Mae Nui : Meaning, Value and Reflections of Southern Thai Women’s Power

Abstract

The objective of this article was to study meaning, value, and reflections of women’s power in the society of southern people through “mae nui” belief from a case study of Nakhao, Tung Samoh and Nong Kao-Va Hamlet, Tung Sang Village, Tung Yai District, Nakorn Srithammaraj Province. The data was gathered from the members of eight ancient families in the said area by means of observation and in-depth interview. From the study, it was found that “mae nui” was a symbol representing the ancestors’ spirits that saw to the peace and happiness of the people of a household. It was the belief among southerners that “mae nui” was transmitted through the power of women only in the role of mothers, with the mothers transmitting “mae nui” to their daughters about to be married. When the daughters were about to bear children, their mothers would establish “mae nui” at the homes of all these daughters. The Tung Samoh people believed that “mae nui” had the power of protecting new-born children so that they would grow and stay healthy through thye ceremonies of mouth opening, cradle initiation, and home familiarization. Besides, in the ritual of Nora masters, “mae nui” must always be accorded worship. Only a woman medium may transmit the spirit of “mae nui”, which reflects the belief that southerners recognize the power of women over the space of “home”, thus making possible the continuity of the “mae nui” belief in families of southern people up to the present days.