Gae-Mue-Na Tradition of Wat Phra that Lampang Luang, Lampang Province from Koh Kha District, Lampang Province

Abstract

This article had 2 objectives to study the steps of the Gae Mue Na rite and to study the role of the Gae Mue Na rite. Folklore fieldwork methodology was used and then analyzed by folklore function. The result of the study found that the Gae Mue Na ritual had been inherited for more than a hundred years and held every Buddhist holy day throughout the Buddhist Lent period for 10 Times. Each time the Gae Mue Na would the host prepared paddy, rice, and steamed food for giving to a monk in the morning and in the afternoon, there was a merit-making to the dead body such as ancestors, relatives, and for family or himself with different things. For live person should have banana shoots, sugarcane shoots, and coconut bunch. For a dead person, there will be ‘khua’ (a pair of small wooden bridges), and ‘tung hang’ (a small flag). The Role of the Gae-Mue-Na found 4 types: 1) the role of landlord by temple 2) the role of religious preservation, 3) the role of cultural identity making and 4) the role of gratitude of Lampang Luang people to ancestor and guardian spirit. Keywords: GAE-MUE-NA, Tradition, Wat Phra That Lampang Luang