The value and belief in the ritual of the four gods in the northern region

Abstract

There are four components to the northerners' four-god ceremony's significance: 1) Spiritual value: It was discovered that the four-god ceremony of the Mae Lai community, Mueang Phrae district, Phrae province, helped give the event or home owner comfort and confidence that, when carried out, the event would be organized smoothly and without any problems, as if there were gods guarding it from anything interfering with it until it was finished. 2) Social value: It was discovered that the ceremony promoted communal cohesion. In addition to providing the younger generation with an opportunity to study and learn about the customs and beliefs of the community, the ceremony served to bring the people together to live together with kindness and giving. 3) Ritual value: It was discovered that the Huai Ma community has long engaged in the four-god ceremonial. It was a ritual that invited gods to aid guard and bring good fortune, which was in line with Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. The merit-making ceremony, the gifting ceremony, the merit-making ceremony, and the other ceremonies that would be planned later all began there. This includes being a ceremony that effectively promotes spiritual ideals and the community's identity. And 4) Value in terms of custom and culture, it was discovered that the ascension of the four gods is the first ritual that needs to be carried out in a variety of customs that the community organizes collectively, such as the Phra That bathing tradition, the Salak Phat tradition, or customs that are organized in the temple and the village and that must first notify the gods.