What's the story with this ? Some guy, with his khmer girlfriend, on the boat from Siem REap to PP was telling me about how he had a really bad back. So they went to the local witch doctor to inquire about it and found it was due to bad spirits. They had to do some kind of ritual, involing European beer of all things ?!?!?!?
What do you guys reckon ? Does Khmer sorcery exist ? Have you had any experience of it ? What sorts of things do these guys claim to be able to do ? What sort of magic rituals are they into ?
Khmer magic
I'm sure there are many sorts. It's religious some of the time. I used to have a girl whose mother was part Chinese. When we had a bad motorbike accident, and the girl fractured her arm, and then I flipped over on my own a few days later, the mother decided it was due to the influence of a grandfather who disapproved of our relationship. Since I don't go in for temples and stuff, the mother took matters into her own hands. I think I've told the story before. But when I walked in the door to their house one day, there was a pig's head staring up at me from the floor. Around it were carefully arranged plates of rice, cans of beer, hand-made cigarettes, and other things. Incense was swirling. I asked if were were going to eat. "Not right now," my girl said, "The ghost need to eat first." So, I sat down on the bed and waited for the ghosts to finish the dinner. Then stuff was cleared away, the mother went out for something, and the young brother brought me the beer. I didn't have a crash for several months. So, they insisted that the ritual had been successful.
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Cambodia is a country where older beliefs and customs have been incorporated with the more recent Buddhist practices.People will often consult the Kru Khmer or witchdoctor if they have a problem.Some of their cures might involve using herbs or tree bark or whatever and various chants in Pali,an ancient religious language.One of the more common cures is cupping,where a glass or wooden cup with alcohol in it is set alight and then placed on various points on the skin.This causes a vacuum and draws blood to the surface,and supposedly draws out the fever,or improves circulation. This practice may be Chinese in origin,Im not sure,but I`ve heard it has become popular recently amongst Hollywood stars.The first time I saw someone in Phnom Penh with these crazy red circular welts all over them I thought it was some wierd disease. Coining,or rubbing a coin vigourously on the skin is a similiar practice.
I remember one story where a man had gone to see if the Kru Khmer could cure his syphylis.He was advised to drink the blood of a 5 year old boy,so he decapitated a young kid,drank the blood,and then absconded.Im not sure if he was eventually caught,but Im sure the Syphylis would have killed him eventually.
Khmer tattoos are only worn for protective reasons,not for show.It is mainly Soldiers who get them,and it involves a ceremony which can last for three days,during which he may not talk or cry out,as this will spoil the magic. These tattoos are in some ancient script,like Pali,in the form of Yantras or prayers.I read one Tattooists ink recipe,which contained pigment,snake bile,and strangest of all,"The blood of a revered enemy!"Im not sure how you get this stuff,but personaly,I wouldnt want to put my enemy`s or anyone elses blood in my skin!
I remember one story where a man had gone to see if the Kru Khmer could cure his syphylis.He was advised to drink the blood of a 5 year old boy,so he decapitated a young kid,drank the blood,and then absconded.Im not sure if he was eventually caught,but Im sure the Syphylis would have killed him eventually.
Khmer tattoos are only worn for protective reasons,not for show.It is mainly Soldiers who get them,and it involves a ceremony which can last for three days,during which he may not talk or cry out,as this will spoil the magic. These tattoos are in some ancient script,like Pali,in the form of Yantras or prayers.I read one Tattooists ink recipe,which contained pigment,snake bile,and strangest of all,"The blood of a revered enemy!"Im not sure how you get this stuff,but personaly,I wouldnt want to put my enemy`s or anyone elses blood in my skin!
The more ridiculous examples are well represented in the papers. Also, go to the cinema. My girl used to insist that "This the same Cambodia before" whenever some wierd looking guy would fly out of the clouds, shoot a beam of light from the palm of his hand, turn into a deer, and then run across the ocean. I think it's just everywhere. It's sort of easy to see it as stupid superstition when you're an outsider, really. I mean, that's how I saw it when I heard a lot of girls talking about how they'd try to make a guy love them by making offerings, praying in wierd places, or doing stuff in dreams. But that's like religious people in out home countries, too, really. I remember my girl had one odd superstition: if something happened in a dream that she wanted to happen in real life, she'd get up, turn the pillow over, and then sleep on the other side of the pillow. She insisted that this would make the dream come true. She was also sure I was haunted by many ghosts. I used to get really restless in my sleep, talk, even walk around, and she said she was scared I was possessed. She also found out somehow that there was the ghost of a child in my old appartment, and he really liked me and tried to look out for me sometimes. More superstition than magic, though
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Yeah, the two dogs one is a classic. I remember one night when I imbibed a little more alcohol that is usual for a weekday night and flopped out without removing a contact lense.
The next day I had a very red and sore eye. Khmer kids tell it like it is, so within minutes of walking into class one of the little beauties was asking me why I had a ragged eye. 'Well....erm...I looked at these two dogs' I told them and 30 kids started tutting and saying 'Ooooh, you shoud never do that. Now look whats happened to your eye.'
I also recall the great Mung Bean saga when a rumour started that eating Mung Beans in huge quantities would cure or deter SARS. I was having a brief stint at a factory school then and a colleague walked into a classroom and caught about 50 reasonably well educated young adult Khmers stuffing Mung Beans into their faces. He said to me....'it's like living in a Thomas Hardy novel eh?'
KiR
The next day I had a very red and sore eye. Khmer kids tell it like it is, so within minutes of walking into class one of the little beauties was asking me why I had a ragged eye. 'Well....erm...I looked at these two dogs' I told them and 30 kids started tutting and saying 'Ooooh, you shoud never do that. Now look whats happened to your eye.'
I also recall the great Mung Bean saga when a rumour started that eating Mung Beans in huge quantities would cure or deter SARS. I was having a brief stint at a factory school then and a colleague walked into a classroom and caught about 50 reasonably well educated young adult Khmers stuffing Mung Beans into their faces. He said to me....'it's like living in a Thomas Hardy novel eh?'
KiR
Twitter: Not my circus, not my monkeys - I sold #K440
.I also recall the great Mung Bean saga when a rumour started that eating Mung Beans in huge quantities would cure or deter SARS
Koreans said the same thing about Kimchi. They've tried pushing the shit down my throat for too long. I'm heading back to Cambodia to stay!!
Speaking of Magic have any of you ever tried Salvia Divinourum?
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Here's a bit about Khmer magic and tattoos:
http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_ ... attoo.html
http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_ ... eller.html
Cheers!
http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_ ... attoo.html
http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_ ... eller.html
Cheers!
That one doesn't work if the man is nearby, even if he doesn't know what she's praying for. She'll make him leave the place.Mac wrote:how they'd try to make a guy love them by making offerings
Another superstition: if you're holding a door open they won't walk through under your arm. It's bad juju.
I remember reading a very serious article in the Cambodge Soir about some mysterious stings these workers were suffering in a factory. Somebody was coming in to look into the foundation of the building to see that the naga, or whatever, was happy with everything. They were going to have to tear stuff down, or at least do some kind of ceremony to stop the spirits stinging everyone at night.
Another story in the Soir reported a conversation between two Khmer doctors--or maybe shills dressed like doctors--who were enthusing about this new soap that was supposed to cure AIDS. Apparently they were selling it at a lot of the pharmacies. The idea being that Khmers will buy any quack stuff as long as it has a French label.
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