The Creation of Narratives of Rāhu in Modern Media and Roles in Thai Buddhist Context

Abstract

The Objectives of this research were: 1) to study the creation of narratives of Rāhu in modern media and 2) to analyze their roles in Thai Buddhist context. There are 51 narratives during 2003-2022, 18 are publications (i.e., paperback and periodicals), and 33 are digital media (i.e., website, Facebook, and YouTube). It is found that narratives of Rāhu published in paperback are more comprehensive in covering the full extend of Rāhu stories and become the original versions for the other media. They are composed based on Brahman-Hindu literature, Buddhist literature, and Thai literature with 3 methods: (1) editing, (2) modification with content adaptation and elaboration, and (3) new creation. Editing is an act of selecting original texts about the background and Rāhu’s role in the creation. The most common texts are the birth of the Nine Planets (Navagraha) and the previous deeds of the sun deva and the moon deva from Chalermtraibhop, the Buddha’s taming of Rāhu from Candima-Suriyasutta and Rahu’s hearing of Buddha’s sermon and receiving Buddha’s prediction from commentary of Sonฺadanฺdฺasutta. Modification is an act of changing original text, while adding information to improve Rāhu’s image in order to increase worth for worship in Buddhism. The most modified texts are Rahu’s drinking elixir of immortality to propose that Rāhu did not cheat the drink and Rahu’s hearing Buddha’s sermon to state that Rāhu attained Sotāpanna. New creation is an act of developing Rāhu’s divinity and retelling a story about experience of luck with Rāhu and his amulet. Digital media provide limited area of information, normally offering the important parts of Rāhu’s life, i.e. birth and relatives, cheating drink of elixir of immortality, encounter with Buddha, Buddha’s prediction, and co-composition of reverence to Buddha. The narratives of Rāhu in modern media play a significant role in making the legend of Rāhu from religious literature and Thai literature that are widely known in Thai society, enhancing a Buddhist’s confidence in Rāhu, supporting Rāhu worships, explaining new-style Rāhu images and amulets, and presenting Rāhu shaman. The created narratives reflect the role of Brahman-Hindu mythology in the foundation of Buddhist deities and new narratives supporting animism and spiritualism in Thai Buddhism.