Understanding unusual characters in Thai mythology

[The Deerhunter]

As a student of comparative religion all my life I am aware of how dominant religions seem to include and subvert icons & festivals of the religions they are absorbing. Christianity absorbed & subverted Christmas & Easter etc and Buddhism has absorbed lots of non-Buddhist icons & beliefs, including the fertility symbols that amuse us foreigners so much at temple stalls. In particular I am interested in the mythological history of the black golliwog dolls & statues seen in temples, shops & restaurants around the country. Some of the other wierd icons absorbed from previous times and for sale in temple shops are somewhat bizarre and include hideous female dolls holding a dozen or more decapitated heads painted with blood running out of them. If you have never noticed them, keep your eyes open next time you are dragged to a temple.

Clearly the golliwog doll statues are not true Buddhist icons as they are clearly black African figures with tight curly hair very like the Anglo-American golliwog figures that polite modern society is now trying to disown. They are like Afro-styled versions of the good-luck boy & girl statues more commonly seen in homes & shops.

An interesting Thai-ism is Darkie toothpaste changing it's name some years ago to Darlie toothpaste while still keeping the obvious caricature of a black-face minstrel on it. (see the toothpaste section any Thai supermarket or 7/11.)

SO! Are the "Good-luck Golliwog statues" an older part of Thai mythology or just recently adapted into a "cutsie-pie" pseudo religious role from western influences with Pooh Bear and others? All Wifey can say is "They are not part of the Buddhism I believe in."

Also, I am interested in the outlined grotesque "forest folk" silhouettes found on the back of pick-ups, large trucks and occasional signs beside the road. They are the ones with deformed faces & protruding stomachs in sarongs. All my wife can tell me is they are representations of mythical forest folk from the extreme south of the country. As they seem to resemble Leprechauns or Troll figures I thought I might ask here as there are many self-professed troll experts on TV & one of them might know more that Wifey can tell me.(LOL)

PS this is a serious request for genuine information as may be had from knowledgeable followers.

Edited October 1, 2014 by The Deerhunter

[ATF]

It's really just as you said. Religion has been mixed with Animistic beliefs and also the Ramayana from India.

[FritsSikkink]

"An interesting Thai-ism is Darkie toothpaste "

Nothing to do with Thailand just was sold there http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie

Better study some more.

[Robby nz]

If you are interested in these things you need to go have a wander round Wat Muang in Ang Thong, an example, some of the 18 stages of hell.

[coolkat]

Thai buddhist is heavily infused with hinduism. It's nothing special really it happens all over SEA even in singapore.

You actually need to differentiate between folk religions and true buddhism and most thais don't actually practice a pure form of buddhism but buddhism infused with thai culture. Nothing eye opening at all because middle eastern christian is different from european christian.

I still don't know what darkie golliwog dolls you are talking about but the heads severed by this demonic goddess is called kali. One of the most famous hindu goddess around.

[seajae]

maybe they had a few really good sessions on the gunja many years ago and thought, what will confuse the sh* t out of all the farang tourists in years to come. Seems to have worked a real treat

[Mzungu]

If you are interested in these things you need to go have a wander round Wat Muang in Ang Thong, an example, some of the 18 stages of hell.

hell.JPG

Looks like present day of Koh Tao...

[JusMe]

Deerhunter wrote: An interesting Thai-ism is Darkie toothpaste changing it's name some years ago to Darlie toothpaste while still keeping the obvious caricature of a black-face minstrel on it. (see the toothpaste section any Thai supermarket or 7/11.)

I doubt I have it anymore, but I do remember buying and saving toothpaste wrappers (or maybe chewing gum) with the same graphics and similar name when I was living in Japan back in the late 80s.

Edited October 1, 2014 by JusMe

[Gecko123]

I have always assumed that the black ante-bellum dolls and the Darlie toothpaste blackface minstrel icon were somehow borrowed from US culture.

I believe that the insensitivity about what these symbols represent to Americans stems from ignorance of the history of slavery in the US, and is certainly not intended to demean black people.

Same thing with use of the swastika. Just ignorance of world history. Not intended to be anti-Semitic.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Gecko123

[sunnyboy2018]

The gollywog character which features in parades and festivals comes from a polynesian who landed on the shores of Thailand, I believe.