SPIRITUAL DANCE IN BANGKHANMARK LUBURI

Abstract

Bangkhanmark is a small Tam-bon comprising twelve small villages. Only eight villages have Man residents. They still pursue their traditional way of life, including performing mystical spiritual dances, folk plays, etc. The author met with Mrs. Pathma Khamdi, a 'Tong', or shaman, who possesses a mystical text. Mrs. Pathma acts as a spiritual medium, managing ceremony of mystical spiritual dance, offering food to spirits, driving away bad things from people and villages, and inducing good luck.

The mystical dance is called 'Ram Phee' (in Thai) or 'Lih Hana' (in Man). The Man term 'Lih Hana' means 'dancing in the pavilion.' It is believed that the term 'Ram Phee' was given by Thai people who had a chance to observe the ceremony. Traditionally, 'Tong' is the only person who can access the mystical text which contains details of the sacred ceremony. As a result, the ceremony can only be held under Tong's command.

The rite normally begins with the family offering food to the ancestral spirits and guardian angels. Then the male heir of the family would be fed with grilled fish. Towards the end of the ceremony, the family invites male neighbors to join a feast and to play some traditional games such as Saba, cock fighting, and elephant hunting. After the feast, whatever is left over, together with a banana tree which has been chopped up, would be floated away in a small boat made from a banana trunk. According to the Mon•s belief, it is like floating away evils.