Maehongson 02 April 2009

Wednesday 02 April 2009, the third day of the festival called "Hae Krua Lu Day", by all official and unofficial accounts, there was to be the big parade through town as part of the Loi Sang Long ritual. The parade was scheduled to start at 7:00 A. M. so we got up at 5:00 A. M. to get over to the Wat at 6:00 A. M. to catch the preparations.

We arrived at Wat Jong Kum-Jong Klong just before 6:00 A.M. in plenty of time to witness the preparations for the grand procession. The Wat's grounds were filled with family member in their best clothing. Relatives were going to walk in the procession along with the jewelled princes and their porters. As part of the procession today the families were carrying offerings to be made at the Wats.

In general the offerings were carried by the women and young children. The children carried small decorative bowls, flowers, and small decorative objects such as candle holders. The women carried buckets of toiletries, linens, food items, and pillows suspended from a bamboo pole carried between the two women on their shoulders. It seemed a little ironic that this procession was occurring just before Easter. The parade participants were definitely dressed in the Shan equivalent of their Easter suits.


Just as in the previous procession through town this procession was led by the Shan elders and the fancy horse. The shaman type man, dressed in white, carried a fancy offering bowl that was filled with some plants as well as a bottle of drinking water. Today there were two floats that would be hand carried by four men along the route. One float was a model of a Wat. It was very fancy and about 15 feet tall which required a great deal of focus as well as care to carry it beneath some of the utility lines that crossed streets on the parade route. Fortunately there were no incidents during the parade involving this float. The second float was shorter - about 8 feet high. It was also hand carried by four men along the parade route. It was a sort of pyramid shaped object made out of serving trays, bowls and dishes all topped off by a very fancy white lace umbrella.

Today unlike the previous parade there was a musical float - well actually it was a heavy industrial duty flat bed truck decked out with bunting. On top of the flat bed were four women dancers dressed in fancy outfits. The rear of the flat bed also contained the Shan band - four men - a drum player, a gong player, a stringed instrument player, and A LEAF BLOWER. No not a leaf blower machine to clean driveways but an elderly man who had a branch from a tree that he blew on the leaves to make music (more like squawking sounds). This is similar to the Hmong traditional music and communication technique using leaves that I had previously witnessed and wrote about in an earlier blog. Oddly enough the band put out some pretty good music. I am not sure that someone on the old Dick Clark TV show, American Bandstand", would have rated it very high because "It had a good beat and you could dance to it" but the female dancers had not trouble dancing to it.

Some of the relatives marching in today's procession carried long poles with decorations made out of tied handkerchiefs. I suspect that inside the handkerchiefs were some food offerings. Earlier in the trip I had sampled a Shan treat - a ball of popped rice in a caramel type binder. It was very to the Thai Cracker jacks that I watched being made in Isaan last Fall. Just as the treat was in Isaan, this was very tasty.

The parade got off more or less on schedule. We knew the route so we took a short cut and set up on the sidewalk awaiting the procession. As the procession advanced, elderly women would walk up to the various components of the procession and gently toss popped rice on the participants - including the horse. This was a sort of offering and blessings similar to tossing rice on newlyweds in the West.

One component of today's parade was a group of women who performed traditional dances. They were dressed in very pretty traditional Shan clothing. They were very graceful and like other groups in the parade, received popped rice offerings.

The jewelled princes were much more animated today. They bounced, waved fans in dance movements, and in general thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After the procession passed by we returned to the truck and headed back to the hotel. We had breakfast, I showered, and we set out for the remainder of the day. The afternoon's activities will be in the next blog.

Poi Sang Long Ritual - Day 2

Tuesday, 31 March, according to the Abbott of Wat Kum Klang, the "official" printed festival brochure, as well as several local people, was the morning when the young boys would be dressed up in their finery and made up to be paraded through Maehongson. After yesterday's serendipitous discovery of the head shaving ceremony, we were determined to check, double check as well as to verify exactly what event was scheduled as well as its starting time.

