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I hope that the introduction post of May the Force be With You will give you a little insight that Animistic beliefs are still widely practiced in Laos. As for our neighboring country Thailand, they also share this belief because Buddhism in Thailand is also closely tied to animist beliefs and belief in ancestral spirits. I found an interesting article from Koosang Koosom Magazine written by the mother of Nong Mou-Nong Mot from Maha Sarakham, Thailand that I like to share, this story will make you think twice before making a wish. This article is written in Thai language, translated by Nye.
Erawan Shrine Photographs by Kiteion
Photo source
Going back to 1990 (Thai year 2533), my husband and I were working in Krung Thep at the time, I was 3 months pregnant with my first child, my husband was ecstatic and so he went to visit the Erawan Shrine at the 4-intersection of Ratchaprasong to ask for a son. Then the day of my delivery came and we had a son just like he asked, my husband and I were very happy. We went back to give offering to Thunthou Phra Phrom Erawan (Erawan Statue), we did everything that we promised if our wish were granted. But one thing that we didn‘t do was to bring our son to pay respect to Thuntou Phra Phrom Erawan, not even once.
This was because my sons were raised by my parents in another town, they were good kids, easy to raise and I had 2 sons, the oldest was born in 1990 (2533), and the second in 1992 (2535), this one we didn’t ask for. Then in 1998 (2541), we moved back home since the boys were getting older and about time that we lived as a family. I kept thinking that I want to bring my sons to pay respect to Thunthou Phra Phrom Erawan, especially my oldest son, but since I was busy working, trying to make ends meet, and could never find the time.
During school breaks, my sons would help us at the clothing store in town to earn extra income, I worked there as a head cashier, and would get off work at 8 pm, and it’s considered late in the rural area, we did this for several years. My sons were good kids, they helped with household chores, including helping out in the rice paddy. I taught them not to forget their roots, the trade that has been passed down for many generations, we’d help each other farming during our day off, and hired out the things that we couldn’t do ourselves. Who said that having a son the mother has to do all the work, I say not true at all because ever since they were in the 5th and 6th grade, I didn’t have to wash dishes, nor clean the house because my sons did it all, they felt sorry for their mom that I had to work so late.
I was very happy and proud of my sons, but my happiness short-lived because in 2008 (2551), my oldest son had a late class and wouldn’t get out until 7 pm, he called to ask if he could stay at his friend’s dorm, I didn’t mind and only asked him not to disappoint his mom. He promised that he wouldn’t, and that was the last time that we spoke.
I was fascinated with Bang Fai Phaya Nark, also known as Naga Fireballs as long as I could remember, and last year I had a chance to stand at Wat Prabath Phonsanh looking out to the Mekong River, this is the Wat (Temple) that has the legend of Phraya Nark (Naga) to come up every year. I was there a month after the event, but I’m glad that I had a chance to see the Naga staircase that lead up to the temple.
Bang Fai Phraya Nark or Naga Fireballs is still scientifically unexplained, and usually happens on the first full-moon night of October coinciding with the end of Buddhist Lent. The locals believe the fireballs come from a mystical Naga or Phraya Nark living in the Mekong River who is spitting them high up in the air. Some scientist assume that the fireballs might be caused by bubbles coming up from a combustible natural gas deposit in the river bed which ignite when shooting up, and many now believe that it is just a hoax, nevertheless, the story of Bang Fai Phraya Nark or Naga Fireballs still fascinates many.
Nong khai - Phaya Naga Festival 2007
Photographs by ceejay19N
This is not a ghost story, but a real life story of a headless chicken who had the will to live for another 18 months after his head got cut off, he made it on the Guinness book of world records.
“I’ve been running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off” is the line that I used a lot lately, but no more after reading this story. Mike, the chicken with his head cut off lived in the US during the mid 40s, and here I read about him in Koosang Koosom Magazine written in Thai language.
When I first read about it, I couldn’t believe of how can a chicken with his head cut off continued to live for another 18 months, that’s crazy. I had seen a chicken with its head cut off when I was little living in Thailand, and it would dance around for a couple of minutes and I guess that’s where the above term came from.
This story is very inspiring to me, physical handicap is not an obstacle, but mental handicap is most definitely is, and please get help if you think you have a mental handicap. But then again, crazy people don’t think that they are crazy, and more likely it is you that they think are crazy.
This is a true story from miketheheadlesschicken.org, and photos from LIFE: September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone. “It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40’s as it is today.” A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry.
Continued from Thai Talk Show Host Changed Name because of a Guest Speaker Part I
This is from Koosang Koosom Magazine, written in Thai language by Apreradee and translated by Nye.
First one was Jorm, but p’Tang asked him why he had his interest in this name. His replied was that since he was changing his name, might as well make it more sassy, but p’Tang said that if he was going to use this name then he has to be willing to answer various questions and perhaps even have to change his character as well because it sounds like Jour Jorm (means take immediate action, or even to the point of attack) and his character is nothing like that at all.
Then another name that he liked is Sougon because it’s closest to his real name “Gamon” and after thinking about it for a while, he decided to go with Sougon which means white or clean. As for his new last name “Sijounga”, again it was because it is similar to his old last name and he wanted to honor his old last name as well. His new last name means small full moon.
