Beliefs : Aesthetics in the Language and Culture of Huamai Music in Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

           The study of the aesthetic beliefs in language and culture of Huamai music in Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province aimed to investigate: 1) beliefs in Huamai music performance in Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province; and 2) aesthetics of language use and reflection of beliefs in Huamai lyrics from Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province. The research employed a qualitative approach, using interviews and both participant and non-participant observations. The key informants included 5 Huamai musicians, elders with Huamai music knowledge and experience, as well as 15 participants involved in the ritual ceremonies. The goal was to explain the community's beliefs through the content of the verse, the aesthetics of the language, and the culture of the ritual music.
         The study found that beliefs in Huamai music performance in Ban Pho District were illustrated through the music accompanying the worship of Chao Por Horra, which was a belief of the people in the community. It protected the people in the community to live peacefully and happily, free from all disasters. The ritual of establishing the home shrine includes placing an elephant at the shrine known as "Chang Chao," which represents the giving of an elephant to the local spirits to serve as their attendants, to make the spirits satisfied, and to bring success and fulfillment to the house's owners. In terms of linguistic aesthetics, the Huamai verse is composed of a single-headed verse. The beauty of the language includes the use of alliteration, consonant alliteration, repetition, and the use of figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia. The reflections of beliefs expressed in Huamai lyrics could be categorized into four aspects: 1) beliefs in supernatural entities, 2) beliefs in honoring teachers, 3) beliefs regarding auspicious timings, and 4) beliefs related to teachings on women's household life.