The Ra-Perp Ritual:“Liminality” in the Cultural Structure of Khaphrakaew Ethnic Group

Abstract

The Khaphrakaew (Champask province, Lao PDR) respects many levels of spirits, creating a social structure according to a power hierarchy. In daily life, the Khaphrakaew must obey Heatkong and follow the power hierarchy strictly or face punishment by the spirits. The Ra-Perp ritual is a ritual for worshipping the clan spirits who are controlling and looking after its members’ lives. The ritual has created conditions of liminality and cummunitus[1] , devoid of rules and Heatkong. Participants can display any behaviors that they cannot show during their normal day to day lives. This gives equality to the members for a temporary period of time. Once the ritual concludes, the members are reassembled into Heatkong. Therefore, the Ra-Perp ritual helps to relieve the stress of day to day life during which the members are controlled by spirits and Heatkong, as well as to remind the members of the rules and power relationships. It can be said that the Ra-Perp ritual acts to harmonize and maintain the social structure of the Khaphrakaew ethnic group.