The Myths of King Taksin the Great and His Social and Cultural Relations with Nakhon Si Thammarat

Abstract

            This article aims to examine the myth of King Taksin the Great and its socio - cultural relationship with the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The research is based on data collected through interviews and participant  observation, with the findings presented through descriptive and analytical interpretation. The objectives of the study are: (1) to investigate the myth of King Taksin the Great as it is narrated in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and (2) to explore the folklore associated with this myth within the local cultural context.

            The findings reveal that: (1) Local people in Nakhon Si Thammarat believe that King Taksin the Great fled to the region during the final years of his life and was ordained as a monk at Wat Khao Khun Phanom in Phrom Khiri District. Eleven key narrative events are associated with this belief, including his arrival, royal journey, temporary residences, ordination site, place of death, and cremation site. These events have been transformed into communal myths that explain place names and geographical features through a mythical lens. (2) The folklore related to the myth of King Taksin the Great reinforces local belief in his historical and spiritual presence in the area. This is evident through ritual practices such as annual offerings, the construction of royal monuments in temples and sacred locations, the Hor Phra Soong cremation site, and the shrine (Kaeng Phra Chao Tak) believed to house his relics. Furthermore, oral traditions such as lullabies referencing King Taksin, street naming, and the creative design of boats in his likeness during the end - of - Buddhist - Lent festival exemplify inventive forms of folkloric expression.