A Ritual Offerings: Form and Beliefs in The Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Abstract

This research aimed to study: 1) the history of the  ritual offerings in the Ground- Decorated Rice Packing Holy Rite, and 2) the form and beliefs of the ritual offerings in the Ground- Decorated Rice Packing Holy Rite in Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The method covered the qualitative research with the data collected from the documents and field data in the areas studied inside. The target population included the savants, practitioners, and accomplices concerning the rites. The research instruments consisted of questionnaires, observation, and interview forms. The data gained were collected to analyze using Melford E. Spiro’ concept, (Spio, Melford E. 1966) mentioning the religious beliefs as the thought system in the humans’ explanation of the supernatural power, the relationship the humans engaged to the power due to the Functionalism Structure Theory and the Relative Symbol Theory. The research results were analyzed by using the analytical description. The research findings were concluded as follows:

1. The ritual offerings in the Ground- Decorated Rice Packing Holy Rite in Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang City originated three Lao historical periods, containing Pre-Lan Chang Period, found from the tales, legends, and chronicles concerning with respecting the supernatural power becoming the originated worship with the rites by the homage offerings whether being humans, animals or objects. The mentioned things became ritual objects with the basic belief system affecting the humans in old age. In Lan Chang Period during 1353 A.D., it was the age of Buddhism becoming to be the dominant role in the changes of traditions led by the King, Chao Fa Ngum. Later, the Lao people led their lives associating with the mixing of ghosts, Brahmin, and Buddhism. Also, Post-Lan Chang Period and new imagination policy (1986 A.D.), Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang City received the world heritage cities (1995 A.D.), so the art, culture, and tradition policies were revived and made more valuable with the beginning Tradition 12- or 12-month tradition of the Lao people, one of the various traditions as one important tradition that the people intended and inherited that tradition with faith. In their beliefs, they were bound with dead people becoming the beliefs from the cultural root causing the beliefs of the people in communities beginning from respecting the nature and supernatural power. The people’s belief systems were created through the symbol of 12-month tradition rites, especially, the 9^th-month tradition, whereas the belief model contained the rites in the communities relating to the beliefs in blended ghosts, Brahmin, and Buddhism perfectly. These beliefs affected the strength and unity in the two-citied societies inheriting from the past to present time.


2. The form and beliefs of the Ground-Decorated Rice Packing Holy Rite in Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang City, Lao PDR were found that the homage offerings of the rite in the 9^th lunar month as one of 12 traditions that were important based on the beliefs related to the Lao people, communities and societies from the past to the present time. It indicated the relationship between the rites with the homage offerings becoming the model and beliefs and the people in the communities of the two cities. There was the connection of the cultural origin in the physical area, thought, belief, and social dimensions; therefore, it became the reflective images indicating the relationship between the people and religious beliefs, people and supernatural power. This became one part of living, society, and culture, especially in the cultural societies of Lao PDR in the present time.