A Study on Local Wisdom of Thai Berng Ethic Group towards Folk Toys in Ban Khoksalung, Lopburi Province

Abstract

        This study aims to explore local wisdom of Thai Berng ethic group focusing on the folk toys in Ban Khoksalung, Lopburi province in terms of materials used, patterns, producing, and playing methods.According to the geography of Ban Khoksalung, it is a lowland and a plain area with the Parak river flows through the village. The majority of the villagers are farmers and doing agriculture. As a result, the way the folk toys were made can reflect the simplicity of the villagers’ traditional way of life which basically connected to the nature. The toys were made by parents or grandparents. Most of the materials for making toys are include bamboo leaves, palm leaves, coconut leaves, wood, clay, rattans, cactus, vetiver grass, and etc. The patterns of the toys are derived from the surrounding nature and the environment in the village. Additionally, there are many different ways to play the folk toys. Tt was found that some of the folk toys are not used only for enjoyment, but also for creating love and unity among people in the group. Some kinds of toys can help physical, emotional, and social development. Moreover, the quality and the beauty of the folk toys depend on the skills, and the experiences of the craftsmen.Furthermore, it has been found that there are other aspects of local Thai Berng wisdom, for example, language, food preservation, folk plays, house building need to be investigated.

Keyword: Folk culture , Thai berng   Ban khoksalung,  Sticker line,  Promote