Concepts of Transition in Elephant Soothing Poems and the Royal Ceremony of Elephant Consecration

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Elephant soothing poems are ritual literature recited during sacrificial rites in elephant ceremonies or royal rituals concerning elephants, dating back to the Ayutthaya period. In the Rattanakosin era, evidence shows that the elephant soothing poems were key texts used in the Royal Consecration Elephant Ceremony, which reflects the transition in status of a significant elephant from a wild elephant to a royal elephant through symbolic objects and symbolic behaviors. The content of the elephant soothing poems align with the procedures and details of the royal ceremony, yet there is still a lack of analysis connecting the literary text to the ritual. This research article, therefore, aims to study the concepts of transition in the content of the elephant soothing poems in order to identify key factors in the creation of literature that is related to the components and stages of the ritual.

Methods: This study is documentary research employing a descriptive analytical approach. The researcher examined a total of 36 poems, including both ‘Kham Chan Kloam Chang’ and ‘Karp Khap Mai Kloam Chang’, spanning from the Ayutthaya period to the reign of King Rama IX. The primary focus was to analyze the concepts of transition within these poems and explore their relationship with the concepts of transition found in the royal ritual known as the Royal Ceremony of Elephant Consecration. 

Results: The elements of the elephant soothing poems demonstrate the concept of transition in two dimensions, both of which align with the concept of transition in the Royal Elephant Consecration Ceremony: spatial transition and social status transition. In the spatial dimension, the poems depict transition through contrasting descriptions of movement from old spaces to new ones, as well as through the narration of the route that leads the elephant to the site of the royal ceremony. This concept of spatial transition has undergone dynamic evolution in response to the shifting context of the modern nation-state, with its most notable transformation occurring during the reign of King Rama IX. In the social dimension, transition is expressed through content illustrating the elephant’s separation from its forest-dwelling family, descriptions of its ornaments and the Royal Elephant Stable, the process of teaching the elephant to abandon its untamed nature and adopt the customs of royal officials, and the royal name granted by the King. Moreover, the components of the elephant soothing poems are closely linked to ritual symbols and remain dynamic, reflecting changes in royal ceremonies, societal and cultural contexts, and the perspectives of the poets.

Application of this study: The results of this study are useful for understanding the relationship between the creation of literary texts and rituals. Furthermore, it provides a guideline for studying literature as the ritual texts for the transition rites in other ceremonies.

Conclusions: The elephant soothing poems reflect the concepts of transition involved in the transformation of a wild elephant into a royal elephant, encompassing both spatial and social status transitions. These two dimensions of transition are the significant factors that influenced the creation of the poems. Furthermore, studying these poems and examining the ritual data reveal the dynamic relationship between literature and ritual, a relationship that evolves in accordance with the social and cultural contexts of each era.