Knowledge of Mor Lam Klon Reflecting Isan People’s Way of Life

Abstract

The research aimed to study the knowledge of Mor Lum Klon that reflected the Isan people’s way of life. Mor Lum Klon has existed and developed in the Isan region for a long time and played a significant role as a political medium via the Lum Klong performance in the Isan region. This qualitative research applied the Iceberg Model as the research framework to analyze the knowledge development of Mor Lum Klon. Data were collected from the historical documents and related Klong Lum, an interview with six Mor Lum Klon about the relevant aspects to Mor Lum Klon’s knowledge. Research results illustrated that the understanding of Mor Lum Klon was very influential on the thoughts of local people in the Isan region. Moreover, it has played a significant role in communication in Thai society as a medium to entertain and communicate information, reflect on the way of life, and record the local people’s behavior via the Klong Lum in the performance until the present, in terms of social dimension consisting of the living, politics, public health, education, and culture which involved the traditions, rites, religions, and beliefs. It could also develop the views of the local people, which exhibited the communication efficiency of Mor Lum Klon that affected the perception, concepts, and beliefs of the Isan audiences. Furthermore, it highlighted the knowledge of Mor Lum Klong that reflected the Isan people’s way of life.