We got up at 4:00 A. M. so that we would be at the Wat for 5:00 A. M. As we approached the Wat on foot from our parking space across the lake, we heard the continued acrimonious clanging, banging and beat of the previous day's music. We learned that as long as this music was going on, something was happening.


We arrived just about the right time at the Wat. The bot was filled with family members attending to their young boy. This morning the "Sang Long" (jewelled sons) were being dressed up in fine silks, brocades, jewelery, and complicated millinery. Their mothers, sisters, and aunts applied makeup to the boy's face that would be the envy of any Bangkok or Pattaya Kathoey (Lady Boy). In fact I suspect that many American women would love to be made up and look as elegant as these young boys do. Each family set up their spot on the floor in the bot. A few foreigners freely mingled amongst the Shan people photographing and filming the Shan tradition. Outsiders were very welcomed by the families and the atmosphere was free and relaxed.

The boys were being made up to resemble Princes. When the dressing and makeup had been completed the boys looked like they were little Maharajahs out of some Rudyard Kipling story. This was not a Halloween masquerade type skit but a financially taxing attempt to emulate royalty. Some of the clothing cost upwards to 10,000 baht ($286 USD). We were told by one family that they had gotten the cloth for their son's outfit from Cambodia. The clothing was colorful, intricate, and very fancy. Dressing up your son for his ordination is very analogous to the tradition and social pressures in the USA for having your daughter get married. To suitably impress the relatives, neighbors, and friends, families take on a large financial burden. Almost $300 for a child's outfit even in the Western World is not a trifle amount. Here in Thailand the average farm worker makes 100 baht ($3.50) a day. A can of Coke or Pepsi costs 15 baht so although I often write about how cheap things are here in Thailand, I am using an American perspective. At 100 baht a day, the average Thai farm worker is not going to be buying too many cans of soda or saving very much money in a month. To stage this family celebration many families pool resources and many end up borrowing money to finance the spectacle. We met and spoke with some young boys who had not been through the Poi Sang Long ceremony because their family could not afford the expense. Peer pressure is very strong for every family to somehow and someway to come up with the money to participate in the tradition.

The fathers focused their efforts on dressing their son in all the various articles of clothing. The proud fathers also gave their sons words of comfort and guidance. Other male members of the family sat next to the young boy. In many places, hired men also sat next to the jewelled princes. Once the boy has had his head shaved, his feet no longer touch the ground. The jewelled prince is carried upon the shoulders of his father, grandfather, uncles, and older brothers. To supplement the contingent of male relatives, some families hire men to carry their son on top of their shoulders during the rituals and parades. In many cases the porters for a particular boy are smartly dressed in pastel tailored traditional Shan outfits. Several men are required to carry the boy along the parade route. As a man becomes tired, the boy is transferred to a fresh man for his turn to carry the jewelled prince. Some of the porters with a great deal of energy from the clanging and banging music or perhaps the whiskey that you could smell on their breadth, danced enthusiastically with the boy on their shoulders. A couple of the porters appeared to have a de facto contest as to which one of them could get their prince lowest and most parallel to the ground without dropping him. I suspect that these were professional porters and not some one's crazy uncle or older brother. The fact that no princes were dropped also leads me to believe that professionals were at work. The mothers completed the outfitting of their princes by placing their gold chains around their necks and placing gold rings on their fingers. It was interesting to watch combinations of tape and yarn being utilized to ensure that the family jewels stayed on the boys small fingers.

After all 40 boys had been prepared, they ate a small breakfast of fried rice and plain water. They were carried outside to be organized into parade formation. Outside family members congregated awaiting the start of the early dawn parade. A small Asian breed of horse was waiting outside to lead the parade. The horse was immaculately groomed - to the extent that its mane had been cropped where a large garland of flowers had been carefully placed around its neck. Two men wearing traditional Shan clothing tended and led the horse. Another man who appeared to be some type of shaman led the parade along side of the horse. He was dressed in white pants and tunic with his head covered in a white turban. He carried a ceremonial offering bowl.

