Description

Cremation Volumes are a unique Thai genre that blends Buddhist literature with biographies, offering insights into Thai culture and society. These volumes were given to attendees at cremation ceremonies, which occurred after lengthy rituals for deceased individuals, typically from higher social classes. Ceremonies attracted large crowds, sometimes thousands. The booklets were distributed as acts of merit-making in Buddhism and were not sold commercially.

The first cremation volumes appeared in the 1870s, or according to some sources, in 1880. Their popularity increased in the early 20th century and continues to this day.

The present collection of volumes, published between 1911 and 1921, represents the earlier period of the cremation volumes. The earliest one was printed for the cremation ceremony of King Chulalongkorn (1853 – 1910) and differs from the other one in many ways. Firstly, it was printed in Thai and English languages, and secondly, it was printed on the eve of the new era of cremation volumes, starting with the following Thai king, Rama VI.

All the following works were created after the establishment of the Wachirayan Library as Thailand’s National Library or National Archives, located within the Grand Palace, which housed a significant number of original manuscripts. Starting in 1910, during the reign of King Rama VI, also known as Vajiravudh, who studied law and history at the University of Oxford, the printing of texts for the cremation volumes was officially overseen by the library.

This initiative was prompted by several historical changes. Most notably, there was a reaction against the publications of Christian missionaries, who had introduced printing to Thailand but primarily produced books reflecting a Western perspective of the country, often featuring only a limited number of Thai texts without adequate insights into the original scripts. Another influential factor was the emergence of a new bourgeois culture in late nineteenth-century Thailand.

Due to a lack of funds, the National Library was in need of support. The new bourgeois class emerged as the ideal sponsor to finance the publication of traditional Thai and Buddhist literature. It funded the first editions of these texts as commemorative publications in honor of their beloved deceased.

In the present collection the information about the deceased person primarily consists of the title, which includes the person’s name, status, and family relations. The introduction emphasizes the historical significance of the text and explains how it was selected and edited. These introductions were often written by notable individuals, most prominently Prince Damrong Rajanubhab (1862–1943), a son of King Mongkut (Rama IV). He later became the Minister of the Interior and is regarded as the founder of modern education in Thailand.

Three volumes from the collection, specifically numbers 16, 27 and 30 on the following list, were not printed for the occasions of cremation. Instead, they were given to guests as a form of merit-making during the boat and lantern festival at the palace, at a birthday party of the diplomat and at the appointment of a high-ranking official to a new position in the city. All three publications were privately sponsored and approved by the National Library. They share the same structure and purpose as the cremation volumes.

The Note on Rarity

All the cremation volumes are exceedingly rare, as they were printed for a single event. Distributed as gifts they were not available for purchase in a book trade.

An interests for this genre started developing only in the 1960. Today the biggest collections of the cremation volumes can be found in Chulalongkorn University Library in Bangkok, in the National Library of Australia (Trove – Archived webpage) and at the Charas Collection in the Center for Southeast Asian Studies Library at the Kyoto .

Provenance and Condition

These cremation volumes come from an European collection of books on the Middle East and Asia, likely acquired shortly after their publication. With the exception of one volume, the last one on the list, all have protective wrappers made of old tracing paper and are in nearly mint condition, exhibiting only minor signs of storage wear and rust around staples.

List of Books:

1. พระธรรมเทศนาและธรรมบรรยายศราทธพรต [also:]
พระธรรมเทศนา แล ธรรมบรรยาย. ศราทธพรต. ใน การ พระ ราช กุศล ลักการ เริ่มงาร ถวาย พระเพลิง. พระบรมศพ. พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรมินทรมหาจุฬาลงกรณ์. พระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว. ณ พระที่นั่งดุสิตมหาปราสาท. วันที่ ๑๓ มีนาคม ร.ศ. ๑๒๙
[Sermons and Dhamma lectures. Saradtha Phot. In the Royal Merit-Making Ceremony Beginning with the Royal Cremation Ceremony of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn. King Chulalongkorn. At Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall]

[English title:]
Translation Of The Oration Delivered By His Royal Highness The Holy Prince Vajiranana Of Siam, At The State Ceremony Anticedent To The Cremation Of The Mortal Remains Of His Majesty The Late King Chulalonkorn Of Siam. Dusit Maha Prasad Monday, 13th March, R. S. 129.

