Lanna Crafts XVII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

After the end of the human life, there might be someone to prepare a ceremony for him/her. One significant tradition of Lanna is Tradition about Death and Corpse.

Picture of Lanna Temples

- Tradition about Death and Corpse, when there is death in a Lanna house, there will be sounds of cry and lamentation from his/her relatives. This culture is same as traditional Chinese people’s culture. These sounds of sadness are called ‘Hui’ which will be as announcement to neighbors to know that there is death occurred in the house. They will come to assist on the death ceremony.

The relatives will usually set the death ceremony at home by inviting monks to pray there every night. When the scheduled date comes, they will decorate the corpse with flowers and move by carry (bear) to graveyard. For the rich or royalties or high-level monks, their corpse will be move to the graveyard by wheel-vehicle.

In the previous days, the corpse would be buried, no cremation. The cremation should be performed only for monks, kings or the royalties. They believed that they had to bury the corpse to preserve the perfect body for the next life. If the dead body lost eye or hand, then in the next life, he/she would be blind or crippled. For the one who died while pregnant, the dead baby must be taken out before bury, if not, in the next life the woman would be self-pregnant without a husband.

Believe that the dead people would come back in 3 or 7 days due to their worries. So the relatives would wear black dresses or suits to make merit to the dead one. After 7 days past, there would be a spiritual invitation rite by a medium (invoker). The relatives would ask through the medium to the dead one what he/she preferred to have or eat. They would believe if the medium chose the right ones.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

- ‘Thai Style Original Barbie Size Thai Outfit - Modern, Lanna or Chakri’, from Thai:

Thai Style Original Barbie Size
Thai Outfit -
Modern, Lanna or Chakri

• Made and purchased in Thailand these outfits for Barbie are made of Thai silk and include a brochure explaining the nature of the costume.
• This modern style outfit has a solid sleeveless grayish-brown top with tiny bright green embroidery around the neck.
• At the top of the bodice is a gold design imprinted on the material.
• The skirt is full length and straight, of a navy and deep gold geometric print with horizontal stripes.
• There is a gold belt with a silver and gold with crystal center floral-like ornament at the center and a lace decoration around the hip area. 
• From the waist to the floor is a broad gold trim interwoven with bright blue, green and fuchsia thread.
• Around the shoulders, the outfit includes a very wide gold shawl also interwoven with glittering blue, green and fuchsia threads.
• The outfit comes with two gold arm bracelets.

(To be continued)