S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh, A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200 Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457 E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th

	---> MORE Discovery: _________________________________ Making Merit at Nine Temples Qingming Festival The Galare House CHINESE NEW YEAR - January 26th 2009 Yipeng Lanterns Kud Chasing Lottery Luck Job Toom: A Miracle with eggs and coins Sia Phi San Phra Phum Wat Chet Yod The Bodhi Tree's Pole The Saturday Cattle Market Chinese Medicine Keeping the House Spirits Happy A basket full of spirits Fight Club, Beetle Style What's Your Poison, Squire?

Kud
The Lanna Taboo

Kud is a form of belief in Lanna culture, close in meaning to the word taboo in English. In all parts of Thailand, people have their own belief systems. I have tried to recall my younger days when I spent my summertime with my grandparents; a time when I was too little to understand the people of their generation, so I started questioning everything they tried to teach me: don't step on a pillow, you will get a pock-mark on your foot; or, never hurt your parents, your hand will become enormous. Where's the logic in believing any of this? We are living in a modern world, one where surely only the insane would pay it any attention.

When I first moved to the North, I heard many things similar to the sinister stories I was told when I was little. Lanna people have a lot of beliefs, and they seem to strictly believe what their ancestors taught them. The word kud was introduced to me by my friend who came from a far away district of Chiang Mai. Don't do this! Don't do that! Why? Because it's kud! That's what I heard all the time.

After I talked to a teacher at my college whom I respected, I understood more about these supernatural ideas and they didn't seem to be nonsense any more. Kud can be thought of as the best way to teach morality to children. Beyond morals, kud also teaches about habits, family, way of life, environment, even a complicated issue like city planning. Good examples of Lanna kud which we frequently hear are;

About family:

- Never think about having a new wife or husband, unless your partner has already died.

- Whenever there is a fight in a family, never destroy any household utensils, as this will bring very bad luck to the entire family.

- Never think about marrying one of your own relatives, as you will never be happy.

About habits:

- Never congratulate anyone who is having a good meal in order to get a portion of their food, as this will bring very bad luck to you.

- If an animal walks by, never think about killing that animal to get its meat.

- Never sleep in an abandoned temple, monastery, on the street, at an intersection, or in a brothel.

About city planning:

- Never fill in water sources such as lakes, canals or rivers, or build a house over them, as this will bring a terrible disaster to the residents.

- If a city or house is already perfect for people who live there and is surrounded by a permanent wall, never expand its size.

Lanna ancestors have never given any explanation to these old beliefs, but nowadays some of them are self-explanatory. I cannot interpret these kud to you since my interpretations may not be true. What I understand now is that supernatural beliefs were the best tool available for elders in the past to educate people and to organize society. With the given examples in mind think about all the troubles in our life today, as they may well be the results of kud!