เจ้าพ่อศรีนครเตา:การกลายเป็น“ผีใหญ่”ภายใต้ความเปลี่ยนแปลง เศรษฐกิจ-สังคมในพื้นที่ทุ่งกุลาร้องไห้ ตั้งแต่หลังทศวรรษที่ 2500-2560

Abstract

The process in which “Chaopho Si Nakhon Tao” becoming supreme spirit i.e. “Phi Yai”, who prevailed over other spirits in Thung Kula Ronghai community, is significantly caused by socio-economic changes. The change was a result of the state’s development plan in the Thung Kula Ronghai during the year 2500 – 2560 B.E Prior to the year 2500 B.C., the spiritual belief in Thung Kula Ronghai had been diverse and indigenous as it had been conditioned by the local economic system where the people’s living is based on family and community-based production. The production system and people’s living had been long dependent on the natural variation. Hence, in annual cycle, the people’s hope and wish had inextricably interwoven with the indigenous belief and spirituality as seen from both “public” and “individual” prayers. These prayers either to the ancestral ghosts or local spirits are related to the production system, peace and happiness, health care system, and property in family and community. The local belief and spirituality within the Thung Kula Ronghai community began to change following the local socio-economic changes as the result of the government’s socioeconomic development plan since the year 2500 B.E. The wasteland and public areas have been encroached and turned into commercial farming linked with market. As a consequence, the roles of indigenous spirits who guarded the local farms and those public area has been lessen. Furthermore, as this socio-economic development plan has broadened the local production and trading linkage beyond locality, “Phi Yai” was created to draw various groups of people into the same large spiritual shade. The old “Phi”, believed to have linkage with the state, was recreated as “Phi Yai” who dominated larger extent of area. The spirit of Chaopho Si Nakhon Tao thus has been eventually changed from a local spirit to “Phi Yai” since the 2540 B.E.. The “prayer” on hope and wish has also shifted to a more individual aspect.