Buzz
What is a puppet? To formally explain, a puppet is considered a high-level magical amulet. It can be crafted from a variety of materials such as wood, grass, rattan, wax, clay, metal, lead, silver, etc., and combined with different elements as prescribed by the practitioner of occult arts. The essential feature of a puppet is the consecration ritual, which infuses the materials and elements with life, spirit, and energy within the puppet itself.
The uses of a puppet can be categorized into two main types, often referred to as the divine or ghostly paths, or in simpler terms, the white or black paths.
The “white path,” or divine path, involves puppets made from natural materials. These are consecrated for purposes of protection, defense, and looking after the owner’s well-being.
The “black path,” or ghostly path, incorporates occult materials to enhance the puppet's power beyond the ordinary. These materials can include items connected to spirits, corpses, graveyards, and other supernatural substances such as oil from the dead, and more.
The puppets I am most familiar with are from the white or divine path, designed to focus on protecting and safeguarding the owner, as well as taking care of the household. They are like loyal bodyguards, steadfast and dedicated to their owner. If they demonstrate any power, it is solely for the purpose of protecting the owner in the best possible way. They would never turn on their owner or cause any harm.
Since my childhood, I have been acquainted with various types of dolls, including those made from clay, carved wood, straw, and other materials like leaves and woven bamboo.
At first, I believed these dolls were only used for “Satorng,” ritual offerings in Lanna traditions, typically in the form of humans, cows, or buffalo, used in ceremonies such as sending off spirits, making offerings, or determining fate.
(Many people may have heard the insult ‘Satorng buffalo!’ which implies being useless, ignorant, or unintelligent. Even as a buffalo, it is just a clay figure, stiff and unmoving in the Satorng offering, unable to do any work or help in any way.)
As I grew older, I began to realize that, in addition to the dolls used in Satorng offerings, there was another group of puppets that my father created for different individuals, sometimes with my mother’s assistance. In his later years, my father explained to me that these were special dolls that could house spirits within them.
Cow bows, buffalo bows, Im, Ngang, Mae Poo, Kumarn, or house guardian dolls are a group of small figurines that in the central region are referred to as puppets or 'Hoon Phayon'.
If you look up the term in the dictionary, you will find that a puppet is described as “a figure made by an occult practitioner who binds materials together and then chants to bring it to life. It is part of an ancient Thai occult belief.”
In 2013, during an exhibition on the origins of cinema across different eras, organized through the collaboration between the National Discovery Museum Institute (NDMI) and the Thai Film Archive (Public Organization), the event was described as follows:
“Plearn Phayon” comes from…Play + Learn = Plearn, or Plearn mixed with Phayon, which means to consecrate or bring to life by making it move as if it were alive.
“(Because) … the Siamese had performances or plays that used mechanical devices or tricks to make objects or performances move as if they were alive. This type of performance was called Phayon, a Thai term meaning to bring to life or to enchant, such as puppet shows with mechanisms to make them move. When still images began to move and tell stories, it was called a film. With the final consonant “r” and the addition of the boat tail symbol, it became the word 'Phayont' in its current form as ‘film’.”
The dictionary defines Phayon / Phayon as a noun: something that an occult practitioner enchants to bring to life for a specific purpose.
If we explore the meaning of the word 'Yon' or 'Yont,' it refers to 'a mechanism or machinery that generates energy or makes objects move' (such as an automobile or motorboat).
What is intriguing is the existence of a term that specifically describes the act of 'chanting an object to bring it to life.' This suggests that the presence of 'Hoon Phayon' is not a trivial matter.
Looking back to my childhood, I recall many times seeing my parents working together to create clay puppets. Sometimes, certain figures were wrapped with sacred thread, while others were spaced apart with mantras. Some had various small items wrapped around them for decoration.
Later, my father explained that if we were to take two dolls and throw them into the water at a point where two streams separate, during the proper auspicious time, it would symbolize 'Pha Jan.' This ritual would sever the connection between the person whose fate is tied to the doll, and the doll itself, effectively ending their relationship or marriage.
If two dolls are bound together, it becomes an act of love enchantment, a way to bind two hearts together.