As for his nick name, he didn’t have any prior to the name change, Gamon used to be his real and nick name but his mother and friends would call him ’Mon’, short for Gamon, so this was an opportunity for him to use Jorm as his nick name, but instead of calling him Jorm, people would call him “Jorn” (means bandits or robbers) most of the times. He often wonder if they were mistaken calling him this, or it was intentional, or just teasing. It first started when he went on a show on Channel 3 (Thai TV), and in the script they wrote his name as “Jorm Sougon” but the talk show host called him “Jorn Sougorn” giving him the full bandits name, first and nick name, good thing that his last name didn’t get teased as well. He thought that they might have thought about it, but couldn’t come up with anything catchy. So they call him all sorts of name, such as “Sougorn” (means bandits), “Gouson” (means charity), something along this line, but being called Gouson is much better than being called Sougorn, and sometimes even gave him a nick name of “Ar Jorm” (sounds like poop), he thought that they might not dare call him “Ar Jom” (means poop) directly just to show some respect.
It appears that name is very important in certain individual’s success, as this talk show host of ‘Sabud Show’ recently changed his name from Gamon Sirithanon to Sougon Sijounga . What made me want to translate this article was the discussion that we had of Danny Bunyavong’s last name at Dirtii Laundry, he is claiming his ethnicity as Thai-American, his parents are both Thai-Chinese, and he was born in the United States, but yet his last name sounds so Lao, and people can’t seem to get over this.
I asked my Gi Joe sister, Danny’s mom, and later learned that his father’s last name was once Eunk, as in Sae Eunk of Chinese decedent, and I knew that his mother side was Wong, a Sae Wong of our Chinese decedent, but both sides of the family adopted a Lao last name when they moved to Laos and this is very common for most people living in that region, and also very common for people living in Thailand to change their last name. I’ve noticed that many Lao families when migrated to the United States, many took a different last name, so last names for many Lao people are not carved in stone, in fact many are borrowed last names.
Back to the article, this is from Koosang Koosom Magazine, written in Thai language by Apreradee and translated by Nye.
A talk show host of ‘Sabud Show’ said that he doesn’t believe in Astrology or fortune telling, but the thing that made him change his name is Astrology. Confuse, then let us hear an explanation from him, he said he doesn’t believe any of that stuff, but why did he do it?
He never believed in Astrology, in his life time, he had never gone to see a fortune teller, never had a gypsy tarot card reading, nor handprint reading, and even mock on them. But Astrology is what made him change his name, first and last, and it was the name that he had been using for the past 41 years, from Gamon Sirithanon to Sougon Sijounga since October 2551 (2008).
Gamon, now known as Sougon is a Thai talk show host for “Sabud Show” for 8 years, and often like to do the things that his guest does all the time, or at least thinking about it. Like one time, Khun Pong Souphan brought Buddha status to show and when he went home, he looked at his collection to see how much it’d be worth and thought of doing a business of renting Buddha status, but not sure of the profit, so he hasn’t done this yet. Then the owner of a plant shop came to show a plant called Chorn Chom (means admiring) that is very expensive, and he thought of going into this business of selling plants as well. Another time Ajarn Noo Gunpai, the owner of Sak Yant came and he thought about getting a Yantra (tattoo), but then he only thought about it. But there is one thing that he actually did and that was to change his name.
Truth is, he had never thought of changing his name, but it started because of the show ‘Sabud Choh’ that he is a co-host with Khoun O Varuit Vorathum. They invited a guest speaker that specialize in names and had changed name for many Thai celebrities, such as Khun Nun Roungthong Romthong, currently changed to Daruth Jidtagwen, and during one of the shows, their guest speaker, the professor classified the name into 3 classes, 1 for good, 2 for bad, and 3 the worst, and gave example of Khoun O Varuit that his name is considered good, very appropriate for him, then they talked about other stuff until the end of the show.
I wrote a post on Different Types Of Prays And Rituals To The Ghost back in March 2007, when I was having a lot of problems posting my post, especially the posts on ghost story. Crazy as this may sound, I had to pray to the ghost spirits asking for permission before translating and writing each post, and even went to the extreme of thinking about performing a spirit dance as I recalled whilst living in Thailand that people would dance naked for the ghost, Issan people would dance and sing for the ghost, and the Thai southerners would perform a Nora Rong Khru Chao Ban Ritual, which Nora is a performance tradition of dance, drama, and ritual for the ghost. But luckily, I didn’t have to do any of that because the root of the problem was a glitch in the software and the WordPress technician was able to fix my problems.
Dancing to the Spirits is a ritual that people would perform to satisfy the ghost if their wishes were granted. At first glance this dance might appear simple and very easy to perform but don’t be deceived because you actually have to know the moves such as hands and fingers gestures, as the rhythm of Thai tradition music is not something that you can just move your body around anyway you want.
Below are videos of spirit dance and there is an actually profession in Thailand, where a professional dancer would perform a dance ritual for the spirits, assuming that you had asked the ghost for something and your wishes were granted, and instead of performing the dance yourself, you’d hire one of these professional dancers to dance for you. Of course, if you learn the moves, you might be able to perform the dance ritual to the spirits yourself. What kind of wish would people ask from the ghost you might wonder, I believed the number one wish is to win the lottery.
- Thai Spirit Dance
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