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์บำรุงนุกูลกิจ [Bamrungnukulkit Printing House] March 13, R.S. 129 [1911].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, title, portrait protected with a guard, 12 pp., 7 pp., blank, original tan wrappers with lettering, stapled (rusty staples broken with loose sheets, wrappers with minor holes in margins).

A rare early cremation volume made for a cremation celebration of King Chulalongkorn (1853 – 1910) containing text in Thai, followed by an English translation. This publication was published as the first one in the series of four titles, published for the occasion. We could trace two examples, housed in the Chulalongkorn University Library (OCLC 944057770) and the national library of Australia (OCLC 781853552).

 

2. หนังสือ พระธรรมเทศนา. อภิณหปัจจเวกขณปาฐ

Abhinhapaccavekkanapatha. A Sermon On The Fruits Of Good And Ill Conduct. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Sommot Amorabhandhu.

[Bangkok: S. n.], B. E. 2457 [1914].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, title, 19 pp., blank, original tan wrappers with lettering (wrappers with light water-staining).
A cremation volume for Royal Prince Bidyalabha Prueddhidhata (1863-1913), the 62nd son of King Mongkut.
Worldcat lists the following institutional examples: Cornell University Library, Library of Congress, University of Michigan, Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 459040993, 19779916).

 

3. พระธรรมเทศนา. พระราชพงษาวดาร สังเขป

A Sermon On The Ten Duties Of Sovereigns, Illustrated By Some Examples Taken Out Of The History Of Siam. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab.

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์สามัคคี [Samakkhi Printing House] B. E. 2458 [1915].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, portrait, 6 pp., 43 pp., blank, original tan wrappers with lettering on the cover, stapled (wrapper with minor foxing in margins, tiny holes in the last pages, staples rusty).

 

4. ระราชกำหนด ของ พระเจ้า กรุง ธนบุรี. ว่า ด้วย ศิล สิกขา

Royal Order By Phraya Tak Regarding The Observance Of Precepts. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์ไทย [Thai Printing House] B. E. 2458 [1915].

Small 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, 9 pp., 36 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering on the cover.

Worldcat list an example at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 459193095).

 

5. กระบวน แห่ พระ กฐิน พยุหยาตรา ทั้ง ทาง ลถล มารค แล ชลมารค.

Poem describing the Military Procession on land and on the river at the time when the King proceeds to present Kathin Gifts, by Krom Phra Paramānujitjinorasa.

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์ไทย [Thai Printing House] Β. Ε. 2458 [1915].

Small 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, [4 pp.] blank, 2 dedication pages, 13 pp., [2 pp.], 2 pp., 146 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Worldcat lists examples in the British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 17167064, 17167064).

 

6. ตำรา พระโอสถ. ครั้ง รัชกาล ที่ ๒

A Treatise On Remedies From The Time Of The Second Reign Of The Present Dynasty. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] B. E. 2459 [1916].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 8 pp., 8 pp., 48 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace one institutional example, housed in Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 459041642).

7. ตำราราชเสวกครั้งกรุงเก่า

The Duties Of Royal Pages, Life-Guards And Other Officials Of The Palace During The Time Of Ayuddhya. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์ไทย [Thai Printing House] B. E. 2459 [1916].

Small 8º, blank, inserted title in English and Thai, title, 3 pp., 44 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace a single institutional example, housed in Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 460350914).

 

8. หนังสือเทศน์ปฐมสมโพธิ์. ของสมเด็จพระสังฆราชปุสสเทวะ. วัดราชประดิษฐ

A Sermon On The Life Of Buddha By Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.) With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2460 [1917].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 3 pp., [1 pp.], 133 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering on the cover (minor age-toning to the wrappers).

