Thai Tradition & The Occult - Guman Thong

[melsonl]

Guman Thong is a Thai amulet represented in the form of a beautiful child, when in actual fact it is a baby spiritual entity!
The origins of the first story relating to Guman Thong were from a 19th century work of literature "Khun Chang Khun Paen" .
Khun Paen was a soldier, 400 years previous, a time when supernatural forces played an important part of traditional warfare.
Khun Paen had wanted a protective spirit to watch over him in battle. To this end he cut the unborn foetus of his son from his dead wife's womb and took it to a temple to perform an occult rite.
He wrapped the child's torso in sacred cloth and roasted it on a fire whilst chanting ritual mantras and dark incantations to create the supernatural being with whom he could communicate.
The equipment required by Khun Paen included three candles, a tinder box, a protective thread, and some metal yantras (metal talismans inscribed with mystic symbols). He lit the candles and laid consecrated wood as a bed for the foetus. Then he put a powerful Visnu yantra on its head, a royal yantra beneath it, a Visnu yantra on its middle, and a Dharani yantra on the ground. He then set gilded posts at the four cardinal points, together with yantras and flags, and he tied the protective thread around [to ward off interferences!. He overlaid the posts with a canopy having a yantra of Indra's golden chains, as prescribed for such occasions. He took charmed Mergui wood and lit a fire beneath the foetus in order to kindle pure life in it.
As he sat reciting mantras as he exposed the foetus to the fire and warmed it throughout, turning it now on its front, now on its back, until, just as dawn broke, it was thoroughly dried. Then, as Khun Phan still recited the mantras, up rose Golden Boy and spoke, ready to do his master's bidding. He named the entity Guman Thong.
This episode of Sunthon Phu's classic is the origin of a now widespread belief in Guman Thong, the protective child spirit. Although we can assume that this type of supernatural being is only literary invention, many people believe in infant ghosts and the ability to warn those who nurture them of danger threatening the household
It is still common Thai belief that when a mother dies whilst carrying a child, the spirit of the woman may become a frightening entity or a 'Phi Tai Hong Tong Klom' The power of the entity is increased through the death of two souls.
The cremation after such a death does not occur immediately in fear that the corpse will become a ghost.
In earlier times, the corpse was dug up and the foetus cut from the womb to be taken to a sacred area where it could be burnt. This ensured that the spirit of the mother did not try and retrieve her child. This ritual creation of the Guman could only be performed by an individual with arcane powers strong enough to control the supernatural.
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The superstitions surrounding the spirits of dead women are quite extraordinary and often macabre. It is believed that the Phi Tai Tong Klom has the power to attract the opposite sex and oils produced from the corpse, 'nam-man prai' or female ghost oil can be used as a powerful pheromone. As recently as 1966 the Thai monastic order was embroiled in scandal after a monk was accused of burning a dead baby to create a Guman Thong and gather oil. The monk was defrocked.
For those who believe in the protective powers of Guman Thong but don't wish to resort to such extreme and gruesome measures as employed by Khun Paen, there are other ways to conjure up the protective child spirit.
Today guru monks create the Guman Thong amulets from various sacred materials such as wood from demolished temples, ivory, bronze and plaster and then through prayer and sacred language the child spirit is requested to enter the image.
Not many monks still have the ability to create Guman Thong, but the most notable monk in recent times with this ability is Luang Phor Tae Kong Thong from Wat Sam Ngam. To create a Guman Thong the guru-monk must have specific knowledge and high level Smadhi to give the image life.
All present day amulets are made for wealth creation and protection of property. You will often see the Guman Thong image in shops where it is highly popular. Many owners relate their experience of customers who enter to purchase goods, when they in fact had no intention to enter. It was if someone had led them inside.
Today there are unfortunately a lot of fakes, images created without proper ceremony. These Guman Thong do not have the ability to protect anything, and their ineffectiveness has caused some people to stop believing in the existence of real Guman Tong.
If you are interested to purchase a Guman Thong amulet you should be aware of some important procedures.
• Food should be offered at least on a daily basis.
• Occasionally you should offer a small gift such as a toy or other offering suitable for a child. Remember the Guman Thong is a child spirit.
• The worshipper should love Guman Thong as his or her own son.
• The Guman Thong should be placed on a shelf, but not too high.
Owning a Guman Thong image requires commitment and if you wish to benefit from the fortune he could bring to your life you must care for it properly.