HANUMAN IN SAK YANT : THE SIGNIFICANCE AND INFLUENCE OF HANUMAN IMAGERY IN NORTHERN THAI CULTURE

Abstract

The character Hanuman from the Ramayana is widely known across South and Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand. While modern scholarship on the character of Hanuman in Thailand is mainly focused on how he is viewed by the dominant Central Thai culture as a result of the state sponsored Ramakien, he is used by different communities to express local values. Many people get magical tattoos known as sak yant of him in hopes to emulate positive traits associated with his character. This thesis studies how the people who administer or receive Hanuman yants use his character to reflect cultural values as well as what traits of his they consider to be important. It also explains where Northern Thais knowledge of Hanuman comes from by analyzing local knowledge of his character and the influence of Central Thai culture on the region. Fieldwork was conducted in the Northern Thai provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Lamphun by interviewing practitioners of sak yant and people who received Hanuman yants. The result of a qualitative analysis shows that Northern Thais glean their knowledge of Hanuman from a combination of local oral traditions and the influence of the dominant Central Thai culture. Northern Thais get Hanuman yants for compassion, protection, influence and fortune. Furthermore, Northern Thais use the this character to reflect their own personal and local cultural values.