Alternatively, if needles are used to pierce them, sharp objects are employed to cut or slice, or if they are set on fire or buried in a graveyard, it is believed to cause the person whose fate is tied to the doll to suffer pain, illness, disaster, and potentially even death.
However, my father always said that in his life, he would never use these practices for evil purposes, and as he would often remind me, 'As long as the tears don’t fall past the soles of your feet, do not act.'
It’s true that people came to ask my father to create dolls for various purposes. But he would always say that, even though he was well-versed in the occult sciences and could perform both good and bad works, he would only create what served a beneficial purpose.
The positive result is one that benefits the person whose fate is tied to the doll, without exploiting anyone, causing harm, or having any malevolent intent towards others.
How can we know when something should be done or not?
My father said that we need to carefully consider the situation. For example, if you want a relationship to end, you must ask yourself why. If they love each other, and if it's the parents or relatives who want them to break up, it can’t be done. But if one partner is being abusive, physically or emotionally, or if the relationship is causing great hardship to the point of potential ruin, then it may be reasonable. Because simply 'parting ways' in such a case is the best solution, and it is acceptable.
For matters of love and affection, like a son-in-law or daughter-in-law being mistreated in their new home, it’s okay to use magic to evoke love and kindness in the elders. Or if someone is in a troubled family or business, it’s okay to work towards harmony and cooperation to help everyone be more peaceful and supportive. These are acceptable uses.
However, using it to manipulate someone for sexual advances, to harass or dominate them to make them your partner, is not acceptable.
The most common types of dolls created are those used for love and kindness, like the ‘In’ doll, or for protection and safeguarding, such as the ‘Bow Thanu’ or ‘Kwai Thanu’ dolls, and house guardian dolls.
Therefore, it is completely normal for 'dolls' to come and go in our homes, such as 'In,' 'dolls,' or 'cow and buffalo Thanu,' moving around to various places. Similarly, the presence and departure of 'spiritual souls' is also a natural occurrence.
How many ghosts are in our house?
If we were to refer to these spirits as 'ghosts,' then there would likely be many of them. As mentioned earlier, my father was not involved in dark practices, so he didn’t try to force spirits to stay.
So how do spirits come about? And what is the 'soul' placed inside a doll?
'Ghosts waiting to pass on to a new life are like people who wait at bus stops or train stations, waiting for the right moment to board and reach their destination,' my father would say. 'But because they don't yet have a ticket or resources, they must wait for the right opportunity or for someone to help them.'
'Do you notice how wandering spirits, or lost ghosts, tend to linger along roads or at crossroads? They, too, are waiting for a chance to find a living person to use as a vehicle, but sometimes they just wander aimlessly. If a house doesn't have a protector spirit, they can easily enter. And sometimes, they might even encounter us (laughs). We see them, and they see us. When we allow them to rest, they may decide to stay with us,' my father said.
From what my father explained, wandering spirits are like homeless people in our world.
'If we give living people a chance, we must also give spirits a chance,' my father added. 'We encourage them to engage in good deeds, and what they gain in return is not material wealth, but merit. They get nourishment and blessings, which serve as a form of spiritual currency. Once they have enough merit to move on, they can progress to a better existence. It’s a good outcome for all parties involved.'
'But what if they’re not good spirits, father? What if they use their energy for evil?' I couldn’t help but ask.
'That’s why we have to train them,' my father replied. 'At first, we guide them with magic spells to keep them on the right path. Training spirits is like training people. To live peacefully, there must be rules. If they can’t follow the rules, they must part ways. If it gets too bad, we’ll have to imprison them, just like humans.'
But I still had some doubts.
'Father, what kind of spirits inhabit those cute little dolls and figurines? Are they also spirits?'
Father: 'The term 'spirit' refers to the whole of them. But when we bind a spirit to a doll or figure, we only take a portion of their consciousness. It’s a refined part of their spirit, one that understands its purpose and what kind of work it needs to do. If the spirit deviates from its task, we can call it back at any time.'
'Father, does the spirit in a doll like the 'In' have a gender?' (I remember someone saying they once saw an *In* in our house as a female.)
'No,' my father replied immediately. 'The spirit we bind is genderless. The spirit is formless, just consciousness. The part that has been purified is like water that has been filtered clean, ready for use. But if there's harm caused by the water, it depends on how the owner uses it.'
