Cremation volume

Genre of Thai literature

Cremation volumes are a genre of printed literature found in Thailand. They are commemorative books given as gifts to guests at Thai funerals, and usually include a biography of the deceased as well as other literary material. Their publication, which dates to the late nineteenth century, was initiated among royalty and nobility, then taken up by wealthy commoners and, later, the wider middle class. These books, whose contents range from compilations of religious texts and historical manuscripts to essays and writings on general knowledge in various fields, are regarded as a valuable historical source by Thai studies scholars, and are actively collected and traded.

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