A Study On Thai Folktale The Nang Phom Hom

Folktales,one of the most important categories of folk literature,derive from the early laboring people's oral creation and transmission,telling various relationships between man and nature,man and man by peculiar languages and symbolic forms.Its extensive and illusioned themes and the reflection of people's minds,desires and wills make it long-standing along with the social development.Every nation or region shares their own numberous and sui generis folktales,which is a brilliant chapter in the local histories and cultural treasures.There are many types of folktales in Thailand,which can be divided into animal stories,fables,magic stories,life stories,humorous and funny stories,and other stories.Magic stories,a famous category of Thailand folktales,full of magic color,combine kinds of cultural elements such as love,adventure and ghost.It is closely connected and fascinating plots that make it popular in Thailand,in which,The Nang Phom Hom becomes a household word.Adapted from The Phlakavi Jataka,one story of The Fifty Jataka tales,The Nang Phom Hom is mainly popular in the northeast of Thailand,however,related different texts are also spread in the North and Middle area,which is some different in plots and structures.Not only in Thailand,the different stories circulate in Myanmar,Laos,Cambodia,and even in China's Xishuangbanna and Dehong region etc.Although the different texts come from a same story,in the spreading,more or less,some local characteristics are added into the original story,which makes it a representation of the changes of the Thai and Dai people's social history and cultural environment,and a reflection of the local people's value orientations and moral standards.This thesis is divided into six parts:Introduction,to give a brief academic background information;Chapter ?,to give an introduction of The Nang Phom Hom in different countries and regions,which include Thzailand,Myanmar,Laos,Cambodia,and China's Xishuangbanna and Dehong region;Chapter ?,to gi've a brief description of the different texts and analyze the origin,the different versions and the main plots of the story;Chapter ?,to give a comparative study on plots,structures and motifs among the different texts of The Nang Phom Hom;Chapter ?,to give an in-depth exploration the cultural connotations and cultural values in The Nang Phom Hom;Conclusion,to state the viewpoints and give a summary of this thesis.