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)