Lanna Crafts XIII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

After the Lanna Cultures & Traditions about Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher, today Thai Burmese Crafts will present some rituals related to the patient from bad luck, spiritual/psychological illness and/or malfunctioning sickness.

Picture of Buddha, a Moment before Attain Enlightenment

- Lanna Guam Ritual, this ritual will be performed the Parita recital or prayer (a Buddhist prayer for protecting from all dangers, such as fire, earthquake, tsunami, illness, etc.) under Sanghati (monk’s cloth). The patient will sit beneath this Sanghati cloth by covering his head with a monk’s bowl. Four monks will be invited to pray the Parita during holding each corner of Sanghati cloth above the patient to ward off ghosts those possessed the patient’s body.

- Lanna Tan-Khua Ritual, this ritual is about a donation of a bridge by the patient. Believe that a chronic disease patient or a person who will die but not die even if his cousins manage him to listen the Great Dharma prayer, this bridge donation will help the patient to be easier to cross over to the next world.

- Lanna Sacrifice Ritual, this ritual will be performed when occurring bad events or chronic sickness, such as a house fire or frequently encounter bad luck. The Victims believe that these bad events or conditions are due to ghosts or other powerful authorized actions. To cure is to sacrifice to the causing deity or spirit directly to end of the bad luck. There are many sacrifice types depending on the deity or spirit which the victim will prepare different offerings upon the purposes. However the typical offerings are:

- Venerable offering or the oblation, i.e. flowers, popped rice, joss stick, candles

- Honorable offering, i.e. small flag, high candle (as high as the victim’s height), white cloth, red cloth, gold, silver, etc.

- Foods and Sweets

- Sacrifice things, such as clay or dough which be formed as animals

- Another alms, such as animals for releasing to the nature

- Respectful offerings for the Master or Teacher, this is for the knowledgeable person who will perform this ceremony for the victim

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Silver flower earrings,
'Chiang Mai Rose

- ‘Silver flower earrings, 'Chiang Mai Rose'’, from NOVICA*: Roses blossom with .950 silver splendor, becoming earrings of timeless elegance. The hook earrings are crafted by hand with masterful artistry.

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world.

Original Hand-Painted
Thai Candle Balls- Replaceable
Flowered Candle Included

- ‘Original Hand-Painted Thai Candle Balls- Replaceable Flowered Candle Included': Each element of this unique work of art is 100% Handmade, flower candles are hand carved from wax bricks, and then hand painted in Chiang Mai, Northern of Thailand. Black cases are hand painted, first all-black, then with ornate paintings of floral or landscape scenes. Candles even have a wonderful scent, designed to last for years. Each Orb is individually hand carved and then hand painted. Most people use these Orbs strictly as decoration, but you can feel comfortable using the candle itself, because the candle itself is a standard size replaceable candle. (The kind in the shallow metal cup...)

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts XII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Today Lanna Cultures & Traditions, we will talk about the Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher.

Pictures of Khan Tang 

(A sacred pedestal for Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher)

- Culture & Tradition about Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher, the aim of this activity is to inform the master or teacher before using or performing the studied subject or whatever (for example, studied magic or spell). The other purpose of this ceremony is for inviting the master or teacher to stay with (by spirit) before performing the studied subject to rise the holy or miraculous power.  

Lanna people called this ceremony in Thai as ‘Khan Tang’ ceremony. The Khan Tang is a kind of sacred pedestal which contained tray, flower offering cone, candle, coin cone, white cloth, red cloth, betel nut, banana, sugarcane, coconut, paddy, rice, etc. For general Khan Tang in normal family, they will set a small one but complete set for this purpose. The one who helps to perform the ritual is a monk or a knowledgeable person.

The Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher is classified into two sorts, the first one is for inviting the Master or Teacher (by spirit) to help on another person, the second type is for own self, such as perform this ceremony before start studying with a teacher, etc.

In the past, Lanna people raise the magic or spell to be a high valuable thing without cost (money payment), everyone who wants to study must perform this ceremony before study and do it every time when he has to execute any ritual.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

- 'Handmade COTTON BAG Chiang Mai Province Northern Thailand', famous and beautiful, hand-woven cotton bag, native cloth.

Handmade COTTON BAG
Chiang Mai Province
Northern Thailand (1)

Handmade COTTON BAG 
Chiang Mai Province 
Northern Thailand (2)

Handmade COTTON BAG 
Chiang Mai Province 
Northern Thailand (3)

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts XI

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

There are many more Lanna Cultures & Traditions to be presented. Due to the long history of Lanna which absorbed many cultures & traditions from various ancients who occupied on this territory as mentioned in previous posts: Lanna Crafts I, II, III, IV and V (please click the Roman numbers to read or see at Blog Archive).

Picture of the first heaven level named Jatumaharachika

- Culture & Tradition about Notification to the Four Celestial Guardians, any Lanna auspicious ritual or ceremony, such as House-blessing Ceremony, Ordaining as Novice Monk or a Monk, New Year Festival, etc.,  it must be begun with Notification to the Four Celestial Guardians step before do anything further.

