THE ROLES OF NAGA IN THE RAMAKIEN DANCE DRAMA

Abstract

        This research article aims to study the history and roles of Naga in the Ramakien, the royal dance drama composed by King Rama I, focusing on Lakhon Nai (classical court dance drama) version. The research methods include examining documents, verifying their credibility, compiling, analyzing, and synthesizing the information accordingly. The study started from January 2024 to June 2025. The findings revealed that the belief in Naga originated in Buddhism and Brahmanism-Hinduism before spreading to Southeast Asia, and Thailand where it was adapted to local belief. In the Ramakien dance drama, Naga plays six roles: 1) Character roles – including major characters such as Phaya Kalanak, and supporting characters who often appear alongside celestial beings. 2) Costume and ornamentation motifs – including designs on accessories such as chest straps, pectoral ornaments, armlets, bracelets, rings, cloth patterns, knee bands, and lower hem decorations. 3) Ritual elements and production process. 4) Weapons – such as bow. 5) The throne of Vishnu. 6) Architectural elements – such as gable ends. Naga plays a significant role in the Ramakien, symbolizing elegance, supernatural power, and sacred energy. When the verses in the Ramakien are adapted into lyrics or used as narrative framework of khon (masked dance drama) performances, many of these roles, therefore, appear in the staging process.