The Legend( s) of Queen Chamadevi

Queen Chamadevi is historically a somewhat shad­owy figure. Believed to have been a 6th or 7th C. Mon princess of Lopburi, sent to found and rule the city of Haripunchai (modern-day Lamphun), she is credited with bringing the benefits of civilisation - Buddhism among them - to the North. But if the history is fragmentary, the leg­ends that have accreted and are still current about her in this part of the North are fully-fleshed and highly-coloured - sensational, even.

What the Northern chronicles, and especially the kon song whose familiars are often associated with the queen, tell us, is that as a baby she was found by a hermit in a giant lotus, and having been parented, protected and tutored by him, was sent to Lopburi where the king completed her education, and married her to one of his sons. She then returned with a full entourage up the Chao Praya and Ping rivers to the city her hermit 'father' had established magically for her. Interestingly, she failed to bring her husband with her, but gave birth to male twins shortly after her arrival, thus securing the succession. This was just as well, the legends tell us, because fellow but rather more primitive Mons in the region were not entirely welcoming. In particular, the leader of the Mon-Lua apparently based around Doi Suthep, one Khun Luang Viranka, was affronted when she refused - or at least strategically put off - his offer of marriage. For a while, Chamadevi kept him at bay with one excuse and another, but eventually, threatened by military force, she compromised. If he could throw his spear from Doi Suthep into her walled city, she would surrender her hand, she told him. Quite a chal­lenge, you might think, given that the distance, Doi Suthep to Haripunchai, is some 15 miles, but this is legend, and accordingly with his first throw the 'barbarian' chieftain landed his spear just outside the walls of the city. Alarmed that he might suceed with his next, Queen Chamadevi sent a present to Viranka, a hat that had been fashioned from an undergarment of the Queen and menstrually soiled by her. The simple fellow, flattered and pleased by what he took to be a compliment, put the hat on - with predictable results. The hero's sec­ond throw landed the spear not far from his feet, Viranka then realising that royally deceived and enchanted, he had completely lost his virile power. Out of disappointment and despair, the legends tell us, Viranka sent his last throw directly upwards, the spear falling to pierce the chest and kill the hero. Nevertheless, Khun Luang Viranka continues to be among the major spirits respected by Chiang Mai's people in some of their most important ceremonies. On the other hand, Queen Chamadevi survived, prospered and saw her area of rule extended. And she continues to be not only respected in local ceremonies, but to make appearances from time to time to mOdern-day followers, among other things ensuring that her history is told the way she wants it. But that in itself would be another story.

Lampang

The trip one hundred kilometres down the super-highway to Lampang takes you back to a quieter, slower-moving era, symbolised by the horse-carriage 'taxis' clip-clopping through the streets there. Lampang's mascot is the White Rooster image standing at the City Gate. Townspeople say that during one of the Buddha's legendary visits to the North, the King of the Gods, Indra, concerned that people might not wake in time to welcome the Great Being, took the form of the bird and crowed his warning. Apart from its many his¬toric temples, Lampang is also famous for its handicrafts (available at local shops) and fruit production. Its elephant training centre and hospital, 38 kms. out of the city, is well worth visiting and has a program that allows you to see the great beasts at their best.

Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai, 180 kms. to the northeast of Chiang Mai, has been growing recently, but still shows evidence of its lengthy past, predating the Northern Capital as its foundation does. The easiest approaches are by air and road, but the four-hour boat trip from Ta Thon down the Mae Khok River gives the best introduction. The so-called Golden Triangle meeting point of the Thai, Lao and Burmese borders can claim to be the most famous tourist destination, but its rival is the Doi Tung Development Project. Situated on the 'Reclining Lady' Mountain near the Burmese border and initiated under Royal patronage, Doi Tung has become one of the North's biggest tourist attractions. Different ethnic groups working there produce handicrafts that are known world-wide, and nature-lovers are drawn from far and near to the Mae Fah Luang Arboretum, with its extraordinary diversity of flora. The project also offers accommodation of the highest quality.

Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son on the Burmese border to the west is particu-larly attractive. Known as 'The City of the Three Mists', it can be reached in half an hour by plane, though those with the time may find driving round on the excellent highway a good introduction to the forest-covered mountains surrounding it. Home to most of Thailand' s colorful hill-peoples - the Pa Dong women with their elongated ringed necks the most spectacularly different in appearance - it offers the adventurous and energetic hot-springs, caves and waterfalls as near or farther destinations. Rafting on the Pai River is particularly recommended. But the small provincial town, with its morning markets and colorful festivals - don't miss the ordination ceremony of young Shan men into the monk hood - is a great place to lounge around, its temple of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu providing the optimum viewing point for the minimum of effort.

Lamphun

Lamphun, meanwhile, only half an hour down the road from Chiang Mai itself, is one of the oldest cities in the region, founded ¬as Haripunchai - in the 7th or 8th C. AD by the legendary Queen Chamadevi. Among its many fascinating cultural activities is the gathering of the water of allegiance and carriage in procession to Wat Phra That Haripunchai. While kon song (spirit mediums) are to be found all over the North, Lamphun's appear to have special cachet, providing those brave enough to consult them with warnings and advice of exceptional shrewdness. So while you should enjoy Chiang Mai to the full, don't miss the many other locations and activities all over the North. The Tourism Authority of Thailand will provide you with all the information necessary to give you the many trips and seasonal festivities that await you.

San Phra Phum , May the gods Be with you...

As Thai society was based on the idea of animism, it is believed that there are good and evil spirits existing in all objects and places, in woods, for example. Hence the major purpose of having a San Phra Phum is to provide the Phra Phum aka Phumi Dhevada, the guardian spirit, with a residence, so that he can protect all family members from evil spirits and bad fortune. Apart from the shelter and daily food offerings we give them in exchange, an annual ritual is also needed. Performed during Thai New Year or Songkran, the ceremony features gifts of spicy shrimp and fish salads with lemon grass and mint placed in a specific banana leaf basket called a Budplee.
Although sharing the animist spiritual belief, the San Phra Phum is not popular among Lanna people since they believe that their ancestral spirits have protected them already and so there is no need to build a shrine for other spirits.

A story behind it
If you look carefully, inside the spirit house there are tiny dolls. One holds a sword in his left hand and a book in the other while the others share a similar appearance. Who are they? Of course, it's easy to guess that the first one is the guardian spirit. However, there's a tale about this. Once upon a time in Plee city, King Tossaraj assigned his nine sons to guard different places in his territory including households, the city's gates, fortresses, granaries, rice fields, woods and rivers. The prince Phra Chaimongkol who carried a sword in his left hand and a book in the other was responsible for guarding the households and had a three-man entourage.

The Hindu influence
The San Phra Phum is usually set in the front part of households or places of business. Having a Hindu influence, the spirit house must be built on a platform in an outdoor area either on the ground floor or on the roof-deck. It must be distant from the toilet and placed slightly higher than eye level. Before construction starts, holy water called Nammon Toraneesarn is sprinkled over the area in order to evict the demons.

Certainly, we are now living in a modern age in which one sees the world through scientific lenses and the idea of San Phra Phum represents the wisdom of people in the old days and how they coped with their fear of supernatural phenomena. Nevertheless, the existence of this tiny spirit shrine demonstrates that the universal idea of psychological insecurity in the human psyche will not always be solved by science.