The Four Celestial Guardians are the great gods who rule the first heaven level named Jatumaharachika (in Thai) or Cātummahārājika (in Bali). Each Celestial Guardian’s age is 500 years of heaven. The Gods dwell in four directions of center of universe in order to guard, look after, explore the various deeds, protect and give happiness to all of mankind.  The names in Thai language of four Gods are ‘Vessuwan’, ‘Thataratha’, ‘Viroonhok’, ‘Viroopak’, who take care the world in the North, East, South, and West directions, respectively.

Except from notification to these four gods, Lanna people will need to notify to other two significant great gods to get success on their auspicious rituals; ‘Indra’, the leader of all gods in two heaven levels and the Earth Mother who is the witness of all merits of human.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Handmade pendant coconut shell!
Elephant & necklace wax cord
Chiang Mai in Thailand /
L.18-36 cm

- ‘Handmade pendant coconut shell!Elephant & necklace wax cord Chiang Mai in Thailand / L.18-36 cm’, brand: Chiang Mai in Thailand, model: G016, handmade pendant coconut shell-Elephant & necklace wax cord

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts X

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Lanna Cultures & Traditions, the next one is Housewarming or House-blessing Ceremony which the purpose is to bless the new house, almost same as other Thai people in the other parts of Thailand.

Picture of House-blessing Ceremony

- Culture & Tradition about Housewarming or House-blessing Ceremony, in the past, the Lanna house owner has to do many hard works for his/her house before its construction is finished, such as collecting locks and other materials for building, constructing with neighbors' helps, etc. So the owner shall be bound by and proud of the results that have been dedicated to. Then before moving in the new house, Lanna people will need to do the proper rituals: The ceremony of the new building or The religious housewarming.

First, they will search for the good day which might be suggested by a monk or knowledgeable person. Typically the famous good month for this ceremony is the twelfth month of Lanna, or other even months. The house owner needs to prepare a lot of food and food preparing equipment to set a party, and the host might hire a musical band for entertainment. The most significant thing to do is inviting a monk for making a merit and a knowledgeable person to perform the ceremony. The monk will escort the house owner or the host to enter the house for sprinkling holy water and preaching one sermon.

Many people will come to help organizing the ceremony on the day before the ceremony day. So the host will entertain the guests whom come to help by some activities till night. During this period, the young man and woman will have the opportunity to meet together. 

On the housewarming day, the ceremony will start in the early morning. The house owner will notify to the Four Celestial Guardians, and prepare a statue of the Buddha, valuable chests, or pots and jars for rice, one carried-load paddy rice, one carried-load plain rice, mattress, bedclothes, and wait for the auspiciousness near the stairs leading up to the new house. There might be some good-named persons involving in the parade, such as ‘Dee (means good or nice)’, ‘Kaew (indirect meaning is the greatest respective thing)’, etc. When the auspicious time comes, the person who escorts the Buddha statue will lead and be followed by others who carry the other things. Then the monk and the knowledgeable person will perform the ceremony respectively. After the monk’s meal, making merit to the monk and the monk’s praying, and then the ceremony is completed. Finally, it’s the party time for all.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

- 'Carnelian Cluster Earrings, 'Chiang Rai Feast' ', from NOVICA*, handmade carnelian, dyed blue resin, dyed quartz and glass beads, hook earrings, .925 Sterling Silver.

Carnelian Cluster Earrings,
'Chiang Rai Feast'

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers.

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts IX

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Lanna Cultures & Traditions are related to Lanna Crafts which some crafts are from its traditions, for example, a kind of wooden utensil in northern Thailand (called in Thai as ‘Khantoke’) is a food ware set for Lanna dining culture & tradition. Today, we will continue on Lanna Cultures & Traditions from the latest post ‘Culture & Tradition about Birth’ as follows:

Pictures of wood Khantoke

Pictures of bamboo Khantoke

- Culture & Tradition about Dining, the main course of Lanna meal will include sticky rice or glutinous rice and one or two things to eat with which might be soup or chili paste or dressed salad, etc. In conventional, Lanna people will set the family group to sit around at the patio or terrace connected to the house for the dining. In the present day, some families set the dining room for this purpose.

However the basic or general utensils for Lanna dining are:

- Khantoke or Satoke (Thai words) is an essential set of food containing wares, a bit high from the ground for food to be higher from ground, made of wood with many sizes.

- A deep cup for soup

- Flat bowl or plate for grill, fried, roasted foods

- Spoon, in the past they used coconut shell or bamboo to make spoon, and had only one spoon for a Khantoke set.

- Rice box, in the past it was made of bamboo lining inside with bamboo sheath to prevent the moisture and keep the heat. In present, they use a cooler lining with thin cloth for longer heat preserving.

Every food will be put on the Khantoke set, the amount depends on the appropriate number of people.

