Avas Vohan A Didactic Tale for Males: Life in Her Own Hands

Abstract

This article studies the content and idea of the recently found short didactic stories for males, Avas Vohan or Plangngau Avas Vohan. The poet suggests that men should seek for a good wife because her behavior can determine men’s fate. The idea is represented through the use of apologues, which can be used as a principle to select a good wife. Though Avas Vohan aims at a male audience, the idea represented through the story can lead to deeper understanding of female didactic literature. It is assumed that this poetic work was written by Nai Me, a famous poet in the reign of Rama III in the Rattanakosin era while he was a monk.