''Kuman Thong'' ( th, กุมารทอง) is a household divinity of Thai

folk religion In religious studies and folkloristics, folk religion, popular religion, traditional religion or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized re ...

. It is believed to bring luck and fortune to the owner if properly revered. ''Kuman'', or ''Kumara'' (

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'' Buddh ...

) means " Sanctified young boy" (female ''kumari''); ''thong'' means golden. These beings are often worshipped to obey their worshippers for personal gains, protection, wealth and harm in some cases. It is believed to have consequences to each request.

Description

The veneration of Kuman Thong is not part of mainstream

Buddhist practices Buddhism (Pali and sa, बौद्ध धर्म ''Buddha Dharma'') is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the ...

, but it is popular in

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 b ...

. Mainstream Buddhism does not recognize such practice. However, due to the widespread belief in animism in Thailand, Kumam Thong adopted Buddhist beliefs and mixed the two together.

Origins

The authentic Kuman Thong originated in a practice of

necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future even ...

. They were obtained from the desiccated fetuses of children who had died whilst still in their mothers' womb. The

witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor) was originally a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is now more commonly used to refer to healers, particularly in regions which use traditional healing ...

s were said to have the power to invoke these stillborn babies, adopt them as their children, and use them to help them in their endeavours. According to ancient Thai manuscripts used by practitioners of

black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 14 ...

( th, ไสยศาสตร์ ''Saiyasat''), first the unborn fetus was surgically removed from the womb of its mother. Then the body of the child would be taken to a cemetery for the conduction of the proper ceremonial ritual to invoke a Kuman Thong. The body was roasted until dry whilst the

chanted incantations of magical script. Once the rite was completed, the dry-roasted Kuman was painted with Ya Lak (a kind of lacquer used to cover amulets and

Takrut __NOTOC__ Takrut ( th, ตะกรุด) is a type of tubular amulet that originated from Thailand. It is also known as "Tangkai" in other cultures. The takrut is similar to a talisman ( ar, طلسم / transliterated: ). The word ''Takrut'', i ...

with gold leaf). Thus this effigy received the name of ''“Kuman Thong”'', meaning “Golden Little Boy”. Some Kuman effigies were soaked in Nam Man Phrai, a kind of oil extracted by burning a candle close to the chin of a dead child or a person who died in violent circumstances or an unnatural death. This is much less common now, because this practice is now illegal if using fat from human babies for the consecrating oil. Occasionally there are still some amulets obtained through the authentic methods appearing in the market. Some years ago a famous monk was expelled from the Buddhist

Sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...

for roasting a baby. He was convicted, but later continued to make magic as a layperson after his release.

''Kuman Nee''

In the case of a female spirit child, the effigy is not called Kuman Thong, but ''Kuman Nee''

In literature

The Kuman Thong is mentioned in the Thai legend of

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 20,00 ...

, where the character Khun Phaen made one by removing the stillborn baby from the stomach of his wife, whom he had killed.

Recent events

On May 18, 2012 a 28-year-old British citizen of Taiwanese origin, Chow Hok Kuen, was arrested in a Bangkok hotel room with six male fetuses that had been roasted and covered in gold. Police reported that Kuen intended to sell the fetuses in Taiwan for about 6,300 USD each. In 2011, a case was reported in Laos of a man murdering his pregnant wife, so as to use the fetus as a "Louk Lord". Hyper-realistic dolls of children (but not made out of real children), "Luk Thep" or "Look Thep" ("child angel"), have recently (2015) become popular in

. Some people believe the dolls can be injected with the spirit of a child after being blessed by a Buddhist monk. Their owners provide such care as food, water and clothes "in the hope of receiving good fortune in return", and some companies offer owners of the dolls the option to reserve them their own seats and services. On 27 February 2021, a Vietnamese YouTuber, posted a video on asking for a "fora" from a Kuman Thong. This video was posted on

TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...

. After being posted, Thơ Nguyễn's video immediately encountered a wave of strong protests from parents. She was invited to work by the Internal Political Security Department under the Ministry of Public Security because her video shows signs of spreading superstition. On 16 March, she was fined VND 7.5 million for providing and sharing information that promotes superstition.

References

External links

*
AmuletForums – Thai Amulets and Buddhism Online Discussion Forums

Kuman Thong Category – Kuman Thong History and Examples(in Thai)

Thai amulet website

Complete Guide and How to Pray To Kumantong
{{Superstitions Thai deities Superstitions of Thailand Folk religion Tutelary deities