The Study of didactics’ values in Lanna Literature “Lokahani”

Abstract

This research aims to study the contents and didactic values in Lanna literature ‘Lokahani’ based on fifteen manuscripts by textual analysis.

The result shows that Lokahani’ is well-known in Lanna and Lanchang regions. The title ‘Lokanhani’ indicates that it originally presented the legend of the declining of the world. In later era, moral teachings and how to live together in the society were added into the text. Since then the new interpretation was also given. The contents of teachings and values are divided into three groups. The first classification focuses on the fall of the world on account of moral degeneration of humankind. The second group is dhamma teachings related to the world and human, and general principles for harmonious living. The last group deals with spouse selection and human behaviour. Therefore, the teachings in the Lokahani change depending on the new the interpretation. The values of Lokahani are the tales employed in the text as an example to make Lanna people aware of the declination of both the world and human which is related to human’s morality in the society. Since this teaching is a universal matter without time framework, teachings and tales in the Lokahani can be taken as teaching materials for moral and ethical instructions.