A Study of History, Culture and Local Wisdom in Muangkaen Municipality, MaeTaeng District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The purpose of this research was 1) to study the collection of historical data of Muangkaen, 2) to study and collect the cultural data nd local wisdom in the area of Muangkaen municipality, and 3) to study the situations, problems, obstacles and guidelines for developing local wisdom in the area for Muangkaen municipality area. This study was a qualitative research and the sample groups were twenty two community philosophers, In-depth Interview by using the content analysis techniques in context.

             Research findings were as follow:

1. To study and collect the historical data of Muangkaen city in Muangkaen Municipality, it was found that the value of history helped to teach the people to know themselves, know and understand the social environment effectively, the past of human beings and there was a way to solve problems wisely. Local history was an educational place that emphasized historical evidence. In the study was to find the history in the past of the community, the elements of arranging in order of occurences to lead to explain and summarize the concept of occurrences in each period, there were two sub district, namely Cho Lae and Inthakhin. Cho Lae should be the name of a kind of tree that was a medium shrub and flowers were a bunch for boiling or curry. The native people called Cha-Lae or Sa-Lae. In a part of Inthakhin or the city pillars were at Inthakhin Temple, Moo 11, Inthakhin Subdistrict.


2. To study and collect the cultural data and local wisdom in the area of Muangkaen municipality found that the cultural data has seven types, namely Songkran Festival, Salakaphat Tradition (Kuay Salak), Poi Luang Tradition Loi Krathong Tradition (Yi Peng), Liang Phi Fai Tradition and Khao Sobhon Kamma. Local wisdom data has twenty three types, including wisdom in planting Coprinus fimetarrius (Het Khon Noi), lamp making for 600 years, water turbines (luk), sacred talisman Ceremony. Khao Kham Piew Ceremony, Kin O Phrya Ceremony, Mulberry paper, hitting knives, Kan Cho Tong, doing talismans, magic letters, crayons, toy making version for Muangkaen teenages (Old toys), chopping up tobacco leaf , bamboo basketry, Chop Tum is local sweets (Khao Khaep) (Khao Tan), Tam Khao – Khrok Mong, folk medicine, decoction, city medicine, Thai traditional medicine, Thai massage - Compress massage, fabric dyeing, folk food, spinning cotton and Lanna language / Lanna alphabets (Tua Muang).


3. In order to study the problems, obstacles and guidelines for developing local wisdom in the area of Muangkaen Municipality, it was found that the problems and obstacles of agriculture in the way of life of agricultures were changed that was not done at all. The beliefs of the modern people have caused a lack of faith, rituals that are difficult to succession, young generations are difficult to access, the methods are often difficult for showing the way of new generations and don’t have successors genuinely. Development guidelines find members to attend the group to increase productivity and income, attend the training to increase knowledge in more product design, manage the performances and demonstrations for young generations to know more. Grouping with advice and promoting those who want to know and be ready to inherit learning continually, can make income for the family in another way, should promote learning to children and youth, should arrange activities to transfer local wisdom continuously to people in the area of Muangkaen Municipality and should create a network of local wisdom scholars for transferring knowledge to people in the community to learn to make strong learning and succession and permanence afterward, opening stage for community scholars, opening learning for creating motivation to young generations to sustainable succession.