Resolving Thai Myths No. 2 - Jowtie won't Kill You But The Wife Might!

[Vogele123]

Ever noticed the little Jowtie ornaments? They range from ornate to ridiculous, like amazing carved sculptures way down to plastic Santa Clauses and toy soldiers.

Well, the Thais seem to take this stuff REALLY serious where I am. My wife has an assortment of tat / junk on the Jowtie house that ranges from some cheapo plaster ornaments that the cats climb up and break to some plastic toys and oddities like plastic chickens and other such junk.

Well, long before my mistake in Toktaw handling, I made a major mistake in Jowtie etiquette.

The Jowtie is 50 metres or so from the house, so not really noticeable if you hang around the doors. Anyway, I was out in the garden one afternoon and saw my son had left a toy fire engine (about 8 inches long - the old Dinky Toy type) So, as it was lying near the Jowtie I decided it would be a good idea to put it up on the plinth with all of the other junk.

Boy, how wrong I was with that one!

The wrath was not immediate as no one had taken much care of old Jowtie for a few days, but by God when my wife discovered it, there was going to be hell to pay!

It appears that due to the position that the fire engine had been left, it had blocked Jowtie entering and exiting his little spirit home, a big no no.

Fire engine was removed and hurled across the garden, the Spanish Inquisition began as to who had committed this terrible sin (I denied all knowledge of course, blamed cat, neighbor etc. - Actually, she believed it could have been the neighbor as she thinks he is jealous - I think that this worked as the guy next door is not fenced off and has easy access and complained about his thoughts as to where the chanotes should be) This was serious stuff! And she wasn't going to let it drop - I mean shrieking like a complete lunatic, hurling things and really going for it - Time to play dumb and hide was the best course of action.

Anyway, she then had to go out and buy some pigs heads and chicken, cook them and offer them to the Jowtie for forgiveness. (They even put cigarettes in the cooked pigs head's mouth !) Anyway, this allowed them to blame all of the previous misfortunes that had occurred on the Jowtie not being able to get into his little home.

I have suffered no really bad luck cursed on me by Jowtie for blocking his door, nor do I think he has any intention to kill me, however, if my wife found out that it was me that placed the fire engine across the door, well, I might not be here writing this. I like to think it will be the Chang / Red Horse or SMS See Deng that will kill me, or even old age, but certainly not some 3 inch midget ghost that lives in a plaster house surrounded by cheap junk and Santa claus!

Take heed of the Jowtie, don't mess around with what you do not understand, a minor joke or mistake here could really have some serious consequences.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Vogele123

[KhunBENQ]

Is it only me asking "Jowtie?".

OK, from the context it comes clear that you mean a spirit (chao thi) / ornaments for a spirit house.