Phin Phia, A Plucked Zither in Northern Thailand: Its Origin, Diffusion, and Survival in Northern Thailand

บทคัดย่อ

The phin phia is a type of zither with a long history. Traditionally, the word veena referred to any stringed instrument. The veena was believed to be the instrument of Hindu gods and goddesses. It was brought from the southern part of India to Southeast Asia in the Daravadi period by merchants and priests who accompanied them. These traders came to Thailand by way of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam.   In Southeast Asia, there are stone sculptures of musicians playing the veena. The veena first appeared in Thailand in the Sukothai, Ayuthaya, and Lanna kingdoms, and is also found today in the north and southeast. The phin pia, pia, or phia is an ancient musical instrument dating from the Lanna period. Developed from the gourd zither, the phin phia has from two to seven strings. Its body is made from a coconut shell or gourd. The neck is made from hardwood with one end sharpened to attach to the head of the phin pia. The head can also be made from bronze, and is often cast in the shape of an elephant or a hatsadiling (a mystical bird of the Lanna people)