Shane Bunnag’s recently published book, Chariot of the Sun, touches on the nature of historical storytelling in Siam, following a family lineage through the ages from around 1570 until the present day. The story describes the fate of a prominent branch of the Bunnag clan, the descendants of Chuang Bunnag, who was Regent of Siam during the minority of King Rama V. Instead of a straightforward history, this work revels in the personal, anecdotal, and mythological. It is then about the transmission of stories within a family, and the charms of this approach.

This talk will introduce the story behind the creation of Chariot of the Sun, before going on to examine
the place of memory, oral tradition and folklore within history. The speaker, Shane Bunnag, intends to elaborate on various fables and ghost stories, for instance, to do with house building and sacred objects, while speculating about their possible meanings.

The talk is not intended as an academic tour, but more of a survey of selected stories, viewed from
an autobiographical vantage point.