Songkran, the "serious" side: culture, religion, economics, tourism

[orang37]

Many years ago, during Songkran, in a sauna at the Royal Orchid Hotel's fitness center, I listen to a young western-educated Thai neurosurgeon's account of how all six of the neurosurgeons in Chiang Mai are on a 12-hours-on 12-hours-off duty cycle, as they attempted to cope with the flood of incoming casualties of the highway mayhem.

Oh yes, it's the time for wet sanuk, as well as (sadly) the time for butchery on the highways, but, it's also ... as Winnie the Khwai mentioned on another thread ... a serious time where the deep underground aquifers of religious life in the culture rise to the surface, become liminal, tangible, brought into conscious awareness.

I dare to start this thread, in the hope I'll hear some interesting responses from you about your experience with "the other sides of Songkran" in Chiang Mai, or, stories, tales, you've heard. Be assured, I have no agenda here to denigrate the riotous, carnavalesque, aspect; lots of people do have great fun here with that, in spite of the dangers.

Another Songkran, I was photographing a beautiful house in Chiang Mai from the street; a very drunk man wobbled out of the house and picked up a rock and started shouting at me in Thai, threatening to brain me. There was a police officer with mirror-sunglasses on leaning against a nearby tree. I went over to him and pointed to the man with the rock. The officer appeared not to hear me. After a moment, I realized the officer was dead-drunk, and was leaning against the tree to keep from falling. I leave the scene.

But, here we are today, recipients of water-cannon bursts from enthusiastic young farang backpackers That does not fill me with nostalgia, or lead to somber thinking about the general decline of the quality of everything, the destruction of values by modernity, blah, blah, blah. In other words I don't feel western "liberal guilt" about what's going on today.

Like most rites of passage, Songkran is "anchored" to a profound seasonal change of the year, the equinoctal transit to "spring," and coincides with a phase-transition in the modal economic cycle (agriculture, rice). The belief in the Nagas (phyanaak) as bringers of rain who must be "stimulated" to get on the job by sympathetic magic (throwing water) ... during the critical time when drought is most dangerous: that's just one expression of the typical multi-functionality of great rites.

Another Songkran, I am at Thapae Gate after mid-night: the crowd has thinned down. Suddenly a group of four Thai men drag a fifth man out into the street, and began kicking him brutally. Two other men draw guns. I, and everybody else noticing this, hunker down. I and other people go to the Tourist Police building nearby; they are closed. The episode ends with the now probably unconscious kickee being dragged off the street onto the plaza, and left there.

This year we are in a terrible drought that is affecting the agricultural economic sector of Lanna, as well as the rest of the country. I am very curious about the current state of economic-demographics in the tourist sector, which, I believe, is a major economic input to Chiang Mai at all times, but, particularly at this Songkran.

LIke most rites of passage, Songkran has accumulated by accretion any number of "cultural overlays;" individual cultural actors "move through" these overlays, taking on different roles, most often not experiencing that darling syndrome of western puzzlement at non-linear fractal efflorescence ... termed "cognitive dissonance."

Many Songkrans I went to the little mom-and-pop (sans pop) store near my old house, and knelt at the feet of the eighty-plus-something "earth mother" of our little moo baan, Khun Noi. She would lustrate me while saying a Buddhist prayer. This meant something to me ... and still does ... though I'd be hard put to say what it means.

The solar rite, Songkran, in northern Thailand, was, first-person accounts from as recent as 60 years ago tell us quite a different cultural experience. There is evidence that in earlier times expression of sexuality by women in public accompanied "carnaval" affective mass-behavior during Songkran (supposedly this aspect continued in Nan province into the 20th. century). Accounts I've read of the "old ways" stress the lustration aspect of Songkran as being quite gentle, accompanied by acts of respect, and contrition, towards family elders, leaders, Sangha, etc.

Of course, the modern re-telling of the fable known as Thai history (version 1.0 created fresh, and released circa the end of the 19th. century, in reaction to the extortion by force of territory by the French, and the accompanying trauma to the monarchy) is also being re-told, re-negotiated, now: as Mr. Natural said: "Twas ever thus!" For obvious reasons, we'll leave that stone un-turned.

