Phra Nang Legend Part 1

Pictures of Thailand contain some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet. But unlike pictures of Thailand’s temples and pagodas, pictures of these landscapes are at a loss for conveying the story of the land and the sea. 

And when people have been in a place long enough, the land and sea always have a story.  And when you are actually in a place, it is that cultural backdrop that sets the mood and ambiance that color your experience.

Phra Nang (photo by Yuri Pastores)

The picture is a snapshot of the ruins of an ancient battle, the final resting place of an average fisherman who, when his love was threatened by a force far beyond the strength of average men, found that he had the stuff of a great warrior, of his accidental mortal enemy, the seven headed dragon Phaya Naga, and their contested prize.

Here is the story of their epic battle, and its tragic conclusion:

Thai legend tells of an elderly couple who, after living together for many years, decided that they wanted a child.  But they had waited too long, and the woman could not become pregnant.  Distraught, the couple sought out the Phaya Naga to ask for his help.

The Phaya Naga are powerful deities, sons of a great dragon that lives along the Mekong, having the form of seven headed dragons, serpent like with heads fanned out like those of king cobras and tending to dwell in or around large bodies of water.

No one is really sure how many sons he had, but it is known that several went to the south and took up residence along the coast at Krabi, and it was one of these that the old couple approached.

After approaching the Naga with all of the appropriate formality, the couple implored him to bless the barren woman with child.  The Phaya Naga, as was his form as well as that of his brothers, offered to help the couple, but not without exacting a heavy price.

He told them that he would give them a child, but, should that child turn out to be a girl, she was to be his wife and live with him in his watery kingdom.  The desperate couple accepted gratefully and hurried home to await their happy day.

But when that day came, joyous as it was, a cloud came with it.  The child was female.  The family did everything in their power to conceal this from the dragon, and succeeded for many years.

To be continued..

Note: This post is in honor of our No. 2 winner Photo Contest Amaze me Thailand No. 4 2011