Phra Ngang
Phra Ngang (พระงั่ง), also known in the Isan and Lao dialects as Phra E-Hang (พระอีหง่าง), is a Khmer-style amulet venerated in Isan (northeastern Thailand) and southern Laos. It is believed to bring metta mahaniyom (loving-kindness and popularity), business success, personal charm, and even invulnerability to its wearer.[1] Today, Ngang amulets are widely collected, with prices ranging from only a few baht to several hundred thousand.[2]
History and folklore
Belief in the Ngang is thought to date back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom.[1] According to local folklore, a heartbroken man intended to become a monk. On the day of his ordination his former lover returned to reconcile, prompting him to abandon the ceremony. Soon after, many women reportedly became infatuated with him. He was nicknamed “Ngang,” a word implying desire and lust rather than religious devotion. Later, occult practitioners created amulets in his likeness, which were believed to transmit his seductive powers. Other iterations tie the origin of Phra Ngang to the final days of Ayutthaya, when soldiers were sent into battle wearing hastily made castings of the Buddha of Victory, Phra Chai. When these soldiers lay dead on the battlefield, Buddhist monks collecting the bodies found these misshapen Phra Chai amulets with bent crowns and blood spattering their now glowing red eyes.[3]
Some traditions identify the Ngang with the figure of Phra Thusil,[2] while others connect the term to a Lao honorific. Phra Khru Thammawongsa, abbot of Wat Chom Phet in Champasak Province, explained that in Lao the title Ngang is used before the names of legendary characters with supernatural power, such as Ngang Si Hong or Ngang Sang Thong.[4] Research by Thanong Wongputt and colleagues notes that the Ngang, along with the Palad khik and Pho Ngat, belongs to a group of fertility amulets associated with the Hindu god Shiva and rooted in Brahmanical traditions. As an incarnation of Shiva (Mahadev), Phra Ngang is given a more complete legend: created from Shiva’s foreskin, he became a wealthy ruler skilled in magic, beloved by women and men alike. The bent crown and bloodshot eyes Phra Ngang sports are souvenirs of these amorous pursuits. After meeting Buddha, Phra Ngang devoted himself to good works, lending his powers of charm and protection to the faithful through his amulets.[4]
Appearance
Phra Ngang is typically portrayed as a bare-chested figure seated in a meditative pose. He wears a crown or topknot that is bent to the side and sports a mischievous grin. Many Ngang feature red eyes made of glass, gems, or other stones, as well as a fish tooth patterned base.[1][2]
Related amulets
Several other fertility amulets share themes with the Ngang. The Pho Ngat depicts a squatting male figure holding his penis, while the female Mae Per shows a naked woman sitting with legs spread.[5] Another variant, the In, portrays a man and woman in an erotic embrace.[6]
Rituals and practices
Because the Ngang is linked to attraction and fertility, wearers traditionally carry it at the waist near the genitals. Ritual offerings often emphasize feminine symbolism, including items associated with the menstrual cycle.[3] Folklore also holds that if the wearer avoids bathing or maintains a degree of impurity, the amulet’s power increases, reflecting the Ngang’s association with raw desire.[1]
An annual ceremonial feast is held on Songkran Day (15 April), featuring offerings of boiled chicken, boiled eggs, rice, water, and white liquor.[1] To test authenticity, owners may place the amulet face down and invite a woman to jump over it or wave her sarong; if the amulet turns to face her, it is considered genuine. Some tales even claim that a true Ngang may mysteriously vanish and reappear inside a woman’s underwear or pants.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 เด็กป้าผักลีด (3 November 2022). ""Ngang" amulet with powerful charm And the origin of the insult "idiot"". ศิลป์สัมพันธ์. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Karaket Sriparinyasilpa (3 November 2022). "Red-Eyed Ngang Amulet, Worldly Power?". Sanook.com. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thanong Wongputt (January–June 2016). "Common belief in amulets in the Thai-Laos-Cambodian border town". วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยอุบลราชธานี. Ubon Ratchathani University. 12 (1): 316.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thanong Wongputt (January–June 2016). "Shared Beliefs in Amulets in the Thai-Lao-Cambodian Border Town". วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยอุบลราชธานี. Ubon Ratchathani University. 12 (1): 317.
- ↑ Thanong Wongputt (January–June 2016). "Shared beliefs about amulets in border towns Thai-Laos-Cambodia". วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยอุบลราชธานี. Ubon Ratchathani University. 12 (1): 315.
- ↑ Thanong Wongputt (January–June 2016). "Shared beliefs about amulets in border towns Thai-Laos-Cambodia". วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยอุบลราชธานี. Ubon Ratchathani University. 12 (1): 318.
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