Songkran a few years ago: I am bicycling from the Iron Bridge up Loy Kro towards Chang Klan. A Thai man runs out of one of the western-food restaurants with a bucket of water, and throws it with great force on me. It is stinking slop-water. I am knocked off my bike, and somewhat dazed. A Thai woman from a street-stand twenty meters away, who I was a frequent customer of, ran down, helped me up. and then proceeded to go into the restaurant, and drag my douser out by the ear, forcing him to kneel down and wai me Of course, I wai'd him back up. Years later, I found out my avenging angel was the daughter of a prominent, much feared, capo of the redacted: the street-stand was probably a front for money-laundering, I was told. I have never figured out what was premium quality truth in this escapade, and what was just stinking water.

Now, excuse me, while I go play with the neighborhood kids and let them douse me. They have so much fun !

It's ... contagious.

cheers, ~o:37;

resources:

1. unfortunately, the two best resources I ever found on northern Thai culture are out-of-print: Premchit and Dore, "The Lanna Twelve Month Cycle," and Richard B. Davis, "Muang Metaphysics." other information gleaned from miscellaneous readings in the Journal of the Siam Society. disclaimer: I am only a quondam poor excuse of a scholar in this arena.

2. version 1.0 of Thai history: Dr. Thongchai Winichakul: "Siam Mapped: A History of the Geobody of a Nation." Also see:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/07/25/life/When-the-cannons-roared-30134487.html
When the cannons roared
By Manote Tripathi

"Along with the Prachul Fort Society, the Navy has published historian
Kririksh Nana's "Franco-Siamese Crisis 1893"

At first, I assumed this story was part of the Nation's "premium" content ... to which I do not have a subscription ... so I looked at
the name of the French Admiral shown in the teaser, and then Googled on his name, which led to:

The New York Times reporting for July 1, 1893 on the French/Siamese stand-off:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=990CEED9143EEF33A25752C0A96E9C94629ED7CF

entire NYT 1893 article is available in a free downloadable PDF file
via the link below. It's a scan of the original newspaper, and not a
long article, but does include some interesting dispatches from
France, and quotes of an English newspaper's dispatch from Paris.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=990CEED9143EEF33A25752C0A96E9C94629ED7CF

[barry553]

hmmm....

[JaseTheBass]

As I am neither religious, a kid or suicidal I view Songkran very dimly and can't wait for it to be over.

One could argue that it shouldn't be viewed any differently to my own New Year 'holiday' and on the surface that's true. I enjoy going out eating and drinking during the two weeks that make up Christmas and New Year, but it has never given me an excuse to inconvenience others who are not 'getting into the holiday spirit' nor put myself or other people in danger.

Thankfully, the route I walk between home & work looks deserted today and hopfully will continue to be over the next few days.

[CMX]

Yes, to reflect upon this holiday helps to make the most of it. I enjoyed the reflections of OP about his past local experiences but sadly have none with sufficient value to offer. I was told once (Unitarian-Universalist minister) that in the middle of the 19th century it was fashionable in New England in the U.S. to hope to "Live plain and Think high." Sadly the reverse is easily the most popular course of life. Happily, all can participate in the fun and inexpensive active aspects of this holiday here. As disjointed a paragraph as that above I hope never again to write.

Trevor-Roper once remarked that the many Mandarin writings from which we profit omitted knowledge of the lives of the vast majority - the typical people of China. Here in Thailand, I too find that its history is difficult to discover and treasuries of scholars in short supply. "The party line" is actually the narrow view and vision that pertains today among those who write histories and make decisions for us.

[orang37]

Yes, to reflect upon this holiday helps to make the most of it. I enjoyed the reflections of OP about his past local experiences but sadly have none with sufficient value to offer. I was told once (Unitarian-Universalist minister) that in the middle of the 19th century it was fashionable in New England in the U.S. to hope to "Live plain and Think high." Sadly the reverse is easily the most popular course of life. Happily, all can participate in the fun and inexpensive active aspects of this holiday here. As disjointed a paragraph as that above I hope never again to write.

