The Tale of Tiger Yen: The Relationship between the Tale and the Social and Cultural Context of the Tai People

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the event particles and narrative types in the tale of "Tiger Yen," as well as to examine the relationship between the story and the social and cultural context of the Tai ethnic group. The study found that the event particles in the tale of "Tiger Yen" can be classified into two narrative types: the story of a man transforming into a Tiger Yen, and the story of a monk transforming into a Tiger Yen. The key element that gives the tale its magical quality is the transformation from a human into a tiger, which is a universal motif in folktales. The relationship between the story and the social and culture context showed that the tale of "Tiger Yen" reflects the connection between the story and the beliefs of various Tai subgroups, including the belief that tigers are ancestral beings, the belief in tigers as powerful creatures, as well as the long-standing traditional and Buddhist beliefs embodied by the monks, which have been deeply intertwined with the Tai people's way of life for an extended period.