Abstract:
This thesis studies the practices and rituals pertaining to the belief in Phi Mon among the Mon people in Chet Rio sub-district, Banphaeo district, Samutsakorn Province. The thesis also analyses social functions of Phi Mon beliefs as practiced in Chet Rio in the context of contemporary Thai society. The data was collected from 2019-2022 via document research and fieldwork conducted in Chet Rio. The study finds that the practices and rituals related to Phi Mon reify intangible beliefs as an anthropomorphized sacred being. They also convey salient cultural concepts and beliefs regarding the relationship between Phi Mon and the Mon people of Chet Rio. These include: Phi Mon as clan elders, Phi Mon as tutelary spirits, and Phi Mon as the upholders of social norms and morality. The practices and rituals related to Phi Mon sustain Phi Mon beliefs among the Mon people of Chet Rio amidst the changes of contemporary Thai society. Additionally, Phi Mon beliefs play an important role in the Mon community of Chet Rio. They stipulate the patterns of desirable social relations among 1) the members of the same clan and 2) the members of different clans, whose social roles are also dictated by Phi Mon beliefs. Besides, Phi Mon beliefs reinforce kinship bonds, regulate the adherents behaviors according to the established social norms and relations, and control the utilization of natural resources among the members of different clans. Phi Mon beliefs also pass on social values including: 1) close bonds among the Mons of different generations, 2) the precision and clarity of clan membership and clan identity, and 3) equal access to useful resources. The aforementioned social functions of Phi Mon beliefs consolidate the Mon community of Chet Rio, which manages to maintain its unity and stability to the present day.