Trevor-Roper once remarked that the many Mandarin writings from which we profit omitted knowledge of the lives of the vast majority - the typical people of China. Here in Thailand, I too find that its history is difficult to discover and treasuries of scholars in short supply. "The party line" is actually the narrow view and vision that pertains today among those who write histories and make decisions for us.

"History" here can also be found "outside" the Great Tradition "official versions:" found in temple murals like those in the remarkable murals in Wat Phu Min in Nan province. Chiang Mai based art historian Dr. Bonnie Brereton's specialty is temple murals, and you can find her current book at SilkWorm Press.

http://silkwormbooks.com/products/buddhist-murals-of-northeast-thailand

It is also common for westerners to think of historic Thailand as a land of sparse literacy; the work of the late scholar David Wyatt on the use of temple (Wat) libraries by people who were not from the "aristocrat" classes (phrae) is quite fascinating. Wyatt's small book, "Siam in Mind," written at the end of his long career (at a time when he was severely disabled by a stroke), contains, among its many compelling chapters (written for "laity," not scholars), a chapter on his research into library use in Nan.

imho, the social/cultural history is also "incarnate," distilled, in the great Jataka Cycle of stories (the Theravadan collection of stories of the many incarnations of the "being" that ultimately manifested as the Buddha, the tathagata, in the lifetime of the historic person Siddhartha of the Sakyas). Not that long ago (up to 1950's ?), annual enactment of that cycle, involving every segment of the community, was a very important aspect of the Lanna sacred-year observances,

imho, reading the official archaic compendia (Chiang Mai Chronicles, Ayutthya Chronicles, Nan Chronicles, Chamadevivansa, etc.) also has its charm, with Wyatt and Aroonrai's Chiang Mai Chronicles translation imho the most "accessible" of the group.

The Ayutthya Chronicles, Richard Cushman, later edited by David Wyatt (a synoptic collation of many manuscripts by a remarkable American who gave up on his academic career and became a computer programmer) is "rough going" ... until you learn how to read it ... but, the story of King Narai's rise to power, his surreal encounter and attempt at detente with the treacherous French (facilitated by the fascinating Cypriot character Phaulkon), and ultimate fall, and how his dalliance with a Chiang Mai princess taken as a spoil of war (after defeating Chiang Mai), resulted in the birth of a male child who was raised as if Narai's chief minister were his father ... how that male child later was recognized as a son of Narai, and how the remarkable young man that child became ... how that young man later became King ... how, as King ruled, and what he did ....

Well, I best not say more on that.

"Take what you can gather, from coincidence" Bob Dylan

cheers, ~o:37;

Edited April 14, 2016 by orang37

[northernjohn]

As I am neither religious, a kid or suicidal I view Songkran very dimly and can't wait for it to be over.

One could argue that it shouldn't be viewed any differently to my own New Year 'holiday' and on the surface that's true. I enjoy going out eating and drinking during the two weeks that make up Christmas and New Year, but it has never given me an excuse to inconvenience others who are not 'getting into the holiday spirit' nor put myself or other people in danger.

Thankfully, the route I walk between home & work looks deserted today and hopfully will continue to be over the next few days.

I hope not. I hope it is similar to Tha Pai Gate.

[WonderousWand]

Thank you, Orang, I enjoyed your narrative describing this holiday.

Leon Festinger, However, really might take exception to your so cavalierly using his term, 'COGNITIVE DISSONANCE'

This term has some very precise meanings, which he described at great length in a few papers.

For some reason, this term has recently become popularized in the wrong way, and then means nothing.

The language is a living language, but so many people misuse this term, when they do not understand what it really means.

I do not have water on the brain, and I know what cognitive dissonance means.

One can check it out on Google Scholar, for example.

Otherwise, nice piece.

That is Leon Festinger you should refer to,

Not Leon Russel

Edited April 14, 2016 by WonderousWand

[orang37]

Thank you, Orang, I enjoyed your narrative describing this holiday.

