“Mahachai”: History of a Siamese Melody in Sheet Music

Abstract

“Mahachai” is regarded as the melody with the longest history among songs displaying honors. Initially, it was a song sung to worship sacred objects, spirits, people, and deities and was used in drama performances for auspicious ceremonies, tum kwan. It is also believed that it was played by Mahori (a court lady ensemble) serving these rituals since the Ayutthaya period. However, there are few published studies on the history of this melody. Around 1890, influenced from colonialism which played an important role in the idea of selecting an appropriate national anthem for the use on various occasions, the original ‘‘Mahachai’’ melody was transformed into a new melody called thang farang or “in Western-style”, which was normally played by brass bands as a salutation when important figures arrived at ceremonies and during the raising of state flags. Documented sheet music reveals at least four significant versions of the melody: two from of the Fine Arts Department and two from music scholar Paul J. Seelig Before the administrative revolution of 1932, “Mahachai” replaced the national anthem during flag-raising ceremonies. During a brief period, it was agreed to use the melody publicly. Following the change to a royal nationalist government, there was initiative to add lyrics to ‘‘Mahachai’’, creating a nationalistic anthem reflecting the political context post-1932.