The boys were carried on the shoulder of a man and was surrounded by men in waiting - waiting to have their turn at carrying the boy on their shoulders. Each boy is also shielded by a large ornate golden umbrella attached at the end of a long wood pole carried by a man walking to the side of the elevated boy. The umbrellas were very ornate and decorated with flowers, garlands, and intricate decorations. The umbrellas are also heavy and unwieldy
, so just as in the case of the boy, men take their turn in carrying the umbrella and ensuring that it shelters the specific boy.

Some families also hire "professional" musicians to bang gongs, clang cymbals, and play the unusual drum in the same style as we had been hearing since arriving in Maehongson. Some of the "bands" had long mechanical racks that played several cymbals at the same time. Two men carried the rack and a third man "played" the cymbals by moving a lever back and forth. The din of the amateur musicians along with the professionals created quite an atmosphere.

The parade left the Wat complex at sunrise and headed through downtown Maehongson. The entourage stopped at a local temple in the center of town. The purpose of the stop was for the boys to let the spirits know that they were becoming Monks and to ensure that the boys had been forgiven. The parade then moved through the airport on the edge of town to visit a Buddhist temple. At this location the boys requested forgiveness from the Abbott. It was at this point that we decided to move on to our hotel to shower and have our breakfast. It had already been a long and tiring morning even though it was 8:00 A.M.

Poi Sang Long Ritual - Day One

We arrived in Maehongson around 1:00 P.M on Monday 30 March. Upon checking in at the hotel we obtained a printed brochure regarding the schedule of activities for the four day festival. According to the hotel clerk and the recently printed brochure, there were no activities until the next morning. After the boys were to have their heads shaved at their homes they were scheduled to get dressed up in their finery at the Wat followed by a parade through the town.

Since we had not had lunch, we drove into town to eat and check on another source of information for the festival. We went to a restaurant noted for its tour services as well as its food across the lake from the Wats. This being Thailand, things are not always as they are initially described or scheduled. This is why I now make it a habit to double and triple check things - just to be sure or often - to get it right. So it was regarding the festival - the boys were scheduled to have their hair cut followed by having their head being shaved at the Wat at 2:00 P.M.!

We lingered over our lunch and soft drinks before walking over to the Wats on the other side of the lake. Lake is a rather generous term for the body of water in the middle of town. It is about 200 meters in diameter. The air around the Wats was filled with the sound of clanging cymbals and drum beats. It was obvious that something was going on or would be going on - eventually. The cymbals were banged in a staccato three beat grouping. The drumming was not in any noticeable rhythm that I could detect.

A stage had been built in front of the Wat on the temple grounds. Some people were occupied placing colored bunting on the stage. A canopy had been set up underneath one of the large trees on the temple grounds. Underneath the canopy, several young Monks, around 16 years old, were busy banging gongs and clanging cymbals. These young Monks would later take part in the hair cutting and head shaving ritual of the young Shan boys who would be ordained as Monks this year. They are following Buddha's son, Prince Rahula's path in becoming Monks at an early age. Removal of their hair symbolizes renouncing worldly possessions and goods - in old days long hair was symbolic of royalty.

An older man was busy walking around and dancing as he exuberantly played a drum. Some of his enthusiasm apparently came from alcohol as well as religious zeal. The drum was very unique instrument. It was about 6 feet long with an approximately 30 inches diameter drum head. There was a resonating chamber at the other end of the drum tube. The drum was suspended from the player's shoulder by a long saffron strap. The sound produced from tapping on the drum head with fingers was very similar to a bongo drum but a little more bass.

