If you ask about the religion of the Lao people, you would not be wrong to say Buddhism. According to Pew Research data from 2010, 66.0% of the Lao population adheres to Buddhism. However, if we explore the original religion of the Lao and other Tai peoples, Satsana Phi (ສາສະໜາຜີ, ศาสนาผี) emerges as the traditional animistic belief system. This belief system is practiced by various Tai ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, including the Lao, Ahom, Shan, Dai, Khamti, Isan, and Thai. Satsana Phi is animistic and polytheistic, involving shamanism and ancestor worship.
In Tai folk religion, deities are known as Phi (ຜີ, ผี), which can be ancestral spirits or other types of supernatural beings. They can also interact with humans. The Tai-Lao people around the Bassac River believe that after death, the spirit of a living person transforms into a Phi. They celebrate and worship guardian deities, such as the phi wat in temples and lak mueang in towns, by offering food and holding communal gatherings.
In lowland Thailand and Laos, people believe they are protected by phi ban, village spirits that require annual offerings to ensure the village's continued prosperity. The adherents involve rituals, offerings, and ceremonies dedicated to ancestors. The phi ban (feeding the village spirit) ceremony also serves an important social function by reinforcing village boundaries and the shared interests of all villagers.
To interact with deities, people consult a shaman called mo phi (ໝໍຜີ, หมอผี), a trained individual who can lead rituals and communicate with spirits. They use sacred objects, known as saksit, and perform rituals like lam phi fa (ລຳຜີຟ້າ, ลำผีฟ้า), during which they may enter a trance. The spirits in Satsana Phi can be called upon for help during epidemics or other disasters believed to be caused by malevolent spirits.
In Satsana Phi, temples serve as places of worship. The Tai Ahom have a sacred worship system called Sheng Ruen. People respect the deities in these temples, believing they protect the surrounding area. These temples are miniature shrines symbolizing the presence of the deity. Offerings of flowers, incense, and candles are made, and spirits are consulted for protection and assistance during difficult times. Natural deities are believed to reside in trees, mountains, or forests.
