Abstract:
This thesis aims to study the structure and functions of Thai Loei Khamsookhwan (Blessing Words) of Thai Loei people in MueangLoei District, Loei Province. The data were collected from ritual masters and 39 pieces of Khamsookhwan record. It was found that Khamsookhwan of Thai Loei people could be grouped into 4 categories: Khamsookhwan of human beings, Khamsookhwan of animals, Khamsookhwan of Buddha images, and Khamsookhwan of objects. The structure of Khamsookhwan of Thai Loei consisted of 3 parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The Khamsookhwan served 5 functions: 1. explaining purposes of the ritual, 2. educating people, 3. maintaining desirable social norms, 4. entertaining people and releasing frustration, and 5. creating emotions through language use. For the first function-explaining purposes of the ritual, it was found that there were 7 purposes for conducting the ritual: to consecrate the Buddha image, to welcome people, to bless a man who was to be ordained, to mark the start of ricefarming, to bless an animal, to warm a house, and to bless a new vehicle. For the second functioneducating people, it was found that the Khamsookhwan passed on the local wisdom of building construction and local tradition of birth and marriage. For the third function-maintaining desirable social norms, it was found that the Khamsookhwan described 6 pillars of Isan good conduct (Klong Sib See: 14 good conducts of the northeast) including rulers duties, Buddhist monks duties, parenthood, lineages duties, duties of husband and wife, and duties of son- and daughter-in-law. The fourth function was to entertain people and to provide people a way to release their frustration. The fifth function-creatingemotions through language use, it was found that the language use in Khamsookhwan for creating peoples emotions could be divided into three forms: word choice, metaphor, and narration of arduousness and dreadfulness. Khamsookhwan of Thai Loei people in MueangLoei District, Loei Province not only portrayed behaviors, values, and ways of life of the Thai Loei people, but also preserved unity and identity of Thai Loei people until the present days.