
come there without such boat or horse; then the story about "death way" to
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direct to the new world on the rick and well-off Muong Then where the
dead takes a good and eternal life. It is a dream of real life, the final target
attracting any soul after dead. To make this dream become true, the dead
must be prepared in good health, cultural knowledge and other skills before
it is taken by the sorcerer. On contrary to the good dream is bizarre dream,
illness and death of the dead before his/her death, a reason for which the ill
person's live priciple is too afraid that flying to the heaven out from the
body.
The next story is that the sorcerer takes the dead to visit his/her
ancestors, asking them to construct houses and graves to live in like the
living; thus the descendants must prepare to offer meals, properties and
money; To invite the dead to take meal in cheerful manner, it requires the
descendants to attend and to wait for pouring wines in funeral music. When
the dead takes meals, dishes and their preparation must be listed in detail
so that such supernatural gods like the dead dare eat. Describing the hard

process of breeding and cooking also indicates the kind attitude of the
descendants, which is also foundation for them to ask souls of the dead in
any funeral or death anniversary for support, or to ask supernatural gods in
big ceremonies such as praying for good season, worshiping hamlet and
village gods, etc. After taking the meal, the sorcerer seduces the dead to
support his/her descendants in details at maximum level.
- The funeral chants in dinner is constituted with the introduction,
inviting and ending like previous funeral meals; In the main part, the
sorcerer invites the dead to select wide and nice land plots for cultivation,
such as terrace fields, fields, gardens, etc. which are satisfactory for
continuity in the new life, otherwise the religious objectives may be
affected.
4.2.3. Funeral chant for inviting offering tray
Inviting the dead with offering tray of cakes aims at showing gratitude
toward the dead, inviting him/her to take meal before departure and taking
properties because it is believed that the dead shall take the new life.
4.2.4. Funeral chant for seeing off the dead
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Because it is the ritual oratorio, the most important and longest funeral
chant, before practicing, the sorcerer and servants have to take meal to wait
for listening to the sorcerer. They have to take meal before the dead so as
they are capable for taking the dead to go away.
Apart from introduction, inviting to take meal and ending like other
chants, there are main parts such as continuing submitting property; saying
farewell; taking the dead to the heaven, which call for a certain person
monitoring how the sorcerer takes the dead and his/her descendants to
come across proper passages. “If the sorcerer fails to take the dead across
the passages or places stipulated in Thai customs (inadequate oration of

passages in the funeral chant), it is believed that the soul of the dead could
not come to the ancestors’ place, so it has to live unstably in the existing
world. [19, page 66] or lost way to come to a certain village.
The road from the village on the earth to a village in the heaven on
which the final target is the ancestors’ place in the end of heaven (Dam doi
ngoi pha) is a long, remote road across difficult, bendy terrains and strange
and dangerous places, which call for talent of leading by the sorcerer. On
the contrary, the road down onto the earth is short, straight and easy for
access. Such hard upward itinerary is a challenge of the final will and
courage of the people, like “special pregnancy” before giving birth to “a
new life” of the dead to take a good and eternal life in the heaven. Once
obtaining the religious objective, the sorcerer instructs souls of the living to
come down onto the earth easily to have a bath before coming home for
continuity of the daily real life.
All people attending in the funeral must take a bath before coming back
home since attending a funeral relates to “the death”. To prevent any
undesirable effects, the funeral attendants drive away all the bad and the
dirty in the water flow, when they come back home, they shall be
disinfected further by the sorcerer.
4.2.5. Funeral chant for closing grave gate
When delivering objects and foods for the dead to join the soul world, to
prevent the dead from confusing and hunger, the descendants supply food
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while coming back from the grave to the house so that the dead don’t forget
way to his/her house.
4.2.6. Making live priciple and bind thread on wrist
Since the living people attending the funeral are likely to lose soul and
live priciple or to become ill and weak, a rite of calling live priciple and