Worldcat lists examples in SOAS University of London and Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 1391870366, 459636707).

 

9. ธรรมทายาทสูตร. สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ

A Sermon. Being a Translation of Dhammadāyādasutta From the Pali into Siamese by Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.) With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhаb

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2460 [1917].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, 3 pp., 25 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace one institutional example, housed in Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 45904156, 458938317).

 

10. รรมทายาทสูตร. สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ

A Sermon. Being a Translation of Dhammadāyādasutta From the Pali into Siamese by Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.) With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhаb

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2460 [1917].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, 3 pp., 21 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering (staples rusty with partly cracked paper around them).

Same title as the previous number, but distributed at the cremation ceremony for a different person and with different introduction and a slight variation of the text.

 

11. ตำรา พระโอสถ พระนารายน์

A Treatise On Remedies From The Time Of Phra Narai. With A Preface By H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2460 [1917].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, 6 pp., 5 pp., 44 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace one institutional example, housed in Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 459041637).

 

12. จุฬตัณหาสังขยสูตร. สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ ทรงนิพนธ์

A Sermon. Being a Translation of Cūlatanhasankhyasutta, Translated from the Pali into Siamese by Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.) With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, blank, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 15 pp., 21 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace a single example, housed at Library of Congress (OCLC 56109211).

 

13. อายาจนสูตร สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ ทรงนิพนธ์

A Sermon Being a Translation of Ayācanasutta Translated from the Pali into Siamese by Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.). With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, 2 pp., 31 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

 

14. สัพพสามัญญานุสาสนี อุกกัฏฐปฏิปทานุสาสนี สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ ทรง นิพนธ์

A Sermon Being a Translation of Sabbasāmaññānusāsani and Ukkathapatipadānusāsanī From the Pali into Siamese by Somdet Phra Sangharaj Pussadeb (Vat Rajapradit.). With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 3 pp., 20 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

 

15. สุภสูตร์ สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Subha Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [2 pp.], 19 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Woldcat lists an example in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 458219308).

 

16. โคลง เรือพระประทีป

Poem on the names of the boats conveying lamps and offerings down the River during the “Loi Krathong Pradip” festival. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok: S. n.] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

Small 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, 4 pp., 27 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering (minor staining around staples).

Not a cremation volume, but a publication distributed as merit-making during the boat festival.

 

17. กาลามสูตร์. สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Kalama Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [1 pp.], 21 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Worldcat lists one institutional example, housed at the British Library (OCLC 841670021).

 

18. ปวรคาถามารโอวาท สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Pavaragatha Māraovāda by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2461 [1918].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [2 pp.], 15 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace one institutional example, housed at the Cornell University Library (OCLC 829722304).

 

19. ปราภวสูตร์. สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์. ทรง นิพนธ์

A Sermon From the Parabhava Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [1 pp.], 21 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Woldcat lists an example in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 458219299).

 

20. เสขปฏิปทาสูตร์. สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Lekhapatipada Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์อักษรนิติ [Aksorn Niti Printing House] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 2 pp., 21 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

We could trace two institutional examples on Worldcat, housed in the British Library and at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC
870414334, 458219288).

 

21. ทาพิททิยสูตร. สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Daliddiya Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 5 pp., 24 pp., blank, original orange wrappers with lettering.

Woldcat lists an example in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 458219274).

 

22. ทีฆชาณุโกฬิยปุตตสูตร์. สมเด็จพระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์

A Sermon From the Dighajinukoliyaputta Sutta by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [1 pp.], 20 pp., blank, original green wrappers with lettering.

 

23. สัตตาริยธนกถา

Sattāriyadhanakathā. A Sermon

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, [2 pp.], 36 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Worldcat lists two institutional examples, held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and Yale University Library (OCLC 461066264).

