Folklore of Thailand: Good Luck Tapestries

In my last post about amulets and charms in Thailand, I ended with a short bit on the waan nang kwak, or a figure of a beckoning woman that is displayed in shops in Thailand as a way of encouraging business. That is a good segue into other things that are displayed in shops that are meant to bring the shop good luck and lots of business: nang kwak as well as crocodile and Suvannamaccha, a Hindu mermaid, pha yant or tapestry. The figures represented on the pha yant are rooted in myths and stories as well as the more mystic beliefs of local spirits.

Nang Kwak, Good Luck Goddess for Business

The blessings of the nang kwak evolved from Mae Po Sop (แม่โพสพ), the Rice Goddess who makes sure everyone has enough to eat, a local iteration of Sri Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Like Mae Po Sop, the nang kwak wears a red dress and golden crown. She beckons people in the traditional Thai way – with the palm facing downwards. There are two stories that weave Nang Kwak into Buddhist myths and stories.

The first is that Nang Kwak was also known as Nang Supawadee and was born to two merchants, who looked to expand their business by purchasing a cart to travel to neighboring villages. Nang Supawadee would sometimes tag along and one day heard a sermon which moved her to, as the Buddhists say, “take refuge in the Three Gems.” The monk saw her devotion and and used his powers of concentration to bestow upon Nang Supawadee good fortune and salesmanship.

The second story is related to the Ramakien (the Thai version of the Ramayana). Nang Kwak was the daughter of the Lord of one of the lower levels of heaven. There was a demon, To Kok Kanak, who was attacked and cursed by the hero of the Ramakien, Phra Ram, and was pinned to a mountain until his descendants wove a monk’s robe out of lotus petals for the next Buddha. His daughter, Nang Prachant, then spent all of her time weaving a robe that she had no time to run her shop. Nang Kwak‘s father had mercy on Nang Prachant and sent his daughter to help her in her shop. With Nang Kwak‘s help, Nang Prachant‘s shop flourished.

Mermaid Tapestries in Thai Shops

The other common pha yant, or tapestry, you will find in Thai shops is one with the picture of a mermaid on it. I was very curious about this one, and have asked many people the meaning behind it. All I got from my conversations that it was for good luck, but more research helped me to discover that it is a representation of Suvannamaccha, a mermaid princess, again related the Ramakien.

Suvannamaccha’s story begins with Hanuman, the monkey god, informing Rama that his wife Sita has been captured and is being held hostage on the island of Sri Lanka. Rama instructs Hanuman to raise an army and get her back. He instructs the volunteers to through rocks into the ocean to build up a bridge, but they report that each day they throw the rocks in and the next day they are gone. Hanuman jumps into the water to see that mermaids are taking away the rocks as they are thrown into the water and discovers that Suvannamaccha’s father is Ravana, the demon that had captured Sita.

Hanuman tells the mermaid princess the story of the battle between her father and Rama and how Sita was captured and that if he did not bring Sita back, he would pay with his own life. Suvannamaccha fell in love with Hanuman and ordered the mermaids to help rebuild the bridge. The eventually parted ways, but Hanuman had impregnated her with their son, Madchanu who has a prodigal-son-like story in another branch of Hindu mythology.

I’m not entirely sure how Suvannamaccha relates to bringing good luck to shopkeepers, but her image is not uncommon.

Crocodile Tapestries for Good Luck

Another image that may be seen hanging in shops is that of a vertical crocodile or alligator. Again, I was unable to get any information from the people who hang them, other than proclamations of luck, however I was also unable to find any other information in further research. A crocodile yantra, however, represents maternal protection, protection from deceit and manipulation and provides access to ancient knowledge, which may be more of the reasoning behind these pha yants.

What other kinds of good luck charms and practices do you see shopkeepers practice in Thailand? Do shopkeepers in your country have good luck practices or talismans?