The community of spirit possession: religious practices of a grouping of spirit mediums that worships the tutelary spirit of city pillar in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

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Other Title
  • 精霊憑依のコミュニティ--北タイ,チェンマイの基柱の守護精霊を崇拝する霊媒集団とその宗教実践
  • セイレイ ヒョウイ ノ コミュニティ キタタイ チェンマイ ノ キ チュウ ノ シュゴ セイレイ オ スウハイ スル レイバイ シュウダン ト ソノ シュウキョウ ジッセン

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As is widely recognized, people in so-called traditional societies often create its own space and time by means of their cultural practices, differentiating themselves from the biopower in the contemporary world. From such a viewpoint, this paper considers the religious practices of a grouping of spirit mediums in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The city is famous for its history and culture; it had been the ancient capital of Lan Na kingdom in the northern area of Indochina Peninsula. The kingdom enjoyed suzerainty until the beginning of the twentieth century for seven hundred years, during which its unique culture flourished. Even after the integration into the Thai state, Chiang Mai people have preserved the old city area in square with walls and five gates surrounded by the moat, while they have continuously practiced a lot of calendrical rites and rituals. Among them, the spirit worship is one of the most important traditions for them; while they are Theravada Buddhist, they have also developed the notion of spirit worship in their religious life. From this tradition, the spirit mediumship has descended and become very popular since the end of the twentieth century. As a traditional city-state called muang, the city has a "city pillar", which is a ritual symbol installed at the navel of the city, connected to the notion of tutelary spirit of muang. Though its political importance has already expired, the spirit mediums continue to worship the tutelary spirit, forming a grouping there. This grouping practices calendrical rituals for the spirit; firstly, it is the most important for them to support an annual festival to worship the city pillar. It is hosted by the Chiang Mai municipality, and the core members of the grouping are in charge of the preparation of ritual instruments around the pillar. In fact, the municipality demands them to do so every year. Even if the festival seems to be totally Buddhist at first sight, it is actually a kind of spirit worship ritual: the instruments are mostly the same as those seen in the ordinary ritual of spirit mediumship, and more importantly, the members' behaviors signify nothing but what spirit worship should be. These facts confirm that they regard this pillar as the source from where the tutelary spirit of Chiang Mai emerges. Secondly, it is equally important for them to organize and practice two spirit possession rituals every year in the spirit shrine at the northeast corner of the old city area: the mediums in Chiang Mai come and are possessed by their spirits in order to celebrate the tutelary spirit of the city. Once possessed, they wear special clothes and hoods for the spirits on top of everyday clothes, to walk around barefooted. The rituals feature the spirit dances to music played by a small orchestra in the tents beside the shrine the whole day. Thirdly, there are several other spirit possession rituals for the tutelary spirit, the participants of which are limited to the core members.

Journal

  • 人文學報

    人文學報 98 229-267, 2009-12-30

    THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES, KYOTO UNIVERSITY

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