 

24. สาสนายุปักชกถา

Sāsanāyupakkhakathā. A Sermon

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์อักษรนิติ (Aksorn Niti Printing House) Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, dedication, [2 pp.], 25 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

 

25. ธมฺมุทเทสกถา สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์ ทรงนิพนธ์

A Sermon From the Dhammuddesakathā by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โรงพิมพ์อักษรนิติ (Aksorn Niti Printing House) Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, title, 2 pp., 16 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering (margins of wrappers little age-toned).

Woldcat lists an example in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 458219280).

 

26. นมัสสนคาถา. สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์. ทรง นิพนธ์

A Sermon. From the Namassana Gāthā by The late Patriarch Pussadeva of the Rajapatidha Monastery. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, title, 11 pp., 20 pp., blank, original blue wrappers with lettering.

Woldcat lists an example in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (OCLC 458219295).

 

27. วิธีรักษาพรหมจรรย์ แส. สังเวคคาถา

A Sermon on Chastity

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, title, portrait, 4 pp., [2 pp.], 83 pp., blank, original pink wrappers with lettering (minor age-toning around staples).

Not a cremation volume, but “printed for the merit-making ceremony for the 5th cycle of life” by Phraya Nontaburi Srikasetraram (Phraya Kraikosa Tat Singhaseni, พระยาสิงห์เสนี (สอาด สิงหเสนี) a statesman and ambassador to several European countries.

We could trace a single example, held at Yale University Library (OCLC 702569121).

 

28. อากังเชยยสูตร์

A Sermon From The Akankheyya Sutta By The Late Patriarch Pussadeva Of The Rajapatidha Monastery.

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2462 [1919].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, blank, [4 pp.], 36 pp., blank, original grey wrappers with lettering (soft folds).

 

29. เทศนา สังคหวัตถุ แลเทวดาพลี่ สมเด็จ พระสังฆราช วัดราชประดิษฐ์ ทรง นิพนธ์

A Sermon From The Sangahavatthu And Devatabalt By The Late Patriarch Pussadeva Of The Rajapatidha Manastery.

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2463 [1920].

Large 8º, inserted title in English and Thai, dedication, 8 pp., 30 pp., blank, rear wrapper (missing front wrapper, light staining and water-staining).

A cremation volume, made for the Royal Concubine of King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1804 – 1868), Chao Chom Manda Kes (1819-1915), by her daughter, Royal Princess Prabhasra (1854-1926). The cremation ceremony was only made in 1920 with two other members of the royal family.

Woldcat lists one institutional example, heald at the University of Michigan (OCLC 31589913).

 

30. พิธี ทวาทศมาศ ของ เก่า

The Festivals of the Twelve Months in Ancient Times. With a Preface by H. R. H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab.

[Bangkok:] โสภณพิพรรฒธนากร [Sophonpipatthanakorn] Β. Ε. 2464 [1921].

8º, blank, inserted title in English and Thai, title, 3 pp., 60, blank, original wrappers with illustrated title (soft folds, old annotations on the cover, small loss of the paper to the spine).

This is not a traditional cremation volume but rather a text, similar to the previous ones. It has been printed from a manuscript from the Royal Library and sponsored by the newly appointed Vice-Secretary of the Ministry of the City, Phraya Si Thammathirat. It is intended to be printed as “an offering and distributed at the ceremony”.

We could trace examples of the publication at Thammasat University Library (OCLC 940955340) and Biblithèque Nationale de France (OCLC 459041217).

References: Olson, Grant A. “Thai Cremation Volumes: A Brief History of a Unique Genre of Literature.” Asian Folklore Studies, vol. 51, no. 2, 1992, pp. 279–94. JSTOR, Akira SUEHIRO, Thailand’s “Cremation Volumes”: A Treasure Trove of Socio-economic History Research; Thailand’s “Cremation Volumes”: A Treasure Trove of Socio-economic History Research – U-PARL; Pattarat Phantprasit, The Charas Collection Cremation Books as Sources for Thai History, 78_06_pattarat.pdf