Mae Nak Phra Khanong ( th, แม่นากพระโขนง, meaning 'Lady Nak of Phra Khanong'), or simply Mae Nak ( th, แม่นาก, 'Lady Nak') or Nang Nak ( th, นางนาก, 'Miss Nak'), is a well-known
Thai ghost
Belief in ghosts in Thai culture is both popular and enduring. In the history of Thailand, Buddhist popular beliefs intermingled with legends of spirits or ghosts of local folklore. These myths have survived and evolved, having been adapted to th ...
. According to local folklore the story is based on events that took place during the reign of
King Rama IV
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...
.
A shrine dedicated to Nak was constructed at Wat Mahabut. In 1997, the shrine was relocated to the nearby Suan Luang district of modern
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
.
Common legend
A beautiful young woman named Nak, who lived on the banks of the Phra Khanong canal, had an undying love for her husband, Mak.
While Nak was pregnant, Mak was conscripted into the Thai Army and sent to war where he was seriously wounded (in some versions it is the Kengtung Wars, while others are not specific). While he was being nursed back to health in central Bangkok, Nak and their child both died during childbirth. But when Mak returned home, he found his loving wife and child waiting for him. Neighbors warned him that he was living with a ghost but he rebuffed them.
One day, as Nak was preparing ''
nam phrik
''Nam phrik'' ( th, น้ำพริก, ) is a type of Thai spicy chili sauce typical of Thai cuisine. Usual ingredients for ''nam phrik'' type sauces are fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, lime juice and often some kind of fish or ...
'', she dropped a
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
off the porch. In her haste to retrieve it, she stretched her arm to an impossible length pick it up from the ground below. Upon seeing this, Mak realized his wife was a ghost. That night, Mak sneaked out the house and fled with Nak in pursuit. According to Thai folklore, ghosts are afraid of sticky ''Blumea'' leaves so Mak hid behind a ''
Blumea balsamifera
''Blumea balsamifera'' is a flowering plant belonging to the genus ''Blumea'' of the family Asteraceae. It is also known as Ngai camphor and sambong (also sembung).
Description
In the Philippines, where it is most commonly known as sambong, ''B ...
'' ( th, หนาด; pronounced ''nat'') bush. He then ran into Wat Mahabut temple, which as holy ground, a ghost cannot enter.
In her grief, Nak terrorized the people of Phra Khanong, furious at them for causing Mak to leave her. However, a powerful exorcist captured Nak's ghost; and after confining her in an earthen jar, threw it into the Phra Khanong canal.
There are regional variations to the rest of the story. In one, an old couple new to Phra Khanong find the jar while fishing; in another two fishermen dredge up the jar. In both cases, Nak is freed when the jar is opened.
In alternative versions, a venerable monk named Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To Phrommarangsi) defeats Nak by confining her spirit in the bone of her forehead and binds it to his waistband. Legend says the waistband is currently in the possession of the
Thai royal family
The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, Prince of Chumphon, also claimed to have had the relic. In another, the monk assured Nak that in a future life she would be reunited with her beloved husband, so she voluntarily departed for the afterlife.
Research
Anek Nawikamul, a Thai historian, researched the story and found an article in the ''Siam Praphet'' newspaper written by
K.S.R. Kulap
K.S.R. Kulap was a 19th-century Siamese writer, historian, and essayist. Born in early 19th-century Siam, his essays regarding the history of Thailand resulted in him producing a significant body of works across his career. Some of his works wer ...
, dated March 10, 1899. Kulap claimed the story of Mae Nak was based on the life of Amdaeng Nak (อำแดงนาก, 'Mrs Nak'), daughter of a
Tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
Phra Khanong leader named Khun Si. Amdaeng Nak died while she was pregnant. Her son, worried that his father might remarry and his inheritance shared with his step-mother, invented the ghost story. He dressed in women's clothing and threw rocks at passing boats to make people think it was Nak's ghost. Kulap also suggested that Nak's husband was named ''Chum'', not Mak.
Mae Nak Shrine
The shrine of Mae Nak stands next to Klong Phra Khanong, at Wat Mahabut, a large temple on Soi 77 off
Sukhumvit Road
Sukhumvit Road ( th, ถนนสุขุมวิท, , ), or Highway 3 ( th, ทางหลวงแผ่นดินหมายเลข 3), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows ...
(On Nut Road). The shrine is a low building under large trees with a roof that encompasses the tree trunks. The main shrine has several minor shrines around it.
A statue of Mae Nak and her infant form the centerpiece of the shrine. Devotees often make offerings, accompanied by a request for help, generally by women seeking easy childbirth or for their husband to be exempted from military conscription. Offerings are usually lengths of colored cloth, wrapped around the trunk of the Bo tree. Other offerings include fruit, lotuses, and incense sticks.
Toys for her child and portraits of the ghost are displayed in the shrine's inner sanctum. A collection of fine dresses offered to her are displayed behind her statue.
Offerings are also made at Phra Khanong Canal, where fish purchased live at markets are brought in buckets to the edge of the canal and freed. Stalls at the shrine sell toys, fish, lotus buds, incense sticks, and garlands for those who wish to make an offering.
In popular culture
Mae Nak's story has enjoyed sustained popularity because her undying devotion to her husband inspires people of all ages.
