__NOTOC__ Takrut ( th, ตะกรุด) is a type of tubular

amulet An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...

that originated from

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. It is also known as "Tangkai" in other cultures. The takrut is similar to a talisman ( ar, طلسم /

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...

: ). The word ''Takrut'', is used for both Singular and Plural, although many people do add an 's' (Takruts). However, the proper way to refer to takrut when in plural, is 'Takrut'. They are worn by Thai people as a protective amulet and have existed for centuries. They are the most commonly mentioned form of amulet in the

Khun Chang Khun Phaen ''Khun Chang Khun Phaen'' ( th, ขุนช้างขุนแผน, ) is a long Thai epic poem which originated from a legend of Thai folklore and is one of the most notable works in Thai literature. The work's entire length is over 20,000 ...

, a Thai epic. They have an elongated scroll-like shape, and are usually made of metal or palm leaf and tied to the body with a cord. Yant (ยันต์,

yantra Yantra () (literally "machine, contraption") is a geometrical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Yantras are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; used for the benefits ...

) are incantations and sacred geometric designs with

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

gatha ''Gāthā'' is a Sanskrit term for 'song' or 'verse', especially referring to any poetic metre which is used in legends, and is not part of the Vedas but peculiar to either Epic Sanskrit or to Prakrit. The word is originally derived from the Sansk ...

and Buddhist prayers (invocations and empowerment spells), usually, but not always inscribed using the ancient Khom Pali script (a variant of

Khmer script Khmer script ( km, អក្សរខ្មែរ, )Huffman, Franklin. 1970. ''Cambodian System of Writing and Beginning Reader''. Yale University Press. . is an abugida (alphasyllabary) script used to write the Khmer language, the official la ...

used in Thailand). In Northern Thailand, they use

Lan Na The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้านนา, , ), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day ...

Tai Tham script Tai Tham script (''Dharma, Tham'' meaning "scripture") is the name given to an abugida writing system used mainly for a group of Southwestern Tai languages i.e., Northern Thai language, Northern Thai, Tai Lue language, Tai Lü, Khün language, K ...

. The takrut is used for all purposes from Maha Sanaeh (attraction), Metta Mahaniyom (business success and popularity), Mercy Charm, Maha Pokasap/Lap (riches attraction), and Kong Grapan (invincibility). Potential takeouts include

gems Gems, or gemstones, are polished, cut stones or minerals. Gems or GEMS may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media *Gems (Aerosmith album), ''Gems'' (Aerosmith album), 1988 *Gems (Patti LaBelle album), ''Gems'' (Patti LaBelle album), 1994 *G ...

, especially

engraved gem An engraved gem, frequently referred to as an intaglio, is a small and usually semi-precious gemstone that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major lu ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

pendant A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ...

rings Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s and

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s; even words in the form of a

magical spell An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremon ...

incantation An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremo ...

, to repel

evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...

or bad luck. Takrut has been part of Thai culture even before buddhism arrived in Thailand. After Thai Buddhism take roots, the takrut become the earlier form of buddhism amulets made by monk in 1200-1300A.D. In ancient Thailand, takrut was very popular as there are constant warfare and poor security conditions. Takruts are mainly blessed for safe keeping (invulnerable) purpose, to bless end user for safety their daily work or business trips or going to war.

Variations of traditional takrut

Takrut are usually put inside a special type of case and worn with a chain around the neck at chest level. They are also worn about the waist but can also be worn as most pieces of jewelry. They are worn about the body to protect specific parts of the body or to grant power to those body parts. But whether it is worn at the chest or the waist, its purpose is still the same: to give protection to its wearer. Some smaller takrut can be kept between the teeth to allow the carrier to be a more powerful speaker. This power is called sariga, a golden tongued celestial magpie, featured in Vedic and Thai Buddhist Legends.

Variations of traditional takrut

See also

Notes

References

External links