The roles of beliefs about the spirit to Isan society

Abstract

The roles of beliefs about the spirit to Isan society is one part of An ethnosementic study of spirit terms in Ubonratchathani in order to access a concept system about beliefs and the roles of ghosts towards Isan society. The results indicated that the roles of the ghost beliefs in Isan society were the important factor that made the ghost beliefs remained among many ways of social change. First, the role that created spiritual security, rituals and the elements of ritual, was the important part that helped support feeling of spiritual security, safety and ability to live such as vow, therapy by using Lum Phi Fa ritual and agricultural rituals. Second, the role as a tool for social control was strategy for making people in society follow custom. Third, the role in conservation of natural resources in community by using the ghost beliefs was to determine human behavior for using natural resources in determined scope. Fourth, the role of making entertainment was the important part of Isan customs and rituals for determining and supporting types of rituals in order to have holiness and enjoyment and the important part for build human relationships in communities.