Prince Damrong
Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab (Thai language, Thai: ; Full transcription is "Somdet Phrachao Borommawongthoe Phra-ongchao Ditsawarakuman Kromphraya Damrongrachanuphap" (สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมว ...
, a son of King
Mongkut
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...
, revealed that when he was a child, he kept asking
Wat Phra Kaeo
Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว, , ), commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex co ...
visitors who was the most popular person in their opinion, and most people answered "Mae Nak".
The story of Mae Nak Phra Khanong is also the subject of many films, television series, and printed media. Among these are:
* ''Mae Nak Phra Khanong'', a 1959 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Khuen Chip'', 1960 Thai film
* ''Winyan Rak Mae Nak Phra Khanong'', a 1962 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Khanong Rak'', 1968 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Phra Nakhon'', a 1970 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Phra Khanong'', 1973 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Alawat'', 1973 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Amerika'', 1975 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Buk Tokiao'', 1976 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Phra Khanong'', 1978 Thai film
* ''Sannya Chai Mae Nak Phra Khanong'' (), 1992 Thai film
* ''Mae Nak Choe Phi Pop'' (Mae Nak meets
Phi Pop
Pop ( th, ปอบ) is a cannibalistic spirit of Thai folklore. It manifests itself as a that likes to devour human viscera. Pop is related to the Phi Fa spirit.
Legends
A traditional legend says that a long time ago a flower could take control ...
), 1992 Thai TV series
* ''
Nang Nak
''Nang Nak'' ( th, นางนาก) is a 1999 Thai supernatural horror film based on the Thai legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong. It was directed by Nonzee Nimibutr and released in 1999 by Buddy Film and Video Production Co. in Thailand. It depi ...
'', a 1999 film by Thai director
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr ( th, นนทรีย์ นิมิบุตร, ; born in 1962 in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, '' Nang Nak'', he is generally c ...
* ''
Ghost of Mae Nak
''Ghost of Mae Nak'' ( th, นาค รักแท้/วิญญาณ/ความตาย) is a 2005 Thai horror film thriller about a protecting ghost directed and written by British director Mark Duffield. The film stars Pataratida P ...
'', a 2005 Thai film by British director Mark Duffield
* '' Mae Naak'', (แม่นาก) an opera composed by
Somtow Sucharitkul
S. P. Somtow (a rearrangement of his real name Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul; th, สมเถา สุจริตกุล; ; born 30 December 1952) is a Thai-American musical composer. He is also a science fiction, fantasy, and horror autho ...
. It premiered in 2003 and was revived in 2005 by the Bangkok Opera, with soprano Nancy Yuen performing the title role and baritone Kyu Won Han as Mak in both productions. It was restaged again in 2011 in Bangkok and London.
*''
Nak
In data networking, telecommunications, and computer buses, an acknowledgment (ACK) is a signal that is passed between communicating processes, computers, or devices to signify acknowledgment, or receipt of message, as part of a communicatio ...
'' (นาค), a Thai 2008
computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images ( moving images), while computer animation re ...
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
directed by
Takonkiet Viravan Takonkiet Viravan ( th, ถกลเกียรติ วีรวรรณ) is a Thai television and stage producer and director, and a business executive at media conglomerate GMM Grammy. He began directing television dramas and sitcoms in the 19 ...
and starring
Myria Benedetti
Myria Alexandra Benedetti ( th, มีเรีย เบนเนเด็ดตี้; born February 6, 1975) or commonly known as Nat Myria (), is a Thai singer, actress, model and television presenter.Anatpol Sirichumsang.
* ''Mae Nak Patha Pop Sam Tua'', a 2011
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
.
* ''Mae Nak 3D'', a 2012 Thai film
*''
Pee Mak
''Pee Mak'' ( th, พี่มาก..พระโขนง; ) is a 2013 Thai supernatural romantic comedy- horror film directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun. The story is an adaptation of the Mae Nak Phra Khanong legend of Thai folklore. It was re ...
'', (พี่มาก..พระโขนง), a 2013 comedy horror Thai film by
GMM Tai Hub
GMM Tai Hub or GTH ( th, จีเอ็มเอ็ม ไท หับ or จีทีเอช) was a former film studio of the Thai entertainment conglomerate GMM Grammy. It was formed in 2003 by a merger between GMM Pictures, Tai Entertainme ...
* ''Make Me Shudder 2'' (Shudder Me Mae Nak), a 2014 Thai film
Representations of Mae Nak, sometimes humorous, are very common in Thai comic books. and
animated cartoon
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
Ghosts in Thai culture
Belief in ghosts in Thai culture is both popular and enduring. In the history of Thailand, Buddhist popular beliefs intermingled with legends of spirits or ghosts of local folklore. These myths have survived and evolved, having been adapted to th ...
Churel
The Churel, also spelled as Charail, Churreyl, Chudail, Chudel, Chuṛail, Cuḍail or Cuḍel ( hi, चुड़ैल, ur, چڑیل) is a mythical or legendary creature resembling a woman, which may be a demoniacal revenant said to occur in Sou ...
References
Further reading
* Chutima Pragatwutisarn (ชุติมา ประกาศวุฒิสาร), ''Evil Woman in a Beautiful Body: Femininity and the Crisis of Modernity in Thai Society'', Chulalongkorn University, 2010