TWELVE-LANGUAGES PLAYS: BACKGROUND, DEFINITION, AND TRADITION

Abstract

         This article aims to present Twelve-Languages Plays in Thai society context including background, definition, and tradition for a better understanding of Twelve-Number folklore, especially Twelve-Languages Plays in many aspects. The contents consist of (1) the background of Twelve-Number folklore (2) the definition of Twelve-Number folklore (3) the tradition of Twelve-Languages Plays and other languages and (4) Twelve-Languages Plays: Synthesis.
          The study found that “Twelve” came from numbers, time, divinity, space, and also recreation that appeared in Thai folktales. The number “Twelve” represents the meaning of abundance. The traditions of Twelve-Languages Plays can be divided into two categories: (1) the combination of plays on each occasion (2) the tradition of Twelve-Languages Plays in either one of these recreations, Maha Chat Lae (chanting), Li Kae Aok Phasa (Thai musical folk drama and songs), Lam Suad (Thai traditional singing), and Twelve-Languages songs in Nang Hong Pipat (Thai ensemble). The synthesis of Twelve-Languages Plays found that (1) Twelve-Languages Plays can be traced back to a sacred ceremony of villagers gathering in the prehistoric era. It is relevant to a belief of “Kwan” (a guardian self spirit) awakening by pounding, hitting, or tamping (2) Twelve-Languages Plays is one of the imitation ceremonies which means to imitate what they wish for. It was found in the funeral called “Ngan Huean Dee” from Esan people. Later, it is related to a belief of Uttarakuru continent cosmology in Trai Phum Phra Ruang Buddhism folklore (3) Music is supposed to demonstrate space of time because sound travels along with time and time consists of period called “Ruerk”. Animism and Brahmanism combine music in ceremonies to connect multiverses for good omen with the intention to produce complex sounds such as Mahoratuek drumming, gong tamping, blowing old Thai horn, etc. so that music can be a channel for space, time, numbers, and mathematics of mysterious belief connecting altogether in the multiverse.