Other men as well as an elderly Monk were busy producing bamboo strips and weaving them into lattice works. The lattice works were later used to decorate some floats for the parade. The men and Monk took split pieces of bamboo and used a long knife to split narrow strips off of the bamboo. The tile floor of the canopy was covered with shavings and strips. The people used their bare feet to hold the lattice in place as they used their hands to weave additional strips into place. As they worked the clash, clang, and pounding of the music continued unabatted only being interrupted in sporadic interludes of increased frenzy. There were times that I got the impression that it was a sort of jam session but with only cymbals, gongs, and a single drum the range for creativity was quite restrictive.

Around 2:00 P. M. nothing different happened. We asked around and were told that it would be at 2:30 P. M. As 2:30 P. M. approached the music continued. The men continued their activities. Nothing else was started. We were told that the ceremony would actually start at 4:00 P. M. A little before 4:00, some of the younger Monks arranged forty plastic chairs into a large u shape in front of the Wat. This was a hopeful sign but also a sign that nothing was going to happen at 4:00 P.M. Around 4:15 P.M., the Head Monk, the Abbot, came out and seemed to take charge of the preparations. This was a very very good sign. At the same time, pickup trucks started to arrive with young boys, family members, and more cymbal, gong, and drum players. The volume and intensity of the music increased greatly. There was definitely an air of excitement and anticipation throughout the area.

At 4:30 the ceremony actually got started. A young boy was seated in each of the plastic chairs - 40 boys in all. Each boy was surrounded by his family. After a little speech from the Abbott and a blessing, the ceremony started. The first part of the ceremony was cutting the boy's hair.

The boys wearing their colorful super hero or cartoon tee shirts and short pants sat rigidly in their chair. These boys were about to take a very important step in their religious and temporal life. They were now the center of attention and the representatives of their family. Although these boys were seven to fourteen years old, it was obvious that they were trying their best to bring honor to their family. It was also entertaining to see some moments when the boys were busy being boys such as sharing their hair clippings with their friend, or grimacing at the irritation from their shorn locks.

The boys sat with a large lotus leaf in their lap. Using regular scissors, relatives take turns snipping off locks of hair and placing them into the lotus leave. It is considered an honor to cut the hair and the relative order in which a person cuts the hair is indicative of the respect as well as esteem that is held by the family for the participant.

The Abbot patiently made his rounds ensuring that he cut some hair from each of the young boys. Many people were mingled amongst the family members photographing or filming the ritual. I was a little surprised how few foreigners there were at the event. I estimate that there were no more than 25 foreigners. The impact of the world economy on Thailand's tourism industry was very apparent on this trip. The local Shan people were very accepting and gracious at the outsiders photographing and filming their special event. As is the case at all of these religious events, people's manners are very good.

After family and friends had their opportunity to cut some hair, it was time to shave the boy's head. Prior to shaving the boy's head, family members usually a mother of grandmother poured water on to the boy's head. Some waters were scented with flowers or perfume. There was no shaving creme, gel, or foam in sight. A couple boys had some soap rubbed into their hair. It was during the head shaving portion of the ritual that the demeanor of the boys changed. It could almost see in their face a look of seriousness and in some cases trepidation. These feelings were visibly mitigated by the close and tender attention given to the boys by their family and the Monks. It was a special ceremony that reinforced family, religious, and community ties.

The shaving of the heads was a time consuming effort shared by men, women, and Monks. Just as in the case of the hair cutting, the Abbot made his way along the lined up chairs to shave a little of each of the forty young heads. The other Monks of the Wats joined in to help shave the heads. It appeared that the Monks shaved about one-half of each head with the remainder done by family members.

After their head had been completely shaved, inspected and accepted the boys were washed off with buckets and bowls of scented and unscented water. Many boys had a pomade of powder and water applied to their newly bald heads. The boys retired to the inner areas of the temple complex to spend the night and await the next step in their ordination the following morning. Snippets of hair and shavings were gathered up and removed by some younger Monks.

The forty boys, soon to be Monks, had completed the first step in demonstrating their renunciation of their worldly possessions by having their heads shaved. They had started their individual journey in following Prince Rahula's footsteps.