New Taigress

Shan Culture - Traditions

Tai Khuen Rain Asking Ceremony And the Sangkharn Water Festival

Most Tai people living anywhere depend on farming as a living. As farming depends on streams, rivers and dams most have to rely on rain.

As dependence on water sources has been going on since the birth of agriculture so is the belief that rain, water and rivers have guardians or spirits. When there is draught people believe that the spirits are insulted and people beg the spirits for forgiveness, which was logical for them though it is not, scientifically. That leads to spirit worshiping and building spirit houses, and asking, rain for farming which has become a custom in Tai society.

Starting from the people living along Song-da river, Song-hong river in Vietnam, Tai Chong, Tai Tong, Tai Nung along Sai Kham River (Yang Tze–Jiang) in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, Tai Lue, Tai khuen, Lao and Yuan along Mekhong (Lanchang-jiang); Tai Nua, Tai Mao and Tai Yai along Nam Khong (Nu-jiang); up to Tai Leng, Tai Khamti along Nam Keo (Irrawaddi); including Tai Ahom, Tai Aitorn, Tai Phagae along Ti Lao River (Brahma Putra) in Assam state of India; (This excludes Thai who have developed and stayed along Chao-Phraya); all these Tai peoples have something in common, which is Rain Asking Ceremony. Even Chinese, Indian, Vietnam, Khmer and other races have similar ceremonies.

Spirit worshiping and rain asking ceremony have been the custom of Tai people before Tai people accepted Hindu and Chinese (Tong-Han) customs. After accepting Hindu and Tong-Han customs Tai people also accepted worshiping Hindu gods and Chinese gods from Taoism and also teachings of Confucius. Even after accepting Buddhism as the main religion, Tai people still believe in spirits, gods and Bodhisattvas. There are also Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Mahavira (Jain) and worshipers of Kali who also believe in spirits as the secondary belief.

Although the aim of spirit worshiping and rain asking are solely for getting water and rain for farming the customs and ceremonies do differ from one another from what the author has learned.
In some places offering is made with frogs, bull frogs, toads and traditional belief. In some places people use ducks, chickens, pigs, dogs or even cattle. Anyhow there are things similar, such as using drums in ceremonies, may it be wooden, iron, brass or bamboo drums.
Another custom is using of rockets as offerings. Tai people believe launching rockets and beating drums will remind the spirits and gods to send down rain water for agriculture.

Tai Khuen Gen-gong ceremony Gen means to hang in Khuen and Lue (Gwen in Lao and Khwen in Thai). Hanging the drum onto a beam and beating the drum for ceremony is called Gen Gong. Tai Khuen Gen Gong ceremony is the rain asking and spirit worshiping ceremony before entering the farming season. An effigy of a big frog (Rahu) biting the moon is also made as an offering to the gods (Brahma and others) on the bank of a river.

Tai people who use frogs as offerings are found in Tai Khun, Tai Chong and Lao.

The author will not explain the Tai Chong and Lao customs, but only of Khuen Gen-gong Rain Asking Ceremony of Kengtung or Jengtung or Tungapuri.

Gen Gong ceremony

The Kengtung history record, Tamnan Tungarasi and Padaeng chronicle which Sao Hsai Mong translated to English recorded from the establishment of Kengtung. Khun-Yon of Chiangsaen, who later became King Mengrai the Great established Kengtung and sent his nephew Sao Namthom to rule (The first Khuen King) in the Year of the Snake C.E. 651 (AD.1253-64). From then, up to the reign of Sao Poon Su (Sao Kaen Lek (AD.1390-1403) there was no evidence of rain asking ceremony by offering clay frogs.

During the reign of Sao Yee Kham Kha ( Phaya Kaewmadhu) AD 1403-1416, the ninth ruler, in the year of the Tiger C.E.772 (AD 1410) there was a big fire and drought. There was no water for farming. People gathered to meet at the court and pleaded the leaders and the leaders took the matter to the King. The King then discussed the matter with the leaders and consulted with the Brahms (Brahmins) to look at the fate of the country. The Brahms told that the star of Kengtung was a tiger, so it was necessary to make an effigy of a frog (Rahu) biting a moon as a sacrificial offering. They held a parade and took the clay frog to the bank of Nam Khuen River which is on the North West of the town and offered the frog to the gods there. It was believed this would cure the drought. This meant that Kengtung has had Hindu cultural influence since then.

