Communication for Retentionand Change of Haenam-Chang’s Value, Napoon, Wangchin, Phrae

Abstract

     The purposes of the study of this research are 1) to study the history of Hae Nam Chang Festival including ritual forms, roles, elements, and duties of Hae Nam Chang Festival 2) to study the changing nature of ritual forms, roles, elements, duties, and the factors which affect the changing nature of ritual forms, roles, elements, and duties since the past until now by using a content analysis from related documents, a participant and non-participant observation, an in-depth interview, and a focus group. The targets of the study are: a group who prepare a ritual, seniors in a community, youths, and a group outside a community including Na Phun Administration Organization.

     It is found that Hae Nam Chang Festival is the important tradition to ask for forgiveness from elephants that we used to ribald and force to use. In addition, Hae Nam Chang Festival is the tradition to recall the obligation of ancestors who have passed away and to offer the guidelines to crops cultivation each year. This tradition will be held in April. The duties of Hae Nam Chang Festival are: community mobilization, beliefs inheritance, harmony creation, identities inheritance, constancy in mind creation, entertainment, etc. The factors that affect the changing nature of Hae Nam Chang Festival are: technologies, occupations, local politics, tourisms, and cultures. The guidelines to regenerate and conserve Hae Nam Chang Festival are: to write the history and the process of Hae Nam Chang Festival into the book and put the book in the school library and Phrae cultural center, to prepare a ritual for youth’s participation, and to promote for other community’s participation and use as a tradition model.

     This article presents about the changing nature of Hae Nam Chang Festival from the past until the present that community members conserve but still remain to respect elephant, ancestor, and spirit which is the faith of the people all the time in order to have peace, spirit and people live together happily as a result of mutual respect each other.

     This article is a part of the thesis subject named Communication for Retention and Change of Hae Nam Chang’s Value, Napoon, Wangchin, Phrae.