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)

Lanna Crafts VII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Mores are developed from Moralities which are about sentiment of each human being or each community on right or wrong actions depending on conscience of individual or group. For Lanna Mores, there are many of them as follows:

Picture of flower offerings called
Baai Sri

- Pid-pee is about the sexual harassment of young people from “touching or holding one’s hands” to “lose one’s virginity”. Lanna people consider this manner as wrong or irreverent against ancestors’ spirits and/or household spirits. The pid-pee family will get penalty from the spirits by illness or various disasters. If two families can be negotiable to let both living as a couple, there will be a process called ‘Sai-pee’ or ‘Sier-pee’ which allow the man side to ask for forgiveness by giving candles, flowers, money and other offerings to the spirits.

- Pid-reed or Pid-heet refers to distinct activities from family’s or community’s traditions, such as changing the date of village spirit ceremony from Songkran’s festival to another month, or changing the strict spirits’ offerings from chicken to be convenient dry food or noodle, etc. Pid-reed might effect to get any disaster to that person or to that city.

- The other significant bad mores are: the wrong or bad activities against the moralities, such as incest or destruction of human being, not taking care of parents, etc. called Pid-Clong, the irreverent or non-respect to teacher called Pid-Croo, the inappropriate actions when entering into the forest, such as bad words, speaking as bad omen, etc. called Pid-Pa, the violating the village’s rules or city’s rules, such as cutting down the main tree of village, urging people to killing or schism, etc. called Pid-Baan and Pid-Muang, respectively. All these bad mores might lead to the ruin, disaster, unfortunate, distress or anxiety to the person, family or city.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Carnelian Cluster Earrings,
'Chiang Rai Feast'

- ‘Carnelian Cluster Earrings, 'Chiang Rai Feast'’, from NOVICA*, crafted by hand threading carnelians, dyed blue resin and glass beads with silk core. They rest over purple dyed quartz in earrings that hang from .925 sterling silver hooks.

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

Keychain bag decoration

- ‘Keychain bag decoration', keychain bag decoration make from pompom, dimensions: 8.00" h x 2.00" w x 8.00" l, .22 pounds.

(To be continued)