Story Type and Factors to Adjust Story of Lanna Oral Buddhist Literature: Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Abstract

This study was aimed at analyzing the identity and development of Lanna oral Buddhist literature. Research tools included (1) a questionnaire by collecting data from 304 regular users of local oral literature and analyzing data by percentage, mean, and standard deviation and (2) a structured interview form by collecting data from 6 experts in local Buddhist literature and analyzing data by descriptive analysis. The results indicated that (1) Story Type of local oral literature included traditional preaching, alms offering, asking for forgiveness, Triple Gem and others, Lanna proverbs, storytelling, morals, asking for forgiveness from dead bodies, traditional praying, sharing of loving kindness, introduction before starting a ritual, and sayings for pouring water on Phra That Chedi and (2) Factors to Adjust Story of local oral literature arose from changes according to the community context, consistency with governance system, integration with current events and local and various languages, such as Thai, Chinese, and English, application of concepts and beliefs from other localities, content shortening, deployment according to the specified time, more use of central Thai than local languages, and use of Pali with Thai accent instead of Pali with Lanna accent.