This thesis is the outcome of a critical study the content, versification, diction and expressions in The Thao Ba Jueng Epic as well as to compare the story of Phya Jueng in this epic with those of other versions. It is found from the study that the story of Phya Jueng in this epic is in common with those of other versions in many significant aspects. Phya Jueng defeated the Kaews, became a powerful king of Ngern-yang and finally died during the battle in Yunnan. The older part of the epic was probably written around the close of the 20th century to the 21st century of the Buddhist era, and was enlarged with two later additions by poetically inferior hands. The older epic depicts the prevalent agricultural communities of the time, with the king, the royal family and the aristocrats forming the ruling elites over the subjects and slaves. There are evidences of influence of Buddhist philosophy and ideas, but the predominant faith is the belief in the creator-god and ancestral worship mixed with superstition. The meters employed in the epic take up a long chapter, and it is concluded that the poem was written in Klong Dan, Klong Si-Suparb and Klong Kolabot. The language used is Laotian, with a fair proportion of Pali, Sanskrit and Cambodian loan-words. With its grandeur both in the theme and literary beauty, it deserves a high place in the literature of the region.