Leon Festinger, However, really might take exception to your so cavalierly using his term, 'COGNITIVE DISSONANCE'

This term has some very precise meanings, which he described at great length in a few papers.

For some reason, this term has recently become popularized in the wrong way, and then means nothing.

The language is a living language, but so many people misuse this term, when they do not understand what it really means.

I do not have water on the brain, and I know what cognitive dissonance means.

One can check it out on Google Scholar, for example.

Otherwise, nice piece.

That is Leon Festinger you should refer to,

Not Leon Russel

I am delighted to know you do not have water on the brain, and I'm glad you enjoyed this post.

I am very familiar with Festinger's work, and I do take exception to your comments: Festinger's academic output was massive, and the term "cognitive dissonance" came to have significance in social psychology as it was elaborated by many other experimentalists, and theorizers.

In case it's not clear, the way I am using the term here does not refer to the "mental states," or "inner experiences" of the Thai people enjoying, participating in, involved in, Songkran as rite/holiday/family-reunion/liminial-time when social norms governing behavior ("residual norms" Thomas Scheff would have called them) are in flux.

I use cognitive dissonance her to refer to the mental states and perceptions of the western folks who observe what they react to as "incongruent," or inconsistent, behavior by Thais. My thesis being that the cognitive dissonance the farang experiences (through projective identification) leads to the compensatory reaction-formation that results in the (often seen on ThaiVisa) put-downs, crude snipes, caricatures, etc.

In other words: most farangs are just too stupid to understand the depth of Thai culture and do anything but snort as they party-on, while passing off their knee-jerk reactions as profound insights ... just as we are doing here, on this thread

cheers, ~o:37;

[orang37]

fyi: a friend (a scholar) was kind enough to inform me that both the books I mention on this thread (by Richard B. Davis, and Premchit and Dore) are available in the library of the EFEO here in Chiang Mai.

Since Carol Stratton donated her very substantial book collection to Payap University, I consider it possible that Payap may also have them.

cheers, ~o:37;

[WonderousWand]

Thank you, Orang, I enjoyed your narrative describing this holiday.

Leon Festinger, However, really might take exception to your so cavalierly using his term, 'COGNITIVE DISSONANCE'

This term has some very precise meanings, which he described at great length in a few papers.

For some reason, this term has recently become popularized in the wrong way, and then means nothing.

The language is a living language, but so many people misuse this term, when they do not understand what it really means.

I do not have water on the brain, and I know what cognitive dissonance means.

One can check it out on Google Scholar, for example.

Otherwise, nice piece.

That is Leon Festinger you should refer to,

Not Leon Russel

I am delighted to know you do not have water on the brain, and I'm glad you enjoyed this post.

I am very familiar with Festinger's work, and I do take exception to your comments: Festinger's academic output was massive, and the term "cognitive dissonance" came to have significance in social psychology as it was elaborated by many other experimentalists, and theorizers.

In case it's not clear, the way I am using the term here does not refer to the "mental states," or "inner experiences" of the Thai people enjoying, participating in, involved in, Songkran as rite/holiday/family-reunion/liminial-time when social norms governing behavior ("residual norms" Thomas Scheff would have called them) are in flux.

I use cognitive dissonance her to refer to the mental states and perceptions of the western folks who observe what they react to as "incongruent," or inconsistent, behavior by Thais. My thesis being that the cognitive dissonance the farang experiences (through projective identification) leads to the compensatory reaction-formation that results in the (often seen on ThaiVisa) put-downs, crude snipes, caricatures, etc.

In other words: most farangs are just too stupid to understand the depth of Thai culture and do anything but snort as they party-on, while passing off their knee-jerk reactions as profound insights ... just as we are doing here, on this thread

cheers, ~o:37;

Farangs here just too stupid?

OK, I can buy that.

But I am getting smarter,

All the time.

However, I reserve my right to slightly disagree with your more common use of Cog Diss.

Still, English is a living language, I guess.

Good post!

Edited April 17, 2016 by WonderousWand