For the good dining manner and pattern, there will be laid mat at the patio or terrace, the Khantoke set will be put on this mat with washing hand water and napkins. Everyone in the family will be called to sit around the Khantoke set, it’s very important that the parents or the most eldest of family will be the first one who starts the meal, then the youngers follow. There are many polite sitting manners for dining; the man will sit by cross-legged, the lady will sit with legs tucked back to one side. To eat the sticky rice, they will use hand to keep the appropriate amount of rice in the palm, shape into ball-liked to fit to the mouth.

Impolite dining manners or prohibitive manners are farting during the meal, spitting, speaking about disgusting things, teasing or playing to each other, quarrelling, laughing, gossiping, knocking the spoon on bowl, plate or Khantoke set, stirring the soup till it spills out, choosing by spoon only what own likes, eating or dipping only the middle of rice or food, trimming, licking or kissing rice or food at fingers or utensils.

There is no dessert or snack for traditional Lanna dining meal, but it might be some fruit or boiled corn or peanuts.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Gold plated amethyst
flower earrings,
'Chiang Rai Bouquet'

- ‘Gold plated amethyst flower earrings, 'Chiang Rai Bouquet'', from NOVICA*, captures the essence of Thai feminine elegance with the design of these earrings. The florid half hoops are crafted by hand with 24k gold plated sterling silver. Crystalline amethyst dewdrops add a touch of sophistication with 2 carats. .925 Sterling silver.

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers.

Chiang Mai and Northern
Thailand (Other Places
Travel Guide)

- ‘Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand (Other Places Travel Guide)’, by T. F. Rhoden, T. F. Rhoden has spent seven years exploring this fascinating country as an aid worker on the Thai-Burma border. Through his unique experiences, Rhoden provides insight into the country that has become his second home. With a comprehensive background section covering the history, culture, and logistics of travel, and sixteen sections dedicated to each stop on his recommended travel route, this book will allow travelers to feel like locals while enjoying the indisputable beauty that the North has to offer.

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts VIII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Traditions are what those societies regulate as the same things or same ceremonies on what, how, when, and where. Cultures & Traditions of Lanna People are closely related to their day-life activities from birth till death as follows:

- Culture & Tradition about Birth, to give a birth is a significant issue for a mom; therefore there are some pre- processes to do, i.e. at the seventh moth of pregnancy, her husband needs to prepare some firewood for her (lying near the fire after childbirth) confinement, the birth room must be stretched with a net as ceiling and surrounded with the Buddhist white string and cabalistic writing cloth, all holes on walls or floors have to be repaired, under the birth & confinement room must be surrounded with bamboo and thorns which they believe that the spirits are afraid of them.

Picture of Thai House-Lanna Style
with space under the house

On the birth day, everyone in the house will help to prepare the room by opening or unlocking all chests and cabinets, rolling the mattress for mom’s leaning during delivery a child. Sometimes there will be hanging rope or cloth for seizing. During this period, no one should stand at the door way or obstruct at the ladder which meaning of belief in easy child birth. Even the speech, everyone must not speak about difficulty of child birth. No pregnant woman allows visiting at that time because they believe that the coming delivery children will shy together and will not come out.

There are some magic spells and holy water using for easier child birth. Some cases the mom has to drink her husband’s washing feet water if it’s difficult to give birth. When the child comes out, first, it has to tie the placenta with black thread. How to tie this cord is very important, it needs to draw blood to flow to the child’s navel. If not, believe that the child will be anemic when grows up. Placenta cutting needs to indicate the length. If too short length, the child will be impatient person when grows up.

There are more processes after that; bathing the child, selling the child (the cousins will accept as owner), taking care of child’s skin (if not, the skin will not be beautiful when grows up), etc.

The placenta which releases from the child, the parent will do sun-dry and keep in white cloth. When there are more children in family, they will soak all placentas with rainy water and let all children drink for harmonizing in family.

In case of the child dies after birth or being baby, they believe that the child will be quick reborn because of he’s very young. Before burial, the parents will cry and tell the child’s body to be reborn as their child again. Moreover, they will mark a sign by red lime at the child’s ass to know when the child is reborn with them.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Thai Fashion Purse-
Handmade in
Chiang Mai

- 'Thai Fashion Purse- Handmade in Chiang Mai', beautiful and unique handbag is handmade at the Bann Talae handicraft center near Chiang Mai Thailand. Until now, not available outside of Thailand except as a fake or replica. Strong craftsmanship and materials make this a bag that should last a long, long time. All materials are native from the wooden beads on the strap, to the gold silk string, to the wooden button that closes the top, to the mosaic artwork material that is used in the design. Single strap design is the perfect length for carrying as a shoulder strap or clutch. Ornate mosaic material is native Thai and only available to tourists who go to this area of Northern Thailand.

Celadon ceramic figurines,
'Chiang Rai Ducklings'
(set of 4)

- 'Celadon ceramic figurines, 'Chiang Rai Ducklings' (set of 4)', from NOVICA*, these handmade whimsical figurines depict a mother duck and three charming ducklings. The Thai artisan works in cool green celadon ceramic to create the charming family.

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers.

(To be continued)