จากศรัทธาสู่พิธีกรรมบูชา เรื่องเล่าประวัติชีวิตและวิญญาณศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของ "พ่อปู่มิตร ชัยบัญชา"

Abstract

The sudden death of Mitra Chaibancha, the most renowned Thai film star in 1970s, caused by an occupational accident occurring during the shooting of the last scene of “the Golden Eagle” (In Si Thong) affected his fans’ hearts. Their great grief has finally turned “the beloved movie hero” to “a sacred spirit”. After his death, Mitra’s shrine and cults have been established. In this study, folklore and anthropological methodologies were applied to examine the cult of sacred spirit of Mitra Chaibancha. It was found that Mitra’s life history matched with some “heroic motifs” mentioned in Thai legends as well as with Thai indigenous beliefs of ancestor worship and the after life. Nevertheless¸ according to the changeable and variable socio-cultural context, although today the cult and faith of the sacred spirit of Mitra Chaibancha might be limitedly dispersed, the ritual is still interestingly developed.