Sudeva, also known as Ruesi Vasuthep or Sudeva Ruesi, is a revered hermit at the center of the origin myths of Northern Thailand, most notably the founding of the ancient Mon kingdom of Hariphunchai, in what is now Lamphun. He appears as a key figure in the legends of Queen Camadevi, Hariphunchai's first ruler, and the celebrated mountain Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai is widely believed to take its name from him. He continues to be venerated in Northern Thailand as a spiritual protector and ascetic figure rooted in the region's blended Buddhist and Hindu cosmology.
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayHistorically attested; no continuous cult 1 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Function
Domain / Function Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 Sources
1. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend
Anthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. Dow, Facts on File
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