The ruler and the ministers will than beat the victor drum and broadcast to the people what to do in detail, according to the Brahma. It was said that rain continued to fall for seven days at that time. The farmers were saved from drought and the people were saved from famine.
From the reign at Sao Kaew Mathu, the custom of parading Gaen Gong and the sacrificial frog to the bank of Nam Khuen River as a rain asking ceremony continue to this day (AD 1410-2004)

The rain asking ceremony in Sangkharn (Sangranta or Songkran) usually falls on “the fall of Sangkharn” (mostly 15th April). In the old days, the royal court would appoint Phaya-Zar to take the victory drum which was kept at Wat Jengjan and suspend in the yard of Jengjan market. About 10 Loila people from Loimorn Sip-har (Yarng Nguen village) were invited to participate.

The drum would be beaten starting from 1 p.m. on the 13th April up to 1 p.m. on the 14th without stopping. The 14th was marked as the day to carry sand from rivers to build sand pagodas on New Year’s Day. Then, people from all quarters would gather at the yard. Phaya-Zar would than start the rites according to custom and the parade would begin. Khun Sangkhan would be carried along with the drum. The beating would continue along with gongs and water would be thrown and the water festival would continue. The parade would head for Nong Pha Gate (Northern) then, turned left to North-West direction. The parade would stop on the bank of Nam Khuen at Fah-ho Bridge. The clay frog biting the moon would be left on the bank as a sacrifice .The place was called Ta Long Kope or “Frog Drifting Port” up to this day. Water festival is now also an occasion for youths to play in the river and a chance to court girls.

When Khun Sangkharn arrived at the bank, Phaya Zar would then invite four monks to chant Buddhavunsasuttra and offered sand to Wats (Temples). This Buddhist rite was included from the reign of Sao Kaew Mathu (AD 1410), but was discontinued later. At the end farmers would take the some clay from the clay frog to use as a lucky token for their land.

Until now people who take part in the parade will carry sand from the river on the way back. The sand is for sand pagodas to be built at one’s temple.
Phaya-Zar would then invite monks to the Bodhi tree in the middle of the town near Wat Phrakaew. Chanting of Sutta and sprinkling of holy water to deter bad luck would be done. Wishes would be made for peace, prosperity and health from the New Year’s Day. It was a Hindu rite mixed with Buddhism. The victory drum would be returned to Wat Jengjan. The Loila people would be rewarded and permitted to return. Loimorn Sip-ha (Yarng-Nguen Village is in Mong Yang district). The Gaen Gong Ceremony ended for the year and people would prepare to go to temples to make merits on the return of Sangkharn (Sonkran) day (usually 15th April).

Conclusion

Gen Gong ceremony was meant to beg for rain during the Hindu Solar New Year, mostly on the fifth or sixth Tai month which Tai people adopted as one’s own custom 500 years ago. It is still a custom to beg for rain from the sky god and rain god, rain which is vital for the people of all classes.

From the reign of the 9th King (Sao Kaew Mathu) the Khuen people have kept this Gaen Gong ceremony and the sacrifice of the frog up to this day. The bank of Nam Khuen river is still call Ta Long Kope. The sand and soil from the river are still considered holy. From 1410 onwards the place at the bridge was called Ho-Ko Fah-Ho as after the ceremony there was often a sudden rain.

Rulers of Kengtung believed that if the ceremony was not hold, there would be drought, rice crop would fail and so there would be less land tax. Because of this belief the Gaen Gong ceremony was held every year.

Mahamung (Moeng Zae)
01.04.2005
Karp San Tai Year (Year of the Monkey)

Reference - Tamnan Tungarasi (Date written unknown) in Khuen script.
               - Songkran History of Kengtung in brief written in Burmese by Songkran Committee
              - Jengtung State Chronicle, Sao Hsai Mong Mengrai
              * The years in this document are as of Sao Hsai Mong *