retaining soul by binding thread on wrist for being healthy and keeping
peace in mind.
4.3. Function of ritual symbols
4.3.1. Cock crow on the way means symbols of time alarm and supporting
in seeing off the dead to take a new life in the new world.
4.3.2. Male dog licking the bridge means an animal of finding way,
licking the bridge to help the funeral attendants return to their ancestors
across high mountains and wide rivers; and for many very slippery bridges,
dogs must go ahead.
4.3.3. Pig is a well-off symbol of the living people and of the dead to breed.
4.3.4. Buffalo is a big property presented by the living to the dead, which is
reared for farming and producing property for well-off and happy life in the
new world and preventing to raise inconvenience for the descendants.
4.3.5. Coffin is a symbol of a dragon boat and a horse with wings produced
by the descendants, on which the dead could fly to the heaven.
4.3.6. Soul house is a symbol of nice zoomed-out house for the dead
4.3.7. Sepulchre is used for covering the coffin that is placed on a carrying
framework; then for covering rain and sunlight, letting it ruin without
repair.
4.3.8. Meaning of other tools
The Heaven’s Net represents the natural world, i.e. the Heaven.
Passport facilitates the dead in convenient travel; the death flag is a symbol
of the universal tree to connect the yin and the yang, the heaven and the
earth; Some sticks like sugar-cane with joints connecting from root to top
are symbols of the universal tress with function of connecting the yin and
the yang, the heaven and the earth, the living and the dead; fabric tree,
bamboo and castor-oil plant are used as supporting sticks for the
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descendants. They symbolize the righteousness and honest of the; wood
sticks with long pieces symbolize the yin-yang connection, the earth- sky
connection; Castor soft sticks represent purity and flexibility of the mother.
Straw hat is reminder of hard period of taking care of children and hunger
when parents had to make a nest with straw. Some seeding objects
symbolize reproduction and production development. Anti-ghost objects
such as rackets, hooves, fishing-net, etc are used for preventing evils from
robbing properties, foods and catching souls.
Thread is used many times, for many functions: for cutting fate,
delivering coffin, soul house, buffalo; thread is bound on wrist to retain
soul; for the yin-yang connection; black and white threads are bound on
wrist in the live priciple ceremony; Thread shuttle symbolizes the beauty
and reminds of origin of the cotton plantation and knitting.
Thai fabrics are often red, white and black, symbolizing the well-off
soul world; white of funeral clothing is for abstaining for the dead. Oat
fruits are playing facilities for the dead.
* Sub-conclusion of Chapter 4
Thus, the role of Thai funeral ritual practices in Phu Yen is diversified,
representing concepts on the world view, the outlook and various aspects of
material and spiritual life of the Thai people; contributing to
“transformation” of the dead, “creating a new life” for the dead;
strengthening and balancing spiritual and psychological life of the living,
actually for the living.

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CONCLUSION
It can be affirmed that Thai funeral ritual process (Thai people in Phu
Yen) are organizing works and preparation for funeral ritual practice for

the common objective that the living create a new, nice and eternal life for
the dead in the world of his/her ancestors. Since the living actively practice
preparation and conduction of thoughtful rites, they feel peaceful and
believe in that their relative is not died, but transformed to a new life; that
he/she arrives to the final target as his/her ancestor’s place. Just performing
such rites, the living are kept peace in mind because they have taken full
responsibility, duties and filial piety for the dead to pass away. They further
desire the dead to support and help them take the better life on the earth.
Starting from a shock from the death, the living is then balanced, gets
peacefulness in life to be self-confident in daily life and continues
developing the better and better new life.
It is the very focus, study objective and application result of theoretical
approach of Prof. Hertz and Keyes, which has been provided very early in
the dissertation. Thus, objective and tasks of study have been addressed
reasonably with appropriate method by the author of the dissertation. The
dissertation is a monograph on funeral ritual process with valuable new
fieldwork, through which Thai funeral rites in Phu Yen are more obviously
recognized. It also explains the new concepts on the role and the function
of preparation, ritual practice and symbols in Thai funeral rite are for
creating a new life for the dead, for the living to keep peace in mind and
believe in their life. It contributes to affirming that funeral ritual practice is
not simply to bury the dead with great memory of the living, but also to
express the belief that their relative is not died, but transformed to a new
world; To provide a case-study to the panorama of research and arguments
in cultural and anthropological studies in terms of the role and significant
function of funeral rites; To prepare basis for making social and cultural
management policies appropriately with new life during the process of
modernization and integration; To contribute to development of new life
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which is increasingly civilized but deeply imbued with the national cultural
characteristics.
Funeral rites in general and Thai funeral rites in particular are featured
with the religious belief to create a new life for the dead by taking his/her
soul to the world of the ancestors, thus funeral organizing must be
complicated, thoughtful and careful. To do so, it requires the sorcerer and
attendants of the funeral to prepare and to organize funeral rites of
"transforming" the dead to the new world as stipulated in the customs.
Funeral rites cover notations, concepts and viewpoints about a complete
world including the real world and the nihilistic world, the real world of the
living and the supernatural world of phi. In which, the real work exists and
is present specifically, but frequently governed and affected by the
nihilistic world. In such natural world, human is the centre, however since
they can't understand well about life and death which is a phenomenon,
development and perdition of a material entity, their thinking is generated
with primitive religious beliefs, products of Thai cosmology. Of such
beliefs, funeral rites are a type of general belief that indicates idea, belief,
opinion of the Thai people awareness on life and death. The living organize
rituals, the sorcerer practices funeral chants, daughters-in-law fans the
dead, sons-in-law wait for giving services to the dead, combination of
performance such as trumpeting, drumming, brandishing or beating gong,
etc. all are for facilitating the dead to come to a "new good life" in the new
world.
By "encoding" the roles and the functions of funeral ritual practice, it can
be affirmed that all rites occurred from starting to ending are expressed
with symbol language of funeral rites. In which the sorcerer takes the role
of master of ceremony, acts as a "link" between the living and the dead,
between the world of human and the world of ghosts (phi). It means that all
funeral ritual practices are within scope of preparation of all tools and

instruments to help the sorcerer perform well the function of practicing
funeral chants to successfully "transform the belief" of the living toward
the dead and phi. In funeral, the people take a central role governing all
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